Census-designated place · New Hanover County, North Carolina

Northchase, North Carolina

Northchase is a census-designated place in New Hanover County, North Carolina, part of the Wilmington, NC metro area. It has 5,896 residents. Northchase, North Carolina has a quality-of-life score of 62 out of 100 (high), ranking #6,015 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within North Carolina it ranks #145 of 458 cities and towns. It ranks best on distance to an airport (low), gyms and fitness centers (high) and restaurants and bars (high). It ranks worst on unemployment rate (high), natural hazard risk (high) and public libraries (low).

62High

Quality-of-life score: #6,015 of 15,651 cities and towns
North Carolina: #145 of 458 in NC
Population: 5,896 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 3,427.3 /mi²
FIPS code: 3747485

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety19#12,719/15,637
Economy31#10,711/15,631
Housing58#6,295/14,977
Health33#10,436/15,609
Healthcare54#7,179/15,650
Environment60#6,223/15,453
Education78#3,384/15,649
Infrastructure79#3,252/15,650
Community68#5,007/15,651
Leisure & amenities98#357/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Northchase, North Carolina ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “New Hanover County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Distance to an airport · low6 mi
100/100North Carolina 30 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauNew Hanover County value
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.4 /10k
97/100North Carolina 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsNew Hanover County value
Restaurants and bars · high16.7 /10k
97/100North Carolina 8.8 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsNew Hanover County value
Mental health providers · high632 /100k
94/100North Carolina 351 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNew Hanover County value
Mammography screening · high56.0%
94/100North Carolina 50.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNew Hanover County value
Flu vaccinations · high55.0%
93/100North Carolina 48.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNew Hanover County value

Weaknesses

Unemployment rate · high19.2%
1/100North Carolina 3.8%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Natural hazard risk · high97.7
2/100North Carolina 45.12025Federal Emergency Management AgencyNew Hanover County value
Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
3/100North Carolina 0.4 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesNew Hanover County value
Mental health care shortage · high19.0
4/100North Carolina 12.3United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationNew Hanover County value
Distance to an emergency room · high18.2 mi
4/100North Carolina 7.9 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesNew Hanover County value
Property crime rate · high2,045 /100k
13/100North Carolina 1,780 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationNew Hanover County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
3,614 (2015-2019) → 5,896 (2020-2024)
+63%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateWorsening
0.0% (2015-2019) → 29.7% (2020-2024)
+30 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateWorsening
4.1% (2015-2019) → 22.3% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
52.9% (2015-2019) → 35.2% (2020-2024)
−18 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Unemployment rateWorsening
4.9% (2015-2019) → 19.2% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
35.3% (2015-2019) → 24.6% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Northchase, North Carolina improved on 1 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Broadband+11 points86.5% → 97.1%

Declined2

Child poverty+30 points0.0% → 29.7%
Price / income+1.8×3.6× → 5.4×

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Northchase, North Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	23.9 min2015-2019	21.7 min2020-2024	−2.2 min	Within the margin of error	72%
Bachelor's degree or higher	26.9%2015-2019	35.2%2020-2024	+8.3 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Broadband subscriptions	86.5%2015-2019	97.1%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	62%
Child poverty rate	0.0%2015-2019	29.7%2020-2024	+30 points	Declined	2%
Effective property tax rate	0.63%2015-2019	0.44%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	56%
High school diploma or higher	93.6%2015-2019	97.2%2020-2024	+3.5 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Home price to income ratio	3.6×2015-2019	5.4×2020-2024	+1.8×	Declined	6%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3672015-2019	0.4242020-2024	+0.057	Within the margin of error	14%
Median household income	$52,7172015-2019	$59,3752020-2024	+13%	Within the margin of error	20%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	35.3%2015-2019	24.6%2020-2024	−11 points	Within the margin of error	94%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.0%2015-2019	14.6%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	21%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Northchase, North Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Northchase, North Carolina in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Northchase, North Carolina itself moved +7.8 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

5,896 residents (±1,452)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

2,156 households (±503)

Northchase, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $25k23%†505
$25k–50k18%†390
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

2,156 households (±503)

Northchase, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Own43%917
Rent57%†1,239

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−23.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

2,351 workers (±538)

Northchase, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Drive alone74%1,730
Carpool7.1%†166
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Wilmington, NC

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of New Hanover County, the county holding most of Northchase's residents.

New Hanover County has 8,710 employer establishments, 363 for every 10,000 residents (1.46× the US rate of 248; 1.53× North Carolina's), with 121,389 paid employees at an average annual pay of $58,895. The Census Bureau also counts 25,997 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 8,710; 25,997 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 363; US 248 · North Carolina 237
Paid employees: 121,389
Average annual pay: $58,895; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of New Hanover County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	714	29.8	1.43×More than typical	9,539	$78,663	1,279
Restaurants and other eating places	685	28.6	1.55×More than typical	14,842	$22,723	94
Lessors of real estate	651	27.1	2.20×More than typical	2,308	$52,686	4,108
Specialty trade contractors	551	23	1.48×More than typical	4,802	$59,733	1,653
Construction of buildings	360	15	1.98×More than typical	2,145	$77,118	752
Full-service restaurants	332	13.8	1.80×More than typical	8,586	$25,335	34
Real estate agents and brokers	326	13.6	2.79×More than typical	577	$46,250	1,178
Management, scientific and technical consulting	271	11.3	1.68×More than typical	1,610	$65,052	1,135
Services to buildings and dwellings	270	11.3	1.67×More than typical	2,235	$42,120	1,453
Offices of other health practitioners	265	11	1.82×More than typical	1,376	$47,383	756
Building equipment contractors	243	10.1	1.68×More than typical	2,355	$57,947	249
Limited-service restaurants	236	9.8	1.23×About typical	4,763	$19,394	33

Rank places for an industry Open New Hanover County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 239,877 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $928.3K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Northchase, North Carolina: $157 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $928.3K; +129% vs FY2025
Per resident: $157; US $1,994
Sole-source: 18%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Logistics Agency$585.9K63%
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management$156.1K17%
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement$151.8K16%
Department of the Army$14.8K1.6%
Food and Drug Administration$11.4K1.2%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$5,1330.6%
National Institutes of Health$4,3610.5%
Federal Acquisition Service$4,1220.4%

Top recipients

AIR WILMINGTON, INC.$585.9K63%
GENCETEK LLC$156.1K17%
BRISTOL BUILDING CONSTRUCTORS LLC$151.8K16%
IKA-WORKS, INC.$13.2K1.4%
FLATWATER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES COMPANY$12.4K1.3%

Spending by fiscal year

208.7KFY2017
540.5KFY2018
288.5KFY2019
277.4KFY2020
536.2KFY2021
1.1MFY2022
526KFY2023
646.2K

Top industries (NAICS)

Petroleum and coal products manufacturing · 3241$585.9K63%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$161.3K17%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$151.8K16%
Building finishing contractors · 2383$12.4K1.3%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$5,0070.5%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Northchase, North Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

Northchase, North Carolina's figures are part of those of New Hanover County, NC ($89M in FY2026), never added to them: 1.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Northchase is mostly in New Hanover County.

See federal money in New Hanover County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Northchase, North Carolina is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

David RouzerR-NC-7 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 1.5%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

New Hanover County75100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Wilmington, NC81

Other cities and towns in New Hanover County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3747485

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends