Most of North Topsail Beach was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Below: maps from 1952 on and the census since 2000.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, North Topsail Beach is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of North Topsail Beach’s overall grade.
North Carolina towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical North Carolina town has 12.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so North Topsail Beach’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (19% of North Carolina towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.5 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about North Topsail Beach’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In the 1940s, Ocean City was the one place in the area where African Americans could vacation or buy property. The idea came from white attorney Edgar L. Yow, who owned land in the area and talked to Black physician Samuel Gray. Wade H. Chestnut, who along with wife Caronell owned the first home there, was a leader in the community's development. In July 2022, a historical marker was planned, which will be part of the state's Civil Rights Trail.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of North Topsail Beach. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1952Spicer Bay sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of North Topsail Beach.
People over time
North Topsail Beach, census by census
Between 743 and 1,005 people in every census since 2000.
3 censuses, 2000–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on North Topsail Beach’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to North Topsail Beach
Nobody well known was born in North Topsail Beach itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
North Topsail Beach is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in North Topsail Beach?
0.0% of North Topsail Beach’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 4.1% for a North Carolina town; the median home was built in 1989.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
