Moving to Surf City
Onslow County gains about 5.4 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 Onslow County; flows under 20 returns are not published.
- Who moves here
- 16.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 9.6% from another state.
- Who arrives and who leaves
- Households moving into Onslow County report $53,900 a year in income on average; those leaving, $52,500.
- Income you would need
- $68,300 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
- Rent or buy
- Median rent is $1,707 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,665 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $512,300.
- Getting to work
- 23 minutes each way on average; 26.6% work from home.
- If it is close but not quite
- Peachtree Corners, GA matches it on character. Compare the two
All 5 moving measures
| Measure | Surf City | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moved here in the past year1 | 16.4% | 185% above | |
| Moved from another state1 | 9.6% | 386% above | |
| Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure | 5.4 | above (median -0.6) | |
| Income of households moving in8County figure | $53,900 | 24% below | |
| Income of households moving out8County figure | $52,540 | 25% below |
What it costs to live here
Vacant homes is 61.4%, above the median place (median 7.1%).
Could you afford it?
Uses the median rent in Surf City, $1,707 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.
Like Surf City, but easier on the budget
Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.
| Place | Rent to income | More left a year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philomath, OR | 21.2% vs 25.2% | $1,300 | Compare |
| Essex Junction, VT | 20.8% vs 25.2% | $7,100 | Compare |
| Twin Lakes, CO | 20.0% vs 25.2% | $15,100 | Compare |
Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Surf City.
All 16 cost and housing measures
| Measure | Surf City | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent1 | $1,707 | 25% above | |
| Rent to income1 | 25.2% | 24% above | |
| Property tax rate1 | 0.6% | 31% below | |
| Home price to income1 | 6.3x | 66% above | |
| Prices vs US average2Metro figure | 92.1 | 9% below | |
| Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure | $1,319 | 18% below | |
| HUD area median income4County figure | $85,400 | 20% below | |
| Property tax paid (median)1 | $3,245 | 1% below | |
| Median home value1 | $512,300 | 60% above | |
| Home prices, 1-year change5County figure | 2.9% | 11% below | |
| Home prices, 5-year change5County figure | 69.3% | 35% above | |
| Homeownership1 | 73.9% | 11% above | |
| Renters paying 30%+1 | 61.0% | 20% above | |
| Owner costs with a mortgage1 | $2,665 | 42% above | |
| Vacant homes1 | 61.4% | above (median 7.1%) | |
| Median year built1 | 2002 | 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 | Surf City | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income1 | $81,433 | 1% above | |
| Income per person1 | $49,611 | 24% above | |
| Unemployment1County figure | 5.4% | 10% above | |
| Average annual pay6County figure | $48,929 | 26% below | |
| Pay growth, 1 year6County figure | 4.4% | 19% above | |
| Jobs6County figure | 53,881 | 64% below | |
| Poverty rate1 | 5.5% | 49% below | |
| Mean commute1 | 23 min | 6% below | |
| Works from home1 | 26.6% | 113% above | |
| Commutes by transit1 | 0.0% | below (median 0.8%) |
Who lives here
Population change since 2020 is 32.9%, above the median place (median 1.1%).
More about who lives here, against the typical place
All 9 people measures
| Measure | Surf City | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population1 | 4,396 | 6646th largest | |
| Population change since 20207 | 32.9% | above (median 1.1%) | |
| Median age1 | 36.9 | 5% below | |
| Bachelor's or higher1 | 51.6% | 61% above | |
| High school or higher1 | 96.3% | 4% above | |
| Household size1 | 2.5 | 2% below | |
| Born abroad1 | 2.8% | 69% below | |
| No health insurance1 | 8.8% | 38% above | |
| Homes with broadband1 | 95.8% | 4% above |
Life in Surf City
15 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Out the door, against the typical place
Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)
Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.
All 16 schools and local life measures
| Measure | Surf City | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public schools13County figure | 40 | 344% above | |
| Public school students13County figure | 27,501 | above (median 4,897) | |
| Students per teacher13County figure | 16.1 | 5% above | |
| Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure | 19.1 | 8% below | |
| Shops per 10k9County figure | 26.9 | 11% below | |
| Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure | 2.6 | 37% below | |
| Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure | 10.1 | 50% below | |
| Child care centers per 10k9County figure | 1.8 | 22% below | |
| Parks per 10k10 | 6.8 | 33% below | |
| Playgrounds per 10k10 | 22.8 | 142% above | |
| Grocery stores per 10k10 | 18.2 | above (median 2.1) | |
| Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k10 | 72.8 | above (median 11.2) | |
| Libraries per 10k10 | 0.0 | below (median 0.9) | |
| Named paths and bike trails10 | 5.0 | 150% above | |
| Transit stops per sq mi10 | 0.1 | 38% below | |
| National Register listings11County figure | 15 | 15% above |
Safety, weather and risk
Violent crime per 100k is 436, 127% above the median place.
Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.
All 9 weather and risk measures
| Measure | Surf City | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| July average high14County figure | 89°F | 3% above | |
| January average low14County figure | 34°F | 34% above | |
| Average temperature14County figure | 63°F | 14% above | |
| Annual precipitation14County figure | 57.1 in | 30% above | |
| Natural hazard risk15County figure | 95.0 | 3% above | |
| Hurricane risk15County figure | 99.0 | 40% above | |
| Tornado risk15County figure | 85.8 | 5% above | |
| Wildfire risk15County figure | 85.9 | 40% above | |
| Heat wave risk15County figure | 87.5 | 3% below |
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
Surf City in 2030: where the trends point
If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 26% of the median income in 2030, up from 25% 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 | $1,707/mo (2024) | $2,190/mo | $1,800 to $2,670/mo | +4.3% |
| Median household income | $81,433 (2024) | $102,000 | $86,000 to $120,500 | +3.8% |
| Median home value | $512,300 (2024) | $777,000 | $564,000 to $1,071,000 | +7.2% |
| Population | 5,142 (2025) | 5,980 | 5,740 to 6,230 | +3.1% |
The median home would be worth 7.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 6.3 now.
A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.
Places like Surf City
The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.
| Place | Rent | Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peachtree Corners, GA | $1,701 | $82,139 | Compare |
| Englewood, CO | $1,668 | $86,800 | Compare |
| Hyattsville, MD | $1,835 | $91,941 | Compare |
| Newmarket, NH | $1,701 | $87,196 | Compare |
Nearby
- Hampstead, NC12 mi
- Porters Neck, NC15 mi
- Ogden, NC18 mi
- Murraysville, NC19 mi
- Northchase, NC20 mi
- Kings Grant, NC21 mi
Compare Surf City with
Common questions
Is Surf City a good place to live?
It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 61% 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. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 8.3% a year while household income rose 1.5%, so rent outran pay by more than in 93% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 40 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.
Is Surf City expensive to live in?
The median rent takes 25.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $512,300.
What salary do you need to live in Surf City?
To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $68,280 a year. Work it out from your current city.
Is Surf City safe?
There were 436 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.
What places are similar to Surf City?
On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Peachtree Corners, GA, Englewood, CO, Hyattsville, MD and Newmarket, NH.
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
- OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
- National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
- Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
- 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
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 Surf City with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Surf City itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/surf-city-north-carolina
Citytistics. “Surf City, North Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/surf-city-north-carolina/
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.