Town · North Carolina
Brunswick, North Carolina
Brunswick, town, in Columbus County, North Carolina. Brunswick had 921 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 5.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 973 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 937 (±184). GEOID 3708420.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
921
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 973 · ACS 2020-2024: 937 ±184
Median household income
$22,500
±$19,903 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$82,500
±$26,270 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$789
±$37 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Brunswick and what county is it in?
Brunswick is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina. It covers 0.7 square miles of land, 1,392 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Brunswick, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 921 people lived in Brunswick on July 1, 2025, down 5.7% since 2020, while North Carolina grew 7.2%. The 2020 Census counted 973 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 937 (±184).
The yearly series starts from the Census Bureau's July 2020 estimate, 877, which differs from its April 2020 base of 977 (in 2020 the estimates dipped in many college and military towns), so the first step is large; the change since 2020 above is measured from the April base.
| Measure | Brunswick | Columbus County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 937 ±184 | 50,140 | no clear change |
| Households | 160 ±71 | 20,048 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.34 ±0.78 | 2.39 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 205 ±81 | 23,563 | no clear change |
Brunswick's population since 2000
From 360 in 2000 to 921 in 2025: up 155.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Brunswick as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Brunswick?
The median resident of Brunswick is 38.7 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 70.0%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 22.1%.
| Measure | Brunswick | Columbus County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.7 ±4.3 | 42.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 11.1% ±7.4 pts | 20.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 6.9% ±4.0 pts | 20.7% | – |
| Male | 75.0% ±9.9 pts | 49.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.0% ±1.7 pts | 5.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 22.1% ±8.6 pts | 58.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 70.0% ±9.1 pts | 28.0% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.3% ±3.4 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.0% ±1.7 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.6% ±2.1 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.4% ±2.0 pts | 6.7% | – |
| With a disability | 14.1% ±8.6 pts | 17.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 17.1% ±21.6 pts | 12.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.2% ±4.9 pts | 86.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 5.3% ±3.6 pts | 14.6% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.3% ±2.8 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 79.1% ±6.9 pts | 91.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.8% ±2.2 pts | 1.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Brunswick earn?
Brunswick's median household income is published as $22,500 with a margin of ±$19,903, too wide to rely on.
| Measure | Brunswick | Columbus County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $22,500 ±$19,903 | $49,442 | – |
| Mean household income | $36,621 ±$17,649 | $67,260 | – |
| Per capita income | $8,299 ±$2,922 | $27,773 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 64.5% ±17.5 pts | 18.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 89.4% ±13.9 pts | 23.6% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 36.9% ±24.7 pts | 22.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.4% ±5.7 pts | 90.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.1% ±12.4 pts | 83.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Brunswick?
Owners occupy 40.0% of Brunswick's occupied homes and renters 60.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $82,500 by its owner (±$26,270). The median renter pays $789 a month including utilities, and 53.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Brunswick | Columbus County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $82,500 ±$26,270 | $146,000 | −$53,861 |
| Median gross rent | $789 ±$37 | $824 | −$92 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 53.6% ±28.1 pts | 39.6% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,175 ±$605 | $1,245 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 40.0% ±17.7 pts | 71.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 60.0% ±17.7 pts | 28.9% | – |
| Housing units | 205 ±81 | 23,563 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±42.4 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±32.9 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 59.5% ±19.2 pts | 62.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 23.9% ±20.5 pts | 30.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±18.6 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 11.2% ±10.2 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 7.3% ±7.4 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 16.9% ±25.4 pts | 5.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Brunswick work and get to work?
87.2% of Brunswick's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 15.6 minutes.
| Measure | Brunswick | Columbus County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 15.5% ±9.4 pts | 50.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 33.6% ±33.2 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 87.2% ±13.0 pts | 83.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.3% ±8.1 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±36.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±36.4 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.5% ±10.9 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 15.6 min ±6.7 | 29.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Brunswick?
No census tract lies mostly in Brunswick; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9310Columbus County | 4,309 | $40,592 |
| Tract 9313.02Columbus County | 2,843 | $33,630 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Brunswick) · Census block assignment files
How does Brunswick compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Brunswick is the 10,632nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 343rd-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Brunswick is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 343rd | 549 |
Brunswick's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Brunswick with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Brunswick?
28 of the 57 figures for Brunswick on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Brunswick are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Brunswick.