Pender County NC homes
north of it all.
Pender County NC homes are what 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 is Pender’s beachfront: Topsail Beach and most of Surf City sit in Pender, while North Topsail Beach, at the north end of the island, is in Onslow County. There’s a bridge to cross, and the island has its own insurance and flood conversation.
Inland and rural
Burgaw is the county seat, with a small historic downtown around the courthouse square. Rocky Point and the areas along US-117 are where you find acreage, wells and septic, and a more rural setting.
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
The county,
by the numbers.
Many Pender County NC homes sit in unincorporated communities such as Hampstead, Rocky Point and Scotts Hill, where the county, not a town hall, sets your tax rate and runs services. Here’s the county at a glance.
- Land area: 871.3 square miles (U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer).
- Population: 72,111 on July 1, 2025, up from 70,150 a year earlier (Census Vintage 2025 estimates). Carolina Demography (April 7, 2026) put that 2.8% gain against 1.3% statewide.
- County seat: Burgaw, home to the courthouse and county offices.
- Incorporated towns: Burgaw, Surf City, Topsail Beach, Atkinson, St. Helena and Watha, the towns whose property taxes are billed in Pender (Pender County Tax Collections, checked September 2026). Surf City also extends into Onslow County.
- Main corridors: US 17 through Hampstead, I-40 past Rocky Point and Burgaw, NC 210 to Topsail Island, and US 117 and NC 53 through Burgaw.
Property taxes,
town by town.
Pender County adopted a rate of 73.75¢ per $100 of assessed value for FY2026–27 on June 15, 2026, the same as the prior year, plus a countywide EMS rate of 9.25¢ (Pender County FY2026–27 adopted budget ordinance). Unincorporated addresses also carry a fire district rate. Inside a town, you add that town’s rate. The parcel’s county tax record shows which rates apply.
- Fire districts (FY2026–27): Hampstead, Scotts Hill and Sloop Point 9.5¢; Rocky Point 10¢; Pender Central (Burgaw area) and Long Creek–Grady 11¢; Maple Hill 7¢ (county budget ordinance).
- Town of Burgaw: 64¢ townwide, up from 60¢, plus a separate downtown Municipal Service District tax (Town of Burgaw FY2026–27 budget).
- Surf City: 47.5¢, down from 53¢; Topsail Beach: 48¢, unchanged. Both adopted June 30, 2026 (Port City Daily, July 2, 2026).
- Atkinson, St. Helena and Watha: confirm current rates with Pender County Tax Collections.
FY2026–27 math on a home assessed at $450,000:
- Unincorporated Hampstead (county + EMS + Hampstead fire = 92.5¢): about $4,163 a year.
- Inside Surf City (county + EMS + town = 130.5¢): about $5,873.
- Inside Topsail Beach (county + EMS + town = 131¢): about $5,895.
- Inside Burgaw (county + EMS + town = 147¢): about $6,615, before any downtown district tax.
Timing matters more than usual right now. Pender last revalued in 2019 and completed a new revaluation effective January 1, 2026, but Senate Bill 889 (Session Law 2026-8), signed in June 2026, told the county to keep using the older values for FY2026–27 (WECT, June 19, 2026; Port City Daily, June 19, 2026). The county’s June 15, 2026 budget message says the 2026 values are expected to apply starting with the FY2027–28 tax year. Rates are normally reset when new values take effect, so today’s bill won’t predict next year’s. My Hampstead buyer guide walks through that math, and what happened after New Hanover’s 2025 revaluation shows how a revaluation year can play out.
Flood zones
and storm season.
Flood risk in Pender changes street to street, between the sound side, tidal creeks, the Northeast Cape Fear and the Black River. Check the parcel, not the neighborhood.
- FEMA flood zone: enter the address on North Carolina’s Flood Risk Information System (fris.nc.gov), then confirm the effective map panel on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center.
- Evacuation zone: Pender is one of 21 North Carolina counties with hurricane evacuation zones under NC Emergency Management’s Know Your Zone program (checked September 2026). Look up the address there.
- Elevation certificate: ask the seller for one early so your agent can quote flood coverage.
