County outline
Where New Hanover County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 58.5% of New Hanover County’s measured area and water for 41.5%. Its combined area converts to 851.8 square kilometers or approximately 210,481 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 192.317 | 498.099 | 123,082.9 |
| Water | 136.559 | 353.686 | 87,397.8 |
| Total | 328.876 | 851.785 | 210,480.6 |
How New Hanover County compares
By original Census land area, New Hanover County ranks #99 of 100 in North Carolina and #3010 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.418 times the North Carolina county-equivalent median of 460.3 square miles. It accounts for 0.4% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete North Carolina ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of New Hanover County
The Census Bureau estimates that 245,959 people lived in New Hanover County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #300 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #12 of 100 in North Carolina. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 225,704, the population has grown by 20,255 (+9%), compared with +7.2% for North Carolina as a whole.
With 192.3 square miles of land, that is 1,279 people per square mile (494 per km²), placing New Hanover County #138 nationally for density and #3 in North Carolina. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the North Carolina median is 116. Put another way, there are about 0.5 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 226,449 | 230,167 | 236,065 | 239,877 | 243,335 | 245,959 |
| Change | — | +3,718 | +5,898 | +3,812 | +3,458 | +2,624 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in New Hanover County
4 incorporated places lie at least partly in New Hanover County. Together they are home to 138,221 people (56.2%); the other 107,738 (43.8%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Wilmington city, with 126,809 residents in the county. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Wilmington city grew fastest since then (+9.8%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington cityCounty seat | 126,809 | +9.8% | 51.4 |
| Carolina Beach town | 6,870 | +4.5% | 2.491 |
| Wrightsville Beach town | 2,397 | −3.2% | 1.431 |
| Kure Beach town | 2,145 | −2% | 0.881 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside New Hanover County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
New Hanover County is a central county of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 3 county equivalents have 492,772 residents on 1,913.1 square miles of land; New Hanover County accounts for 10.1% of the land and 49.9% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #165 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #113 by population.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| New Hanover County | 245,959 | 192.3 |
| Brunswick County | 174,702 | 849.5 |
| Pender County | 72,111 | 871.3 |
ZIP codes
10 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in New Hanover County, and each lies mostly inside the county.
28401284032840528409284112841228428284292844928480
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering New Hanover County
New Hanover County shares a land border with 2 county equivalents. Each of them has more land than New Hanover County. The largest neighbor is Pender County (871.3 mi²) and the smallest is Brunswick County (849.5 mi²). Together with its neighbors, New Hanover County forms a block of 1,913.1 mi² of land, of which it holds 10.1%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. New Hanover | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pender County | 871.3 | 4.5× larger | Compare |
| Brunswick County | 849.5 | 4.4× larger | Compare |
How big is New Hanover County compared with U.S. states?
New Hanover County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 5.4 times as much. North Carolina’s county land could hold about 253 areas the size of New Hanover County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 13.9 miles (22.3 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about New Hanover County?
New Hanover County has more land than 212 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places New Hanover County at #2,789 nationally by total area, 221 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 41.5%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 40.4 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside New Hanover County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #3009 | West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana | 192.3 | Compare |
| #3010 | New Hanover County, North Carolina | 192.3 | This county |
| #3011 | Richmond County, Virginia | 191.5 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 34.184872, -77.864613. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 498,098,112 m²; AWATER: 353,686,027 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is New Hanover County?
New Hanover County, North Carolina has 192.3 square miles (498.1 km²) of land and 136.6 square miles of water, for a total area of 328.9 square miles. It ranks #3010 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is New Hanover County the largest county in North Carolina?
No. New Hanover County ranks #99 of 100 in North Carolina by land area. The largest is Robeson County, with 947.3 square miles of land.
What counties border New Hanover County?
New Hanover County shares a land border with Brunswick County and Pender County.
What is the population of New Hanover County?
The Census Bureau estimates New Hanover County had 245,959 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #300 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 1,279 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of New Hanover County?
The county seat of New Hanover County is Wilmington.
What cities and towns are in New Hanover County?
New Hanover County has 4 incorporated places. The most populous are Wilmington city, Carolina Beach town, Wrightsville Beach town, and Kure Beach town; 107,738 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is New Hanover County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 3 county equivalents and 492,772 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in New Hanover County?
10 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in New Hanover County, and 10 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does New Hanover County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 5.4 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in New Hanover County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 123,083 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 210,481 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.