Onslow County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Onslow County has a population of 207,906 residents and a median age of 27.7 years, making it the #337 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.6%. The median home value is $236,400, and the median household income is $68,148, which is 9% below the national median.
Demographics
Onslow County has a population of 207,906, making it the #337 most populous county in the US. The median age is 27.7 years, which is 28.8% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Onslow County is $68,148, ranking #1,328 out of 3,222 counties — 9.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.6% and unemployment stands at 3.5%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Onslow County is $236,400 (-16.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,265/mo and the homeownership rate is 63.7%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Onslow County, 26.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 22.9% below the national average, ranking #1,111 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Onslow County is 74.1 years. 16.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.3% of adults in Onslow County smoke , 32.1% are obese , and 19.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 35.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Onslow County is 4.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 21.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.8 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
16.2% of children in Onslow County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 34.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Onslow County is 48.8%. The mean commute time is 24.6 min, which is 10.7% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Onslow County voted Republican with a margin of 36.0%. The vote was 31.5% Dem / 67.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Onslow County, North Carolina
Onslow County, North Carolina has a total population of 207,906, making it the 337th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Onslow County is 27.7 years, which is 28.8% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Onslow County is $68,148, which ranks #1,328 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.5%.
The median home value in Onslow County is $236,400, 16.1% below the national median. Renters in Onslow County pay a median gross rent of $1,265 per month. The homeownership rate is 63.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Onslow County, 26.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 22.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.6 min.
Onslow County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 64.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (14.0%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (11.5%).
All data for Onslow County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.