Moving to Holden Beach
Brunswick County gains about 50.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.
Where people come from and where they go, top counties
Within North Carolina, other states or abroad
Income per tax return
People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Brunswick County; flows under 20 returns are not published.
- Who moves here
- 16.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 7.8% from another state.
- Who arrives and who leaves
- Households moving into Brunswick County report $103,400 a year in income on average; those leaving, $71,700, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
- Income you would need
- $59,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
- Rent or buy
- Median rent is $1,475 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,750 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $658,900.
- Getting to work
- 23 minutes each way on average; 24.5% work from home.
- If it is close but not quite
- St. Pete Beach, FL matches it on character. Compare the two
All 5 moving measures
| Measure | Holden Beach | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moved here in the past year1 | 16.1% | 181% above | |
| Moved from another state1 | 7.8% | 294% above | |
| Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure | 50.2 | above (median -0.6) | |
| Income of households moving in8County figure | $103,402 | 47% above | |
| Income of households moving out8County figure | $71,658 | 2% above |
What it costs to live here
Vacant homes is 80.5%, above the median place (median 7.1%).
Could you afford it?
Uses the median rent in Holden Beach, $1,475 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.1 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.
Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Holden Beach.
All 16 cost and housing measures
| Measure | Holden Beach | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent1 | $1,475 | 8% above | |
| Rent to income1 | 15.2% | 25% below | |
| Property tax rate1 | 0.6% | 40% below | |
| Home price to income1 | 5.7x | 49% above | |
| Prices vs US average2Metro figure | 96.4 | 4% below | |
| Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure | $1,574 | 3% below | |
| HUD area median income4County figure | $99,200 | 8% below | |
| Property tax paid (median)1 | $3,620 | 11% above | |
| Median home value1 | $658,900 | 106% above | |
| Home prices, 1-year change5County figure | 3.0% | 7% below | |
| Home prices, 5-year change5County figure | 72.8% | 41% above | |
| Homeownership1 | 94.6% | 43% above | |
| Renters paying 30%+1County figure | 51.9% | 3% above | |
| Owner costs with a mortgage1 | $2,750 | 47% above | |
| Vacant homes1 | 80.5% | above (median 7.1%) | |
| Median year built1 | 1992 | 1% above |
Work and pay
Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).
More on work and pay, against the typical place
All 10 work and pay measures
| Measure | Holden Beach | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income1 | $116,250 | 45% above | |
| Income per person1 | $76,771 | 92% above | |
| Unemployment1County figure | 4.7% | 5% below | |
| Average annual pay6County figure | $54,523 | 17% below | |
| Pay growth, 1 year6County figure | 5.5% | 49% above | |
| Jobs6County figure | 43,201 | 71% below | |
| Poverty rate1 | 4.9% | 55% below | |
| Mean commute1 | 23 min | 8% below | |
| Works from home1 | 24.5% | 97% above | |
| Commutes by transit1 | 0.0% | below (median 0.8%) |
Who lives here
Median age is 64.4, 65% above the median place.
More about who lives here, against the typical place
All 9 people measures
| Measure | Holden Beach | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population1 | 962 | 6646th largest | |
| Population change since 20207 | -0.2% | below (median 1.1%) | |
| Median age1 | 64.4 | 65% above | |
| Bachelor's or higher1 | 69.5% | 117% above | |
| High school or higher1 | 98.6% | 7% above | |
| Household size1 | 2.0 | 20% below | |
| Born abroad1County figure | 3.6% | 59% below | |
| No health insurance1 | 4.0% | 38% below | |
| Homes with broadband1 | 95.5% | 3% above |
Life in Holden Beach
17 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)
Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.
All 9 schools and local life measures
| Measure | Holden Beach | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public schools11County figure | 22 | 144% above | |
| Public school students11County figure | 15,069 | 208% above | |
| Students per teacher11County figure | 16.6 | 8% above | |
| Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure | 22.2 | 7% above | |
| Shops per 10k9County figure | 33.0 | 9% above | |
| Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure | 4.3 | 5% above | |
| Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure | 13.4 | 34% below | |
| Child care centers per 10k9County figure | 1.4 | 39% below | |
| National Register listings10County figure | 17 | 31% above |
Safety, weather and risk
Hurricane risk is 99.1, 40% above the median place.
No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Holden Beach. Larger places are fetched first.
All 11 weather and risk measures
| Measure | Holden Beach | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| July average high12County figure | 90°F | 3% above | |
| January average low12County figure | 35°F | 38% above | |
| Average temperature12County figure | 63°F | 15% above | |
| Annual precipitation12County figure | 55.2 in | 26% above | |
| Natural hazard risk13County figure | 95.8 | 4% above | |
| Hurricane risk13County figure | 99.1 | 40% above | |
| Tornado risk13County figure | 87.0 | 7% above | |
| Wildfire risk13County figure | 93.3 | 52% above | |
| Heat wave risk13County figure | 84.9 | 6% below | |
| Median air quality index14Metro figure | 41 | 5% below | |
| Good air days14Metro figure | 77.0% | 12% above |
How it is changing
Five-year survey estimates, one point per release.
Median gross rent
Median household income
Median home value
Population estimate
Citytistics measures
Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas
Holden Beach in 2030: where the trends point
If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 16% of the median income in 2030, up from 15% now.
Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.
| Measure | Latest | 2030 projection | Likely range | Avg. per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,475/mo (2024) | $1,930/mo | $1,580 to $2,350/mo | +4.6% |
| Median household income | $116,250 (2024) | $146,000 | $123,500 to $173,000 | +3.9% |
| Median home value | $658,900 (2024) | $962,000 | $698,000 to $1,325,000 | +6.5% |
| Population | 916 (2025) | 920 | 880 to 960 | +0.1% |
The median home would be worth 6.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.7 now.
A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.
Places like Holden Beach
The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.
| Place | Rent | Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Pete Beach, FL | $1,811 | $114,583 | Compare |
| Palmer Ranch, FL | $1,794 | $102,838 | Compare |
| Pinehurst, NC | $1,664 | $109,802 | Compare |
| Hilton Head Island, SC | $1,479 | $94,657 | Compare |
Nearby
- Oak Island, NC12 mi
- St. James, NC13 mi
- Carolina Shores, NC14 mi
- Boiling Spring Lakes, NC16 mi
- Little River, SC18 mi
- North Myrtle Beach, SC23 mi
Compare Holden Beach with
Common questions
Is Holden Beach a good place to live?
It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 81% of homes stand vacant, more than in 99% of the 1,415 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 134 North Carolina places. The median resident is 64.4 years old, older than in 98% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 161 North Carolina places. On cost, space and class size it scores 69 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.
Is Holden Beach expensive to live in?
The median rent takes 15.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $658,900.
What salary do you need to live in Holden Beach?
To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $59,000 a year. Work it out from your current city.
What places are similar to Holden Beach?
On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are St. Pete Beach, FL, Palmer Ranch, FL, Pinehurst, NC and Hilton Head Island, SC.
Sources and methods
The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
- Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
- Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
- Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
- House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
- Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
- SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
- County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
- National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
- Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
- 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
- National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
- Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files
Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).
What stands out compares Holden Beach with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Holden Beach itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/holden-beach-north-carolina
Citytistics. “Holden Beach, North Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/holden-beach-north-carolina/
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.