Census-designated place · North Carolina
Northchase, North Carolina
Northchase, census-designated place, in New Hanover County, North Carolina. Northchase had 3,842 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 5,896 (±1,452). GEOID 3747485.
Residents, 2020 Census
3,842
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 5,896 ±1,452
Median household income
$59,375
±$13,146 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$318,400
±$22,526 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$1,365
±$68 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Northchase and what county is it in?
Northchase is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in New Hanover County, North Carolina. It covers 1.7 square miles of land, 2,234 residents per square mile in 2020.
Northchase is in the Wilmington, NC metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Northchase, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 3,842 residents in Northchase, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 5,896 (±1,452).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Northchase is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Northchase | New Hanover County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,896 ±1,452 | 235,229 | +2,282 |
| Households | 2,156 ±503 | 104,856 | +566 |
| Average household size | 2.68 ±0.52 | 2.19 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,485 ±549 | 120,050 | +735 |
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 Northchase?
The median resident of Northchase is 28.3 years old; 34.2% are under 18 and 11.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 66.0%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 27.1%. 12.8% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Northchase | New Hanover County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.3 ±5.0 | 39.9 | −17.3 |
| Under 18 years | 34.2% ±9.3 pts | 17.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 11.4% ±4.2 pts | 19.0% | – |
| Male | 56.8% ±6.2 pts | 47.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.5% ±1.5 pts | 7.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 66.0% ±14.7 pts | 74.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 27.1% ±14.5 pts | 10.7% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.3 pts | 1.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.2% ±1.8 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±2.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 12.8% ±8.3 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.7% ±2.7 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.5% ±1.9 pts | 6.9% | – |
| With a disability | 9.5% ±4.7 pts | 12.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.6% ±8.0 pts | 9.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 97.2% ±2.8 pts | 94.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 35.2% ±12.1 pts | 45.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.8% ±3.0 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.5% ±6.7 pts | 83.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.9% ±1.6 pts | 4.4% | – |
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 Northchase earn?
Half of Northchase's 2,156 households earn less than $59,375 a year (±$13,146), against $75,166 in New Hanover County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $64,878 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 22.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Northchase | New Hanover County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,375 ±$13,146 | $75,166 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $63,202 ±$14,787 | $107,828 | – |
| Per capita income | $22,423 ±$4,727 | $48,592 | −$13,977 |
| People below the poverty line | 22.3% ±14.1 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 29.7% ±24.5 pts | 14.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 12.4% ±7.0 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.4% ±1.9 pts | 97.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 97.1% ±2.4 pts | 93.3% | – |
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 Northchase?
Owners occupy 42.5% of Northchase's occupied homes and renters 57.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $318,400 by its owner (±$22,526). The median renter pays $1,365 a month including utilities, and 32.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Northchase | New Hanover County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $318,400 ±$22,526 | $387,800 | +$84,076 |
| Median gross rent | $1,365 ±$68 | $1,417 | +$207 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 32.4% ±16.4 pts | 46.7% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,419 ±$87 | $1,888 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 42.5% ±11.7 pts | 61.4% | −23.0 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 57.5% ±11.7 pts | 38.6% | – |
| Housing units | 2,485 ±549 | 120,050 | +735 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 20.1% ±15.5 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 35.9% ±9.3 pts | 61.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.2% ±6.3 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.2% ±1.5 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.2% ±7.1 pts | 14.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 18.0% ±17.3 pts | 5.6% | – |
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 Northchase work and get to work?
73.6% of Northchase's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.7 minutes.
| Measure | Northchase | New Hanover County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 71.8% ±8.2 pts | 65.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 19.2% ±13.2 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 73.6% ±14.3 pts | 70.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.1% ±4.9 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 19.4% ±15.1 pts | 19.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.7 min ±2.7 | 20.6 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 Northchase?
No census tract lies mostly in Northchase; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 116.10New Hanover County | 4,612 | $55,632 |
| Tract 116.09New Hanover County | 5,609 | $54,819 |
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 Northchase) · Census block assignment files
How does Northchase compare with other places in North Carolina?
Northchase ranks 244th of 434 places in North Carolina with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 151st | 443 |
| Residents per square mile | 21st | 443 |
| Median household income | 244th | 434 |
| Per capita income | 402nd | 443 |
| Median home value | 148th | 438 |
| Median gross rent | 88th | 395 |
| Poverty rate | 89th | 341 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 147th | 421 |
| Median age | 423rd | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 426th | 443 |
| Travel time to work | 309th | 439 |
Northchase's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Northchase 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 Northchase?
20 of the 57 figures for Northchase 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 Northchase 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' school search.