Brunswick County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 136,693. Its population was only 73,143 in 2000, making it one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. With a nominal growth rate of approximately 47% in ten years, much of the growth is centered in the eastern section of the county in the suburbs of Wilmington such as Leland, Belville and Southport. The county seat is Bolivia, which at a population of around 150 people is among the least populous county seats in the state.

Brunswick County is part of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. From 2013 to 2023, the county was part of the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. During that time, Brunswick County and Wilmington area leaders disputed the change, including many government leaders like Senator Richard Burr. Ultimately, their efforts were a success because the county was added back into the MSA after a 2023 realignment.

Much of the economy of the county is built around tourism, with beach communities lying along the south-facing beaches past Cape Fear such as Bald Head Island (the southernmost point of North Carolina) and Oak Island being popular destinations. Calabash, on the border of South Carolina, is renowned for its fried seafood, with "Calabash-style" restaurants dotting the region. The proximity to Cinespace Wilmington in nearby Wilmington has made Brunswick County a popular filming location for many movies and TV shows.

History

The county was formed in 1764 from parts of Bladen County and New Hanover County.

Following the destruction of Brunswick Town during the American Revolutionary War, the southern portion of the county increased in population, with the town of Smithville being incorporated in 1805. Three years later it was designated the county seat. During the antebellum era, Brunswick experienced some growth. The slave labor force increased to serve plantations in their production of naval stores, corn, cotton, and rice; by 1860 over 44 percent of the county's population were slaves. During the American Civil War, forces of the Confederate State of America erected Fort Anderson near the ruins of Brunswick Town to defend against federal attacks on the Cape Fear River and the Port of Wilmington. Brunswick County did not experience much growth in the latter half of the 19th century. Smithville was renamed Southport in 1887. Beginning in the 1930s, development along the county's beaches occurred, and between 1955 and 1975, six communities on the county's barrier islands were incorporated. It is the fourth-largest county in North Carolina by total area. The Brunswick River and the Cape Fear River provide access to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Brunswick Nuclear Generating Station is to the north of Southport.

Hydrogeology

The principal ground-water-supply sources for Brunswick County are the surficial aquifer for domestic supplies and the Castle Hayne aquifer for municipal supplies.

State and local protected area/sites

  • Bald Head Island Conservancy
  • Bald Head Island Natural Area
  • Bald Head Woods Maritime Forest Preserve
  • Bird Island Reserve
  • Brunswick County Botanical Garden
  • Brunswick Nature Park
  • Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site
  • Columbus County Game Land (part)
  • Ev-Henwood Nature Preserve
  • Fort Caswell Historic District
  • Green Swamp Game Land
  • North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport (Fort Johnston also located on property)
  • Oak Island Lighthouse
  • Old Baldy Lighthouse and Smith Island Museum
  • Orton Creek Preserve
  • South of Onslow County Mechanical Harvesting of Oysters Prohibited Area (part)
  • Zekes Island Estuarine Reserve Dedicated Nature Preserve (part)
  • Zeke's Island Reserve (part)

Major water bodies

  • Alligator Creek
  • Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic Ocean)
  • Brunswick River
  • Cape Fear River
  • Elizabeth River
  • Frying Pan Shoals
  • Intracoastal Waterway
  • Lockwood Folly River
  • Little River
  • Long Bay
  • North Lake
  • Northeast Cape Fear River
  • Onslow Bay
  • Orton Pond
  • Patricia Lake
  • Saucepan Creek
  • Shallotte River
  • Town Creek
  • Waccamaw River

Major islands

  • Bald Head Island
  • Bird Island
  • Eagles Island
  • Oak Island

Major beaches

  • Caswell Beach
  • Holden Beach
  • Long Beach
  • Ocean Isle Beach
  • Sunset Beach
  • Yaupon Beach

Adjacent counties

  • Pender County – north
  • New Hanover County – east
  • Columbus County – west-northwest
  • Horry County, South Carolina – west

Major highways

  • (Bolivia)
  • (Shallotte)

Major infrastructure

  • Bald Head Island Ferry, private ferry that serves Bald Head Island
  • Cape Fear Regional Jetport, near Oak Island
  • Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, military terminal near Southport
  • Odell Williamson Municipal Airport
  • Southport–Fort Fisher Ferry (to New Hanover County)

Demographics