Brunswick County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 107,431. Its population was only 73,143 in 2000, making it one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. With a nominal growth rate of approximately 47% in ten years, much of the growth is centered in the eastern section of the county in the suburbs of Wilmington such as Leland, Belville and Southport. A 2019 estimated population of 142,820 makes Brunswick the fourth-fastest-growing county in the country. The county seat is Bolivia, which at a population of around 150 people is among the least populous county seats in the state.
Brunswick County is included in the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formerly part of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Brunswick County and Wilmington area leaders disputed the change, but unsuccessfully.
Much of the economy of the county is built around tourism, with beach communities lying along the south-facing beaches past Cape Fear such as Bald Head Island (the southernmost point of North Carolina) and Oak Island being popular destinations. Calabash, on the border of South Carolina, is renowned for its fried seafood, with "Calabash-style" restaurants dotting the region. The proximity to EUE/Screen Gems Studios in nearby Wilmington has made Brunswick County a popular filming location for many movies and TV shows.
History
The county was formed in 1764 from parts of Bladen County and New Hanover County. It was named for the colonial port of Brunswick Town (now in ruins) which itself was named for Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg; at the time held by the British kings of the House of Hanover.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (19%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in North Carolina by total area. The Brunswick River and the Cape Fear River provide access to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Brunswick Nuclear Generating Station is to the north of Southport.
Hydrogeology
The principal ground-water-supply sources for Brunswick County are the surficial aquifer for domestic supplies and the Castle Hayne aquifer for municipal supplies.
Beaches
Caswell Beach
Holden Beach
Long Beach
Ocean Isle Beach
Sunset Beach
Yaupon Beach
Islands
Bald Head Island
Bird Island
Oak Island
Adjacent counties
Pender County - north
New Hanover County - east
Columbus County - west and northwest
Horry County, South Carolina - west
Major highways
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 136,693 people, 58,385 households, and 39,806 families residing in the county.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 73,143 people, 30,438 households, and 22,037 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 people per square mile (33/km2). There were 51,431 housing units at an average density of 60 per square mile (23/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 82.30% White, 14.38% Black or African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.32% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. 2.68% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 30,438 households, out of which 25.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.20% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 29.20% from 45 to 64, and 16.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,888, and the median income for a family was $42,037. Males had a median income of $30,138 versus $22,066 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,857. About 9.50% of families and 12.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.40% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
thumb|right|300px|Map of Brunswick County, North Carolina, with municipal and township labels
Cities
Boiling Spring Lakes
Northwest
Southport
Leland, North Carolina
Towns
Belville
Bolivia (county seat)
Calabash
Carolina Shores
Caswell Beach
Holden Beach
Leland
Navassa
Oak Island
Ocean Isle Beach
Sandy Creek
Shallotte
St. James
Sunset Beach
Varnamtown
Village
Bald Head Island
Unincorporated communities
Antioch
Ash
Batarora
Bell Swamp
Bishop
Biven
Bonaparte Landing
Boone's Neck
Bowensville
Brunswick Station
Camp Branch
Cedar Grove
Civietown
Clairmont
Clarendon
Coolvale
Doe Creek
Eastbrook
Easy Hill
Half Hell
Longwood
Maco
Piney Grove
Red Bug
Sunset Harbor
Supply
Thomasboro
Winnabow
Politics, law and government
Brunswick County is a member of the regional Cape Fear Council of Governments. The county lies in the inner coastal plain, most of which was highly pro-secession, and part of the Democratic “Solid South” from the late 19th century through 1964. However, Brunswick County was less fertile than the “Black Belt” and consequently had significant pro-Union and Populist sympathies. The county frequently backed Republicans at state and local levels even when the state was consistently Democratic apart from Herbert Hoover’s 1928 victory. Only three times since the Civil War – Grover Cleveland in 1888, Alton B. Parker in 1904 and Jimmy Carter in 1980 – has Brunswick County backed a losing Democratic presidential candidate. Carter in that 1980 election remains the last Democrat to win a majority of Brunswick County’s ballots, although Bill Clinton won a plurality in 1992.
