Elwell Ferry Sign, 2016
Kelly’s story
145 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 2 maps from 1954 on.
- 1881Kelly is settled
KellyNC
A town of 616, settled in 1881.
Mt. Horeb Presbyterian Church and Cemetery · Photo: Rcpate1308 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
616
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$128K
Census ACS
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
30.3
years
Jobs based here
5
A commuter town
Is Kelly a good place to live?
5.7% of residents live below the poverty line in Kelly, below both the North Carolina town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Kelly’s concentration of trails is 1.2 miles per square mile, above both North Carolina’s towns (0.2) and U.S. towns (0.4). Kelly has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
616 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Kelly: who provides what
Kelly is unincorporated, so Bladen County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerFour County Elec Member15.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet1 providers78% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBladen CountyBladen 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 hereBladen County Board of ElectionsBladen County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019
ZIP code2844828448 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 Kelly.
Natural hazards
Top of a very high hazard risk in Kelly: hurricanes
FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in Kelly than in 88% of U.S. communities. 54% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from hurricanes, followed by inland flooding at 28%. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2018.
88risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Kelly has 0.0 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
The typical household income for Kelly is $53,000. The top destinations are Elizabethtown (13%), Wilmington (6%) and Fayetteville (6%). The median commute is under 37 miles.
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Kelly0%
Elizabethtown13%
Wilmington6%
Fayetteville6%
Raleigh6%
37 mi
median commute distance
5
jobs based in Kelly
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
90°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–58°
Spring50–74°
Summer69–89°
Fall53–75°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Mar 27
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Kelly is
Kelly: 41% of adults have obesity. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Kelly is ahead of North Carolina on 4 and behind on 12. In Kelly, 17% of adults have diabetes, and 12% binge drink.
| Kelly | Typical North Carolina town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 80% | 79% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
4 better16 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Kelly | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.5% | 14.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.9% | 76.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 27% | 13.9% |
Cape Fear Valley-Bladen County Hospital
20.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.2%conserved
1.2%
conserved · 92 of 7,388 acres
14 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kelly
16pages on Kelly
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kelly; the nearest are
Cape Fear Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wilmington25.8 mi$2,748 in-state tuitionUniversity of North Carolina WilmingtonUniversity or college · Public · Wilmington29.8 mi$7,277 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Kelly residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Kelly for work
Where Kelly’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5jobs based in Kelly
0%of working residents work in town
37 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Kelly
Census-designated place in North Carolina, United States
Kelly is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bladen County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 446 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 12 sq mi
- Elevation
- 23 ft
- ZIP code
- 28448
- Area code
- 910
Questions about Kelly
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kelly, NC a good place to live?
Kelly has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.