Rock Quary - panoramio (1), 2012
Castle Hayne’s story
157 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,087 in 1980, 1,243 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 4 maps from 1947 on.
- 1869Castle Hayne is settled
Castle HayneNC
Settled in 1869, this town now has 897 residents.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Edward Orde · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
897
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$364K
+1.3% in a year
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
59.0
years
Jobs based here
376
A commuter town
Is Castle Hayne a good place to live?
26% of residents live below the poverty line in Castle Hayne, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Among 291 North Carolina towns, just 3 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Castle Hayne. 30% of the land in Castle Hayne is conserved, against 3.4% in North Carolina’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Castle Hayne has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
897 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Skippers CornerCastle Hayne
Getting set up
Moving to Castle Hayne: who provides what
Castle Hayne is unincorporated, so New Hanover County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerFour County Elec Member15.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCfpua-Wilmington water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesNew Hanover CountyNew Hanover County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereNew Hanover County Board of ElectionsNew Hanover County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code2842928429 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Castle Hayne.
Who lives here
45% of residents are 65 or older
The midpoint age in Castle Hayne is 59 years. Here, 39% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 36% in North Carolina as a whole.
59median age · NC 39.1
| Castle Hayne | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 59 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 29% | 29% |
Castle HayneNorth CarolinaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
29%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school16%
Some college20%
Associate’s18%
Bachelor’s34%
Graduate5%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 38% and 65% women
The Census survey reached too few of Castle Hayne’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±13.6 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Castle Hayne | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.1% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.9% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.5% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.6% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 3.9% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.2% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 29.4% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.4% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.2% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 15.5% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.1% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.7% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 33.5% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools Castle Hayne’s kids attend
One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. The public schools here belong to the New Hanover County Schools. The 2 public schools in Castle Hayne teach 1,332 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holly Shelter MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 801 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: very high risk in Castle Hayne, mostly hurricanes
On expected storm and flood damage, Castle Hayne sits above 94% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 70% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 19% to inland flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Castle Hayne after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2018.
94risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland flooding
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
In Castle Hayne, nearly a quarter of the land is conserved
1.2 miles of trail. The density of trails for Castle Hayne comes to 0.2 miles per square mile.
29.7%conserved
29.7%
conserved · 974 of 3,285 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commute
About two in five of Castle Hayne’s working residents commute to Wilmington
Employers in Castle Hayne added 150 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 376. The town’s middle household income is $53,000. For half of commuters, work is under 10 miles away. The top destinations are Wilmington (42%), Wrightsboro (4%) and Charlotte (3%).
0%work in town
| Castle Hayne | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Castle Hayne0%
Wilmington42%
Wrightsboro4%
Charlotte3%
Raleigh3%
10 mi
median commute distance
376
jobs based in Castle Hayne
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
90°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–59°
Spring50–74°
Summer69–88°
Fall53–75°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Mar 29
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Castle Hayne is
The share of adults in Castle Hayne who binge drink: 17%. In Castle Hayne, 33% of adults have obesity, and 25% have been diagnosed with depression.
| Castle Hayne | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 36% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 25% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 38% | 35% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Castle Hayne | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.1% | 7.9% |
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center
In Wilmington · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
The typical home in Castle Hayne is valued at about $364K
Castle Hayne: 81% of households live in a home they own. Values rose 1.3% in the 12 months to September 2026. In Castle Hayne, the typical rent is $1,037 a month.
$364KZillow home value
| Castle Hayne | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,037 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Castle Hayne$364K
North Carolina$332K
+1.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 11 attractions →Fort Fisher and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Castle Hayne. Close and well known come first.
27 mi LandmarkFort Fisher
21 mi GardenOrton Plantation
13 mi National BattlefieldMoores Creek National Battlefield56K visitors a year
22 mi MuseumBrunswick Town11 mi GardenAirlie Gardens
8 mi TheatreThalian HallSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Fort Fisher: Eric T. Gunther, CC BY 3.0 · Orton Plantation: AgnosticPreachersKid., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Moores Creek National Battlefield: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Brunswick Town: Brunswick1726, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Thalian Hall: Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Castle Hayne
17pages on Castle Hayne
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Castle Hayne
Miller-Motte College-WilmingtonUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Wilmington7.9 miCape Fear Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wilmington8.2 mi$2,748 in-state tuitionUniversity of North Carolina WilmingtonUniversity or college · Public · Wilmington9.2 mi$7,277 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Castle Hayne residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Castle Hayne for work
Where Castle Hayne’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
376jobs based in Castle Hayne
0%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Castle Hayne
CDP in North Carolina, United States
Castle Hayne is a census-designated place (CDP) in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,234 at the 2020 census, up from 1,202 in 2010. Castle Hayne is located in the statistical township of Cape Fear. The CDP is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. Castle Hayne was first listed as a CDP at the 1980 United States census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 20 ft
- ZIP code
- 28429
Questions about Castle Hayne
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Castle Hayne, NC a good place to live?
Castle Hayne has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.