- Community Rating System: Pender County takes part in FEMA’s CRS program and completes an annual recertification review (Pender County news release). Unincorporated Pender County is rated Class 7, which means up to a 15% discount on eligible flood policies in high-risk zones (FEMA NFIP Community Status Book via OpenFEMA, refreshed August 25, 2026). Ask your insurance agent which discount applies to a specific address.
For the storm-season side of buying, read my hurricane risk guide for buyers and my breakdown of homeowners insurance costs in the Wilmington area.
Getting around
from here.
These are typical non-rush drives, checked September 2026 with OpenStreetMap-based routing (OSRM). Expect longer at rush hour and through the US 17 work zones.
- Central Hampstead: about 17 miles and 30 minutes to downtown Wilmington, 19 miles and 30 minutes to Wilmington International Airport (ILM), and 14 miles and 25 minutes to the beach at Surf City.
- Rocky Point (I-40, exit 408): about 21 miles and 30 minutes to downtown Wilmington, 14 miles and 30 minutes to ILM, and 20 miles and 30 minutes to Wrightsville Beach.
- Burgaw: about 28 miles and 40 minutes to downtown Wilmington and 22 miles and 40 minutes to ILM.
The big road project is NCDOT’s US 17 Hampstead Bypass (R-3300), a two-segment, roughly $490 million project (NCDOT project page, updated July 31, 2026). WECT reported on February 24, 2026 that the northern segment, from NC 210 to north of Hampstead, was about 65% complete and expected to finish in early summer 2027. The southern segment, from NC 140 to NC 210, was about 10% complete, with the full bypass slated for 2030. Weighing a new build along the corridor? My new construction guide covers what to ask builders.
Questions
buyers ask me.
What is the property tax rate for Pender County NC homes in 2026?
For FY2026–27, Pender County’s rate is 73.75¢ per $100 of assessed value, plus a 9.25¢ countywide EMS rate (county budget ordinance, adopted June 15, 2026). Unincorporated areas add a fire district rate, such as 9.5¢ in Hampstead. Towns add their own rate, such as 47.5¢ in Surf City or 64¢ in Burgaw.
Is Hampstead, NC an incorporated town?
No. Hampstead is an unincorporated community in Pender County, so there’s no town property tax. Homes there pay the county and EMS rates plus a fire district rate, which is 9.5¢ per $100 in the Hampstead, Scotts Hill and Sloop Point districts for FY2026–27 (Pender County budget ordinance).
When will Pender County’s 2026 revaluation take effect?
Senate Bill 889 (Session Law 2026-8), signed in June 2026, set aside Pender’s January 1, 2026 values for one year. The county’s FY2026–27 budget message (June 15, 2026) says those values are expected to apply starting with the FY2027–28 tax year, when rates are normally reset.
How far is Pender County from Wilmington?
In typical non-rush traffic (checked September 2026), central Hampstead is about 17 miles and 30 minutes from downtown Wilmington, Rocky Point about 21 miles and 30 minutes, and Burgaw about 28 miles and 40 minutes. NCDOT’s Hampstead Bypass is slated for completion in 2030 (WECT, February 24, 2026).
How do I check whether a Pender County home is in a flood zone?
Enter the address on North Carolina’s Flood Risk Information System (fris.nc.gov) to see its FEMA flood zone, and confirm the effective map on FEMA’s Map Service Center. Look up its hurricane evacuation zone with NC Emergency Management’s Know Your Zone tool. Ask the seller for an elevation certificate, and get an insurance quote during due diligence.
Sources, checked September 2026: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer files; U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 county population estimates; Carolina Demography, April 7, 2026; Pender County Tax Collections; Pender County FY2026–27 adopted budget, June 15, 2026; Town of Burgaw FY2026–27 budget; Port City Daily, July 2, 2026; Port City Daily, June 19, 2026; WECT, June 19, 2026; NC Flood Risk Information System; FEMA Flood Map Service Center; NC Emergency Management, Know Your Zone; Pender County CRS release; NCDOT US 17 Hampstead Bypass, updated July 31, 2026; WECT, February 24, 2026; OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data. Rates and values change; verify the tax bill, flood zone and utilities for any specific property.
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.