New Hanover County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 225,702. Though the second-smallest county in North Carolina by land area, it is one of the most populous counties, as Wilmington is one of the largest communities in the state. The county was created in 1729 as New Hanover Precinct and gained county status in 1739. New Hanover County is included in the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which also includes neighboring Pender and Brunswick counties.

History

Early history

Prior to European settlement, New Hanover county was populated by two Native American tribes, namely the Cape Fear Indians and the Waccamaw Siouan Indians. Proof of settlement dates back to roughly 8000 BC, and Natives resided intermittently in the area throughout the first millennium. The first European to visit the area was the Italian-born French explorer Giovanni da Verrazano in 1524, who reported his findings back to France, which took no further action. In 1526, Spaniard Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón led an expedition to the area, wrecking a ship in the process but also moving on from the area. In 1662, a New England expedition led by captain William Hilton traveled to the area, seeking to find a more temperate climate to establish a Puritan colony. After reporting favorable findings, a group of settlers arrived in the area, naming it "Cape Fear," but they too departed shortly for unknown reasons. Repeated failures to establish a settlement led to the area being left uninhabited for another century, and even the Cape Fear Indians, decimated by war and tribal infighting, were eventually forced to leave.

Finally being permanently settled in 1726, the county was formed in 1729 as New Hanover Precinct of Bath County, from Craven Precinct. It was named for the House of Hanover, a German royal family then ruling Great Britain. In 1734, parts of New Hanover Precinct became Bladen Precinct and Onslow Precinct. With the abolition of Bath County in 1739, all of its constituent precincts became counties. In 1750, the northern part of New Hanover County became Duplin County. In 1764, another part of New Hanover County was combined with part of Bladen County to form Brunswick County. Finally, in 1875, the separation of northern New Hanover County to form Pender County reduced it to its present dimensions. Originally designated as one of North Carolina's five ports, the Port of Brunswick (then the county seat) quickly developed into the state's most important port. During this time, the city of Wilmington (then called Newton) was formed, quickly surpassing Brunswick as the dominant city in the county and becoming the county seat. During this time, the county developed plantations, largely for the cultivation of tobacco and other commodity crops by enslaved African Americans. Despite this, the maritime nature of the county and relatively poor agricultural conditions meant that the plantation economy never managed to eclipse the trade economy.

Racial terrorism on a larger scale took place in the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, when a group of white Democrats rejected a duly elected, biracial city government. After overthrowing the Fusionist government, the mayor and city council, they led mobs that rioted and attacked the city's black neighborhoods and residents. A total of 60 to 300 blacks are believed to have been killed in the rioting, leaders were driven out of the city, and the presses of a black-owned newspaper were destroyed, along with many houses and businesses. Soon after, the state passed a new constitution raising barriers to voter registration: this effectively disenfranchised most blacks and imposed Jim Crow laws, destroying the political relevance of both the Black population and the Republican Party.

Modern times

Wilmington's economy was decimated during Reconstruction due to the declining importance of the cotton trade, for which Wilmington had been a major port. During World War I, Wilmington got some brief respite due to the shipbuilding industry, although this was short-lived.

The growth of America's interstate freeways and the onset of the trucking industry continued to benefit New Hanover County, and during the post-war period the large number of returning soldiers joined the newfound labor force in suburbanizing and growing the county. By the 1960s, New Hanover County had a diversified economy, The University of North Carolina Wilmington was granted university status in 1969, and is estimated to contribute billions yearly to the county's economy.

Beginning in the 1980s, the city saw an explosion in population due to the rapidly growing film industry. The establishment of De Laurentiis Entertainment Group led to a major studio presence in the county, and the area is now known as "Hollywood East." This growth was compounded by the construction of Interstate 40, which connected the city and its port to the rest of the country via interstate for the first time. This growth has continued into the 21st century, and was even further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, after which the county saw an influx of remote workers and retirees, while UNC Wilmington is the fastest growing campus in the UNC system. New Hanover County is now nearly completely developed, and continues to rank in the top 10 North Carolinian counties for GDP growth.

Geography

thumb|Intersection of South College Road, South 17th Street, and Waltmoor Road from the air

thumb|The surf at [[Carolina Beach, North Carolina|Carolina Beach]]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (41.54%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in North Carolina by land area (ahead of only Chowan County).

State and local protected areas/sites

  • Airlie Gardens
  • Battleship North Carolina
  • Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve
  • Cape Fear Museum of History and Science
  • Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land (part)
  • Carolina Beach State Park
  • Federal Point
  • Fort Fisher State Historic Site
  • Fort Fisher State Recreation Area
  • Freeman Park
  • Masonboro Island Estuarine Reserve Dedicated Nature Preserve
  • Masonboro Island Reserve
  • Masonboro Sound Area Outstanding Resource Water
  • New Hanover County Arboretum
  • North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
  • Pages Creek Park Preserve
  • The Rocks at Fort Fisher
  • South of Onslow County Mechanical Harvesting of Oysters Prohibited Area (part)
  • Sutton Lake Game Land
  • Lake Sutton
  • Leutze Lake
  • Northeast Cape Fear River
  • Onslow Bay
  • Prince George Creek
  • Smith Creek
  • Snow's Cut
  • Whiskey Creek

Major islands

  • Eagles Island
  • Pleasure Island
  • Figure Eight Island
  • Masonboro Island
  • Wrightsville Beach
  • Zeke’s Island

Adjacent counties

  • Pender County – north
  • Brunswick County – west

Major highways

  • (future Hampstead Bypass)
  • (temporary highway designation for US 17 Byp.)

