Pender County Relocation Guide

Welcome to Southeastern North Carolina

We are so excited to hear you are considering relocating to Pender County. There is so much to love about our coastal area, including the Blackbeard lore of Topsail Island, the recreational area of Holly Shelter Game Land, and Hampstead, the "Seafood Capital of North Carolina". Pender County is the perfect place for buyers looking to be outside the hustle and bustle of Wilmington and Jacksonville, while still being a short drive from a myriad of shopping, dining, and entertainment venues.

Relocating to a new area is a huge decision, and we want you to feel comfortable throughout the process. We know you are trying to learn about everything that will affect your lifestyle and happiness, likely without spending a lot of time in the area. This is why we try to do everything we can to help.

Questions we often hear are:

  • Which are the safe neighborhoods?
  • Where are the family-friendly communities?
  • Which are the good schools?
  • Which churches are all-inclusive?

Unfortunately, as real estate brokers, we are limited on things that we can say due to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal for anyone working in real estate (Realtors, property managers, landlords, etc.) to discriminate based on race, religion, sex, or family/economic status. It doesn't mean we don't know the answers, just that we could unintentionally discriminate. For example, if we were to respond to the question about family-friendly communities with a specific neighborhood, it could imply other neighborhoods are not inviting to families, which would be a form of discrimination.

To avoid potential discrimination and still support you as a buyer, we have included resources here to help you with those hard decisions (plus, others that have proved beneficial to past clients). Browse around and let us know if you have any questions.

The main areas of Pender County include Rocky Point, Burgaw, Hampstead, Watha, Currie, Atkinson, Topsail Beach, Surf City, and Maple Hill. There's also a very small area of Wilmington that is considered Pender County. You can learn more about the areas of Pender County we cover and what makes each different by clicking on their name on the Our Areas page.

Sometimes listing descriptions will refer to other places, like Sloop Point or Scotts Hill. On this resource page, you will see maps of townships and designated census places. One is a picture, so you can see an overview. The other is an interactive Google Map that will let you pan and see area businesses and amenities. If you are unfamiliar with the zip codes in New Hanover County, you can view a map here.

We also serve New Hanover County and Brunswick County. Our Areas page has information for those as well. Should you choose a city that is outside of our service area, we will gladly refer you to another trusted agent from within our large network.

All of our area pages have market reports that you can download. These have statistics about the area, including the crime rate in comparison to the national rate. You can also visit the Pender County Sheriff's Office website and their crime map. Once the map loads, you can enter an address or zoom in to a specific location. You can also view registered sex offenders in North Carolina here.

As mentioned under Crime, all of our area pages have market reports with demographic information displayed in graphs and charts. Data includes population density, total households, occupancy rates, household living costs, households with children, education completed, top employment industries, average income, entertainment costs, utility costs, etc. This is a general overview of the area and when information for a specific community isn’t known, the data for the whole zip code is displayed. You can dig deeper into the stats on the U.S. Census Bureau page for Pender County.

Both Zippia and Glass Door list the largest companies in the Wilmington area. You can also checkout the Burgaw Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce.

As you know, Pender County sits at sea level on the North Carolina coast. This means some properties experience flooding during bad storms. The State of North Carolina has an excellent website for viewing area flood maps. You can search the site by address to see the current flood zone, use their calculator to estimate the cost of repair if the property was to flood, and see an estimate of how much flood insurance would cost. If the link above doesn't load, you can also reach the map here.

We have extensive experience assisting clients throughout the process of buying new construction, including finding the perfect community and lot, choosing features during the design, and navigating walkthroughs for the final build. Below are some resources on our website regarding new construction homes and the process of buying them. If you’re interested in going this route, let us know which communities you like the most, and we can send you site maps, floor plans, pricing, and standard features.

  • New Construction Homes for Sale in Pender County: Narrow this search to your target price range, size, and location.
  • New Construction Communities: View some of the newest and most popular new construction communities in our area. Don’t see what you’re looking for? We may just not have created a page yet. Send us an email or call and we’ll see what information we have and gather up whatever is missing.
  • New Construction Blog Posts: Our articles and videos about buying new construction homes in this region.
  • New Construction Buyer Guide: Your essential guide to buying a new construction home, including choosing a builder and the hidden costs you may face.
  • Why You Need Buyer Representation When Purchasing New Construction: All new communities have on-site agents or a sales team. They will walk you through the available lots, floor plans that fit those lots, and the builder’s contract. They may even be the ones to help you pick out the features and finishes in the design center. However, they are not your agent, and you really should have someone with your best interests at heart representing you. We go into that more in this article.

If you need recommendations for a custom builder, let us know what type of home and service you’re looking for (Craftsman Single-Family, Luxury, full custom blueprints, pre-created floor plans, etc.), and we’ll send you names of reputable builders.

The NCDOT has numerous public roadway projects that they are working on in Pender County and the counties bordering it. Some of these projects pass by current communities, which can lead to increased traffic in the area, as well as noise. There are also a few projects in planning that have not been finalized, and they may require acquisition of private property. You can view projects under construction and in development on the NCDOT website.

If you have school-aged kids, we recommend searching the Pender County Bus Stop Lookup to see which schools are assigned to the bus stop closest to the property you are interested in. You are also welcome to reach out to Pender County Schools to verify schooling options. When choosing a property based on the assigned school, there are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Redistricting happens. There are no guarantees that the schools will remain the same the entire time your child is attending. We hate to say that, especially when some parents work so hard to be in a specific district, but we feel having the right expectations is key to being happy with your home.
  2. There are private school options. If a home is listed in the Multiple Listing Service, the assigned public school is listed. However, there may be other public and non-public options, like magnets schools, Montessori schools, and religious-based private schools. You just need to do some online searching to find something fitting your needs.

The State of North Carolina grades each school (private and public) on academic growth and creates a report card for it. These grades are generated every year after the EOGs (End of Grade tests) are completed. Each report card goes in-depth into school resources, student readiness, and teacher training. They compare the individual school to others in the county and the state. You can view the report cards on NC Report Cards.

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

We have compiled all of our Frequently Asked Questions on our FAQ page. If you need more information on any of these topics or other real estate subjects, please don't hesitate to ask. We want you to feel well-informed when making decisions during your purchase.

Townships and Designated Census Places

Map of Pender County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

Interactive Map of Townships and Census Places

2023 Tax Rates

Pender County$0.7375
EMS$0.0925
-Towns-
Watha$0.0500
St. Helena$0.1000
Atkinson$0.07
Burgaw$0.52
Surf City$0.4100
Topsail Beach$0.4000
Wallace$0.6200
-Fire Districts-
Pender Central$0.110
Sloop Point$0.0950
Maple Hill$0.0700
Rocky Point$0.1000
Long Creek Grady$0.1100
Shiloh$0.1000
Penderlea$0.1000
Atkinson$0.0700
Hampstead$0.0950
Northeast Pender$0.1000
Penderlea Duplin$0.0470