The county
across the river.
Cross the Cape Fear and everything changes — the price per square foot, the pace of new construction, the utility provider, and the bridge you’ll think about every weekday morning. Buyers come here for a specific set of trade-offs worth understanding before you commit.
Where people
actually live.
The commuter side
Leland is where most Wilmington-adjacent buyers land — master-planned communities, heavy new construction, and a real bridge conversation. I’ve written a fuller Leland buyer’s guide too.
The islands
Oak Island, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle, Sunset Beach, Caswell Beach and Bald Head each have their own character and their own rules about cars, rentals and bridges. Start with my tour of the Brunswick beaches and Southport.
Inland and historic
Southport for the waterfront-town life, Shallotte and Calabash toward the South Carolina line, and Bolivia in the middle as the county seat. Slower, further from Wilmington, and priced accordingly.
Brunswick Forest in Leland is the community I get asked about most — the amenity list is genuinely long, and the HOA structure is worth reading closely before you sign. Here’s what those dues actually cover.
The two things
everyone asks.
What about the water?
This is the first question out of nearly every Brunswick buyer’s mouth, and it deserves a real answer rather than reassurance. The county went from national headlines about PFAS to building a large reverse-osmosis upgrade — here’s where that actually stands.
What happens with the bridge?
If you live in Brunswick and work in Wilmington, the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is your daily reality — and the toll question keeps resurfacing. What’s decided, what isn’t, and how to think about it as a buyer.
Also worth reading before you buy here: flood zones and coastal insurance, and why the tax bill changes across county and town lines.
Turning everything on
in Brunswick.
Brunswick is the one county where I can’t just hand you a single list — water and electric both depend on exactly where the house sits, and in new construction the answer sometimes isn’t settled until closing. Confirm the provider for your specific address rather than your subdivision.
Water & sewer
H2GO
(910) 371-9949
Brunswick County Public Utilities
(910) 253-2655
Or town water, depending on location
Electric
Duke Energy
(800) 452-2777
or BEMC
(800) 842-5871
Varies by subdivision
Natural gas
Piedmont Natural Gas
(800) 752-7504
License & plates
Leland, Shallotte or Bolivia DMV
Weighing
the bridge?
The Brunswick-versus-New-Hanover math is different for everyone. Tell me where you’d be driving and I’ll give you an honest read. No pressure, no obligation.
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.