Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 96% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Overall it grades C−, 196th of 286 graded towns in North Carolina. Its weakest subject is incomes: the median household income is $68K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line. 20% of residents live below the poverty line in Burgaw, above both North Carolina’s towns (13%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Burgaw has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Pender County Courthouse and Burgaw Depot. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 70% of U.S. towns.
Where Burgaw beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Pender County Courthouse3,872 counted in 2010 and 3,088 in 2020; an estimated 3,903 in 2025.
The decline has turned around: up 4.2% since 2020, after a 20.2% drop in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Burgaw is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 184 in 1880, 3,088 in 2020. The archive holds 2 maps from 1942 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Burgaw, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Burgaw.
Burgaw draws workers from Wilmington and beyond, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of North Carolina (mostly hurricanes).
2,868 jobs are based in Burgaw, 2.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Most working residents leave Burgaw for work: only 12% work in town. The average trip to work in Burgaw is 27 minutes. The top destinations are Wilmington (24%), Raleigh (3%) and Fayetteville (3%).
| Burgaw | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Pender County Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| C.F. Pope ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 530 | C− |
| Pender Early College HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 215 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 90% of North Carolina towns; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1998, 37 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Burgaw.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Burgaw | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.5% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Burgaw beats the North Carolina average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 42% of Burgaw adults have high blood pressure.
| Burgaw | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Burgaw | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.9% | 76.7% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.8% | 3.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Burgaw’s property crime rate is 18.2 per 1,000 residents. Within North Carolina, it does better than 70% of towns.
| Burgaw | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 18.2 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Burgaw has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 33° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Burgaw home is worth about $286,000, up 2.2% in a year, 14% below the North Carolina typical home.
| Burgaw | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $943 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 67% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Burgaw; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Burgaw residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Where Burgaw’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Burgaw on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Burgaw is a town in and the county seat of Pender County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,088 at the 2020 census. Burgaw is part of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Burgaw grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns and #196 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades C for health, C for safety and B+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 70% of towns.
That is 3.7 years of the area's median household income ($76,471 across the Wilmington, NC metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
2 notable people were born here, including Samm-Art Williams and George Lucas Paddison.