Major infrastructure

  • Amtrak Thruway (Forden Station)
  • Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority
  • Pilots Ridge, small private airport near Myrtle Grove
  • Port of Wilmington
  • Southport–Fort Fisher Ferry (to Brunswick County)
  • Wilmington International Airport

Demographics

thumb|2020 population density of New Hanover County NC by census block

2020 census

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+New Hanover County, North Carolina – Racial and ethnic composition<br><small></small>

!Race / Ethnicity <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>

!Pop 1980

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|-

|White alone (NH)

|79,862

|94,288

|126,453

|155,631

|style='background: #ffffe6; |167,150

|77.18%

|78.39%

|78.88%

|76.79%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |74.06%

|-

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|22,192

|23,983

|27,001

|29,469

|style='background: #ffffe6; |26,974

|21.45%

|19.94%

|16.84%

|14.54%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |11.95%

|-

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|260

|426

|581

|798

|style='background: #ffffe6; |678

|0.25%

|0.35%

|0.36%

|0.39%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.30%

|-

|Asian alone (NH)

|311

|612

|1,325

|2,380

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,468

|0.30%

|0.51%

|0.83%

|1.17%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.54%

|-

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|x

|x

|88

|108

|style='background: #ffffe6; |148

|x

|x

|0.05%

|0.05%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.07%

|-

|Other race alone (NH)

|67

|51

|187

|353

|style='background: #ffffe6; |992

|0.06%

|0.04%

|0.12%

|0.17%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.44%

|-

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|x

|x

|1,396

|3,212

|style='background: #ffffe6; |8,992

|x

|x

|0.87%

|1.58%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.98%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|779

|924

|3,276

|10,716

|style='background: #ffffe6; |17,300

|0.75%

|0.77%

|2.04%

|5.29%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |7.66%

|-

|Total

|103,471

|120,284

|160,307

|202,667

|style='background: #ffffe6; |225,702

|100.00%

|100.00%

|100.00%

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

|}

As of the 2020 census, there were 225,702 people, 98,109 households, and 56,160 families residing in the county.

The median age was 40.6 years. 18.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.5 males age 18 and over.

98.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.7% lived in rural areas.

There were 98,109 households in the county, of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.9% were married-couple households, 19.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. there were 160,307 people, 68,183 households, and 41,591 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 79,616 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 79.91% White, 16.97% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. 2.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.3% were of English, 13.0% United States or American, 10.6% German and 10.2% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 68,183 households, out of which 26.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.50% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.00% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size were 2.29 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.00% under the age of 18, 12.00% from 18 to 24, 30.50% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,172, and the median income for a family was $50,861. Males had a median income of $35,801 versus $25,305 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,123. About 8.30% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.70% of those under age 18 and 9.00% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

thumb|180px|W. Allen Cobb Judicial Annex in Wilmington

thumb|New Hanover County Jail and Sheriff's Office in unincorporated Castle Hayne

New Hanover County is governed by a county commission. The commission comprises five members elected at-large in four-year staggered terms. The body elects its own chairman and vice-chairman. It sets policy for county administration within the confines of state law, adopts local ordinances, appoints advisory committees, and enacts an annual county budget.

New Hanover County is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Republican David Rouzer, who is the representative for North Carolina's 7th congressional district. From 2013 to 2017, a portion of northwestern and central New Hanover County was redistricted to North Carolina's 3rd congressional district, which was represented by Republican Walter B. Jones Jr. before his death. The county is also in the 7th and 8th districts of the North Carolina Senate, represented by Republicans Michael V. Lee and Bill Rabon, respectively; and the 18th, 19th, and 20th districts of the North Carolina House of Representatives, represented by two Republicans and one Democrat. Judicially, New Hanover County is in the 6th prosecutorial district, represented on the superior court by two Republican judges and one Democratic judge, as well as on the district court by five Democratic judges and four Republican judges.

New Hanover County is a member of the regional Cape Fear Council of Governments.

New Hanover County Sheriff's Office (NHCSO) serves as the county's primary law enforcement agency. NHCSO is responsible for patrolling the county (primarily outside the Wilmington city limits), staffing the juvenile and adult correctional facilities, and proving court security for the W. Allen Cobb Judicial Annex in Wilmington.

