The county
north of it all.
Pender is the county people find when New Hanover prices stop working and they still want to be near the water. More land, newer construction, a longer drive, and a road map that is actively being rewritten. It rewards buyers who understand what they’re trading.
Where people
actually live.
Toward the coast
Hampstead is the center of gravity — water access, newer subdivisions, and the community most Wilmington commuters look at first. Scotts Hill sits just inside the county line and drives more like New Hanover than Pender.
The islands
Topsail Island — Surf City, North Topsail Beach and Topsail Beach — is Pender’s beachfront. Quieter than Wrightsville, a real bridge to cross, and its own insurance and flood conversation.
Inland and rural
Burgaw is the county seat and the most walkable small downtown in the region. Rocky Point and the areas along US-117 are where you find acreage, wells and septic, and the lowest price per square foot in the metro.
If you’re still getting your bearings up here, my tour of what’s worth driving for in Pender is the friendlier version of this page.
The questions
everybody asks.
What about the water?
Pender sits downstream of the same river everyone in this region asks about, and plenty of homes here are on private wells instead of county water. A straight answer on what’s filtered and what isn’t.
How long is the drive, really?
US-17 through Hampstead is the whole ballgame, and the Hampstead Bypass changes it. Here’s where that project and the other road work in the region actually stand.
Am I in a flood zone?
Between the sound side, the creeks and the Northeast Cape Fear, flood mapping matters more in Pender than most buyers expect. How to read the zone before you write the offer.
Two more worth reading before you buy up here: why the tax bill changes across county and town lines, and the full guide to buying a home in the Wilmington area.
Turning everything on
in Pender.
Pender is the county where “what utilities does it have” is a real question rather than a formality — plenty of homes here are on a private well and septic system rather than county water and sewer. Confirm for the specific address, not the general area.
Water & sewer
Pender County Utilities
Or town water in Surf City or Burgaw
Or private well and septic
Electric
Duke Energy
(800) 452-2777
or Four County EMC
Varies by address
Natural gas
Piedmont Natural Gas
(800) 752-7504
Where service is available — many rural homes use propane
License & plates
Burgaw DMV
Thinking
a little north?
Well and septic, flood zones, and a commute that depends on the year — Pender is worth a conversation before you start touring. Tell me what you’re weighing and I’ll give you an honest read.
Or call
Tabetha Klein, REALTOR® | Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage · 910-983-8963 · www.makingilmhome.com. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.