Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
59% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Topsail Beach, above both the North Carolina town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Among 291 North Carolina towns, just 1 have a higher median age than Topsail Beach. Topsail Beach has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Belvidere Plantation House. Topsail Beach has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Coastal flooding makes up 31% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Census counts: 108 in 1970, 461 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers and a map from 1942 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Topsail 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 Topsail Beach.
96% of Topsail Beach households own their home, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 67% and U.S. towns at 73%. Typical home values rose 4.7% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 1,793 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Topsail Beach.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Topsail Beach has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 36° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Topsail Beach for work: only 2% work in town. Topsail Beach’s average trip to work is 34 minutes. Jobs based in Topsail Beach fell to 145 in 2023, 24 fewer than in 2013.
| Topsail Beach | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.6% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
11% of adults report frequent mental distress in Topsail Beach. Only 4 of the 290 North Carolina towns we compare have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Topsail Beach. 14% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Topsail Beach.
| Topsail Beach | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 17% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 34% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 86% | 80% | 79% |
| What stands out | Topsail Beach | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 4.3% | 12.2% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.9% | 13.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14.6% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Topsail Beach. Close and well known come first.
31 mi LandmarkFort Fisher
27 mi GardenOrton Plantation
28 mi MuseumBrunswick Town
27 mi National BattlefieldMoores Creek National Battlefield56K visitors a year15 mi GardenAirlie Gardens
19 mi TheatreThalian HallFort 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
None within 15 miles of Topsail Beach; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Topsail Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
3 places in Topsail Beach on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Topsail Beach is a town in Pender County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Topsail Beach had a population of 461. It is part of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Topsail Beach has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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