New Hanover County is governed by a board of commissioners and has several elected office positions. The board of commissioners is elected at-large, with the top vote-getters obtaining seats.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="2" | Office

!Name

!Party

|-

| bgcolor="red" |&nbsp;

| Clerk of Superior Court

| Jan Kennedy

|Republican

|-

| bgcolor="red" |&nbsp;

| Register of Deeds

| Morghan Collin

|Republican

|-

| bgcolor="red" |&nbsp;

| District Attorney

| Jason Smith

|Republican

|-

| bgcolor="red" |&nbsp;

| Sheriff

| Ed McMahon

|Republican

|}

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="2" | Office

!Name

!Party

|-

| bgcolor="red" |&nbsp;

| Commissioner

| Bill Rivenbark

|Republican

|-

| bgcolor="red" |&nbsp;

| Commissioner

| LeAnne Pierce

|Republican

|-

| bgcolor="red" |&nbsp;

| Commissioner

| Dane Scalise

|Republican

|-

| bgcolor="blue" |&nbsp;

| Commissioner

| Stephanie Walker

|Democrat

|-

| bgcolor="blue" |&nbsp;

| Commissioner

| Rob Zapple

|Democrat

|}

Politics

Since formation, New Hanover and the surrounding Cape Fear region were some of the few Republican holdouts in North Carolina, largely attributed to its larger-than-average African-American population, which voted Republican at the time. Wilmington was then home to a Fusionist coalition of African-Americans and White Republicans, which gained control of the city in 1898. Following this event, a white mob overthrew the government, banishing Republicans and African-Americans from the city in what would later be known as the Wilmington massacre. This began an immediate political realignment, with Democrats jumping from less than 40% of the vote to nearly 100% of the vote in one election cycle.

This continued throughout the 20th century, with Democrats maintaining a tight hold on the county for over 60 years (aside from Herbert Hoover's victory in 1928, when the heavily anti-Catholic Outer Banks region cast its votes against Catholic Al Smith). In the mid-20th century, New Hanover County began shifting back towards Republicans at a faster rate than other majority-White southern counties due to its massive population increase and importance as an industrial center during World War II, and had become a swing county by the 1950s. It began to follow the shift of other southern counties, with African-Americans moving to the Democratic Party and Whites moving to the Republican Party, although its rapid growth throughout the century means it never became as solidly Republican as other rural southern counties.

Modern New Hanover County is politically competitive, and the margin of victory for either party has not gone past 5% in over 20 years. The rapid growth of Wilmington due to its burgeoning film industry and college population has shifted the county to the left in recent years, though Republicans still tend to perform better in local contests.

In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democrat to carry the county in 44 years, also becoming the first Democrat ever to win the county but lose the state. In 2024, despite her majority being reduced to a narrow plurality, Kamala Harris became the first Democratic presidential nominee to win the county yet lose the presidential election since 1956.

<!-- PresRow should be -->

Education

The county is served by New Hanover County Schools, which are governed by an elected county board of education. There are also several private schools and a catholic school.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="2" | Office

!Name

!Party

|-

| bgcolor="red" |&nbsp;

| Board member

| Melissa Mason

|Republican

|-

| bgcolor="red" |&nbsp;

| Board member

| Josie Barnhart

|Republican

|-

| bgcolor="red" |&nbsp;

| Board member

| Pat Bradford

|Republican

|-

| bgcolor="red" |&nbsp;

| Board member

| Pete Wildeboer

|Republican

|-

| bgcolor="red" |&nbsp;

| Board member

| David Perry

|Republican

|-

| bgcolor="blue" |&nbsp;

| Board member

| Judy Justice

|Democrat

|-

| bgcolor="blue" |&nbsp;

| Board member

| Tim Merrick

|Democrat

|}

There is additionally a branch of the University of North Carolina at University of North Carolina Wilmington, as well as several small technical colleges and Cape Fear Community College.

Healthcare

New Hanover Regional Medical Center is a hospital in Wilmington. It was established in 1967 as a public hospital, and it was the first hospital in the city to admit patients of all races. It was operated by New Hanover County. In February 2021 Novant Health, a nonprofit private organization, acquired the hospital.

Communities

thumb|225px|Map of New Hanover County with municipal and township labels

City

  • Wilmington (county seat and largest community)

Towns

  • Carolina Beach
  • Kure Beach
  • Wrightsville Beach

Townships

  • Cape Fear
  • Federal Point
  • Harnett
  • Masonboro
  • Wilmington

Census-designated places

  • Bayshore
  • Blue Clay Farms
  • Castle Hayne
  • Hightsville
  • Kings Grant
  • Murraysville
  • Myrtle Grove
  • Northchase
  • Ogden
  • Porters Neck
  • Sea Breeze
  • Silver Lake
  • Skippers Corner
  • Wrightsboro

Unincorporated communities

  • Monkey Junction

Former communities

  • Kirkland
  • Masonboro
  • Seagate
  • Wilmington Beach

Notable people

  • Michael Jordan, NBA player
  • Meadowlark Lemon, NBA player for the Harlem Globetrotters

See also

  • List of counties in North Carolina
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in New Hanover County, North Carolina
  • Films and television shows produced in Wilmington, North Carolina
  • Federal Point Light, deactivated lighthouse that used to be located at Fort Fisher
  • Frying Pan Shoals Light, old lighthouse south of Fort Fisher
  • GenX, chemical compound found in the Cape Fear River, south of Fayetteville

References

Further reading

  • NCGenWeb New Hanover County, genealogy resources for the county