Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
70% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Holden Beach, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only one of the 235 North Carolina towns we compare has a higher midpoint home value than Holden Beach. 11% of the land in Holden Beach is conserved, above both the North Carolina town median (3.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Holden Beach has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Coastal flooding makes up 19% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Census counts: 136 in 1970, 921 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Holden Beach, 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 Holden Beach.
Among households in Holden Beach, 95% are owner-occupiers. Home values are up 5.3% over the year to September 2026. For Holden Beach, the median rent is $1,475 a month.
| Holden Beach | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 95% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,475 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
For Holden Beach, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 97 of 100. Flood insurance has paid out on 1,310 claims in the town since 1979. 64% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from hurricanes, followed by coastal flooding at 19%. Federal aid has come to Holden Beach households in 10 declared disasters; the latest was in 2020.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Holden Beach, 14% of working residents work locally. The town had 240 jobs in 2023, up 31 from 2013. The middle household income for Holden Beach comes to $116,000. The top destinations are Wilmington (9%), Raleigh (7%) and Shallotte (5%).
| Holden Beach | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $116,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.9% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
0.9 miles of trail wind through 2 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in Holden Beach: 2, covering 3 acres. The town’s density of trails is 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Holden Beach Park | — | 2 |
| 2. Holden Beach Pavilion | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
15 crimes were reported in Holden Beach in 2024: 14 property and 1 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Holden Beach is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
For adults in Holden Beach, the share who say their health is fair or poor is 13%; what’s more, among 290 North Carolina towns, just one has a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Holden Beach. Of 32 CDC measures, Holden Beach beats the North Carolina average on 19 and trails it on 5. No town among the 290 in North Carolina we compare has a lower share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Holden Beach.
| Holden Beach | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 17% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 88% | 80% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.2% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Holden Beach | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 4.4% | 15.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 3.6% | 12.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 15.8% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Holden Beach
About 2 of every 100 Holden Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Seaside town in North Carolina, United States
Holden Beach is a seaside town in Brunswick County, North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, Holden Beach had a population of 921. It is part of the Wilmington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Holden Beach has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.