Topsail, Pender County, North Carolina Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Topsail, North Carolina, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Topsail, North Carolina. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Topsail, North Carolina. The estimated population of Topsail, North Carolina is 29,240 people, with a median age of 43.1.

We can look at the total population in Topsail over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
29,240
+0.65%
+13.69%
2020
29,052
+3.7%
-
2019
28,016
+3.35%
-
2018
27,108
+5.4%
-
2017
25,719
- -

Population of Topsail, North Carolina by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
87%
92.9%
-6.35%
Black/African American
4.2%
2.1%
+100.00%
Native
0%
0.3%
-100.00%
Hispanic
3.2%
2.2%
+45.45%
Asian
0.8%
0.6%
+33.33%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
0.00%
Two Or More Races
4.6%
1.7%
+170.59%
Other
0.1%
0.1%
0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Topsail, North Carolina by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 43.1 0% 41 -0.97% 45.4 -1.3%
2020 43.1 -1.15% 41.4 -1.43% 46 -1.08%
2019 43.6 +0.23% 42 -0.24% 46.5 +2.65%
2018 43.5 -0.23% 42.1 -1.64% 45.3 +0.89%
2017 43.6 - 42.8 - 44.9 -

The median age of Topsail, North Carolina gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 1,644 +7.37% 1,702 -16.9% 1,763 1,428
10 to 19 1,539 +52.11% 1,412 +27.59% 2,496 1,841
20 to 29 1,137 +10.6% 978 +11.24% 1,254 1,081
30 to 39 1,458 +19.65% 1,668 +16.97% 1,760 1,966
40 to 49 1,912 -8.44% 1,810 +8.11% 1,747 1,952
50 to 59 2,019 0.32% 1,814 +15.91% 2,018 2,105
60 to 69 1,467 +39.07% 1,938 +11.53% 2,112 2,137
70+ 1,578 +11.18% 1,643 +11.62% 1,754 1,826

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Topsail, North Carolina is $81,452.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Topsail.

  • Under 25
    $47,528.00
  • 25 to 44
    $106,160.00
  • 45 to 64
    $89,538.00
  • 65 and over
    $59,682.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Topsail, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Topsail, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Topsail, North Carolina is currently $106,300.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

10.65% of households in Topsail are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Topsail against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    10.29%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    16.82%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.95%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    10.89%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    24.38%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    7.02%
  • $200,000 or more
    10.65%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Topsail is $41,199.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Topsail by the total population of Topsail.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Topsail, North Carolina, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Topsail to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    17.04%
  • Bachelor's degree
    42.41%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    12.38%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    26.64%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.54%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Topsail that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Topsail over the age of 16 is 23,312.

Of those people, a total of 62.00% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Topsail is 56.40%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 1,600 53.60% 42.70%
20 to 24 years 1,344 96.20% 15.90%
25 to 29 years 991 85.60% 0.90%
30 to 34 years 1,573 85.10% 2.90%
35 to 44 years 3,796 82.30% 3.90%
45 to 54 years 3,991 83.50% 2.80%
55 to 59 years 2,188 73.10% 4.40%
60 to 64 years 2,319 55.20% 2.10%
65 to 74 years 3,693 19.20% 0.30%
75 years and over 1,817 3.80% 2.90%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Topsail. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 20,822 62.30% 5.30%
Black or African American 993 61.90% 33.40%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 224 40.60% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 13 100.00% 0.00%
Other 116 67.20% 0.00%
Two or more races 1,144 58.60% 7.60%
Hispanic or Latino 581 71.30% 17.20%
Not Hispanic or Latino 20,510 62.20% 4.90%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Topsail as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Topsail is 13,151, with median earnings of $44,220.00.

Women in Topsail, North Carolina earning approximately 66.30% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 13,151 $44,220.00
Male 6,598 $54,547.00
Female 6,553 $36,140.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 2,087 $63,313.00
Business and Financial 624 $79,000.00
Computer and Mathematical 411 $72,443.00
Architecture and Engineering 264 $112,609.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 191 $79,020.00
Community and Social Service 353 $46,337.00
Legal 121 $41,715.00
Educational and Library 731 $39,750.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 198 $36,970.00
Healthcare Practitioners 833 $72,350.00
Healthcare Support 367 $26,715.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 145 $58,992.00
Law Enforcement 260 $53,913.00
Food Preparation and Serving 772 $12,892.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 526 $30,924.00
Personal Care and Service 511 $25,685.00
Sales 1,441 $39,340.00
Office and Administrative Support 1,204 $39,012.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 58 $37,045.00
Construction and Extraction 429 $32,383.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 468 $59,477.00
Production 461 $55,739.00
Transportation and Material Moving 252 $54,878.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 1,127 $71,250.00 960 $44,500.00
Business and Financial 280 $80,263.00 344 $78,750.00
Computer and Mathematical 174 $88,289.00 237 $65,469.00
Architecture and Engineering 264 $112,609.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 114 $77,703.00 77 $111,083.00
Community and Social Service 183 $46,884.00 170 $32,273.00
Legal 20 $191,250.00 101 $41,541.00
Educational and Library 100 $17,500.00 631 $42,596.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 44 $39,868.00 154 $36,288.00
Healthcare Practitioners 154 $118,529.00 679 $66,513.00
Healthcare Support 76 $13,611.00 291 $30,151.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 125 $59,798.00 20 $0.00
Law Enforcement 231 $53,125.00 29 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 355 $12,477.00 417 $15,322.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 358 $38,214.00 168 $20,395.00
Personal Care and Service 164 $20,000.00 347 $26,009.00
Sales 598 $60,571.00 843 $27,413.00
Office and Administrative Support 283 $83,125.00 921 $33,438.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 58 $37,045.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 429 $32,383.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 468 $59,477.00 0 $0.00
Production 355 $69,120.00 106 $2,499.00
Transportation and Material Moving 252 $54,878.00 0 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 11,044 households in Topsail, with an average household size of 2.64 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 7,839 families in Topsail with an average family size of 3.17 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 6,680 292 867 3,205
Average Household Size 3.2 3.91 3.28 1.17
Total Families 6,680 292 867 0
Average Household Size 3.17 3.33 3.14 0

Poverty

Of the 7,839 families in Topsail, 4.20% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Topsail:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 15,733 housing units in Topsail, North Carolina.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 11,044 70.20%
Vacant 4,689 29.80%

10.85% of the total 15,733 housing units in Topsail are rental units. This is approximately 1,707 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 9,084 are occupied by the owner - or 57.74% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Topsail is $1,246.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Topsail that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    253
  • Less than $500
    8
  • $500 to $999
    456
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    572
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    251
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    182
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    228
  • $3,000 or more
    10

Property Value

The median value of a property in Topsail is $284,500.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Topsail that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    554
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    251
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    713
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    858
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    2,553
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    2,810
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    1,172
  • $1,000,000 or more
    173

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Topsail. The chart below shows the number of properties in Topsail that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    129
  • 1940 to 1949
    65
  • 1950 to 1959
    361
  • 1960 to 1969
    483
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,164
  • 1980 to 1989
    2,370
  • 1990 to 1999
    3,451
  • 2000 to 2009
    4,459
  • 2010 to 2013
    3,251
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Topsail that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    260
  • 1 vehicle available
    2,811
  • 2 vehicles available
    5,043
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    2,930

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Topsail get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Topsail that commute to work in a particular way.

32.9 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Topsail.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    288
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    839
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    1,162
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    1,071
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    1,258
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    657
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    1,915
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    837
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    867
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    1,912
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    425
  • 90 or more minutes
    500

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Topsail, North Carolina in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.