NorthchaseNC
A town of 5,896.
Is Northchase a good place to live?
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Overall it grades C−, 208th among North Carolina's 286 graded towns. Its weakest subject is incomes: the median household income is $59K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. 34% of residents are under 18 in Northchase, against 22% in North Carolina’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Only 32 of North Carolina’s 451 towns score lower on history. The biggest park or preserve is Olsen Park, at 62 acres.
How Northchase grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Northchase is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Northchase: who provides what
Northchase is unincorporated, so New Hanover County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Northchase.
Northchase is healthier than towns with similar incomes and is mostly renters, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of North Carolina (mostly hurricanes).
Natural hazards: very high risk in Northchase, mostly hurricanes
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 84% of North Carolina towns; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on.
FEMA puts 75% of Northchase’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 16% to inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Northchase’s public schools outperform 63% of North Carolina districts
The public schools here belong to the New Hanover County Schools. The largest public high school is Emsley A Laney High, with 2,243 students. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emma B Trask MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 611 | B |
| Emsley A Laney HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,243 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
More children than North Carolina overall
Only 42.5% of households own their home, against 66.6% across North Carolina.
Northchase: 11% of residents are 65 or older. North Carolina has 36% of adults 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more; here it is 35%. In Northchase, the age of the median resident is 28.3 years.
| Northchase | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.3 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 11% | 18% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 29% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
43% women, 57% men
About 132 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±6.5 points). Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 81% are men (NC 51%).
| Northchase | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 19.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.1% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.6% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.1% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.3% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.4% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.8% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.6% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.8% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.4% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.7% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.8% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 30.5% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.8% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The climate in Northchase brings mild winters and hot summers
Northchase’s midsummer high comes in at 90°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health in Northchase trails 64% of U.S. towns
Against the 8,750 U.S. towns with household incomes like Northchase’s, it is healthier than 59%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
For adults 18 to 64 in Northchase, the share who have no health insurance is 12%. Two figures for adults here: 19% report frequent mental distress, 17% binge drink.
| Northchase | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Northchase | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.9% | 13.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.9% | 7.1% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 10.5% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
13% of Northchase is conserved land
Parks and preserves in Northchase: 2, covering 77 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Olsen Park | — | 62 |
| 2. Trask Park | — | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
About half of Northchase’s working residents commute to Wilmington
Jobs based here grew from 1,574 in 2013 to 2,271.
Half commute less than 7 miles. Employers in Northchase added 697 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 2,271. Only 4% of working residents stay in Northchase for work; the rest commute out. The town’s average commute stands at 22 minutes.
| Northchase | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.8% | 6.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
A home in Northchase sells for about $400K at the median
In Northchase, 43% of households are owner-occupiers. The going rate for rent here is $1,365 a month.
| Northchase | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 43% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,365 a month | $1,084 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Fort Fisher and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Northchase. Close and well known come first.
23 mi LandmarkFort Fisher
18 mi GardenOrton Plantation
19 mi MuseumBrunswick Town
17 mi National BattlefieldMoores Creek National Battlefield56K visitors a year7 mi GardenAirlie Gardens
6 mi TheatreThalian HallPhoto credits
Fort Fisher: Eric T. Gunther, CC BY 3.0 · Orton Plantation: AgnosticPreachersKid., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Brunswick Town: Brunswick1726, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Moores Creek National Battlefield: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Thalian Hall: Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Everything we know about Northchase
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Northchase
About 4 of every 100 Northchase residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
About Northchase
CDP in North Carolina, United States
Northchase is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 3,842 as of the 2020 census which is up from 3,747 in 2010. Northchase is located in the statistical township of Cape Fear.U.S. Route 117 passes through the community. Northchase was first listed as a CDP at the 2010 United States census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 36 ft
Northchase’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Northchase.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northchase | #208 | C− | C+ | — | B | C+ |
| Murraysville | #77 | B− | C+ | — | B | A |
| Blue Clay Farms | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Northchase and Murraysville report no FBI crime data of their own. Blue Clay Farms isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Northchase with a neighbor →
Questions about Northchase
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Northchase, NC a good place to live?
Northchase grades C− overall, better than 16% of U.S. towns and #208 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades C+ for health and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Northchase, NC expensive?
The typical home is worth about $318,000, 4% below the North Carolina typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.