SECTION 3 COMMUNITY PROFILE. Geography and the Environment

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1 SECTION 3 This section of the Plan provides a general overview of New Hanover County and its incorporated municipal jurisdictions. This information has been updated to reflect the community profile for the 2010 plan. It consists of the following five subsections: Geography and the Environment Population and Demographics Housing, Infrastructure and Land Use Employment and Industry Disaster Declarations Geography and the Environment New Hanover County, North Carolina was formed in 1729 from Craven County and was named in honor of the royal family of England members of the House of Hanover. New Hanover County is located in the southeastern coastal area of North Carolina and is bordered by Pender County to the north, the Cape Fear River and Brunswick County to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east. The City of Wilmington is the county seat of New Hanover County and is the county s most populous city with 91,458 residents in Figure 3.1 shows a map of New Hanover County with the location of its municipal jurisdictions. Figure 3.1 Map of New Hanover County COMMUNITY PROFILE

2 COMMUNITY PROFILE New Hanover County has a total area of 220 square miles, of which approximately 2.1 square miles is comprised of water and wetlands areas. The area s topography is relatively level with an average elevation of less than 40 feet above sea level, with the highest peak at 75 feet. New Hanover County has a mild climate, with an average annual maximum temperature of 73.8 degrees Fahrenheit, and a mean daily high temperature range from 56 degrees in January to 90 degrees in July. The county s normal annual precipitation is approximately 54 inches per year, as well as approximately two inches of snowfall. New Hanover County lies within three (3) distinct watersheds: the New, Lower Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear. Geologically, New Hanover County lies within the Coastal Plain, comprised mostly of tertiary rock. Nearly 42 percent of the county s acreage is wooded, of which nearly 85 percent is privately owned. Population and Demographics The total population of New Hanover County in 2000 was 160,307 persons. The North Carolina Economic Development Intelligence System (EDIS) estimates New Hanover County s 2008 population to be 193,458, which represents a 20% increase from 2000 to 2008 with an annual growth rate of 2.3%. New Hanover County is the ninth most populous county in the state and is ranked 16 th in growth rates of all North Carolina counties. There are four incorporated municipalities in New Hanover County. The City of Wilmington is the largest with a 2008 total land area of approximately 49 square miles and an estimated population of 101,526 persons (52 percent of the total county population). Table 3.1 shows the population for each of the incorporated municipalities in New Hanover County and the unincorporated area according to the 2000 U.S. Census and the 2008 estimates from the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management (NCOSBM). Table 3.1 Municipal Populations for New Hanover County, 2000 and 2008 Estimates Jurisdiction April 2000 July 2008 Increase % Growth New Hanover 160, ,458 33, Carolina Beach 4,778 5,952 1, Kure Beach 1,542 2, Wilmington 75, ,526 25, Wrightsville Beach* 2,593 2, *Not participating in this Plan Source: U.S. Census and NCOSBM According to the 2000 census, the median age for persons in New Hanover County is 36.3 years, slightly older than the statewide average of 35.3 years. The 2008 EDIS estimates that the median age is 39. Nearly 14 percent of the county population is comprised of persons that are 65 years old and over. Caucasians constitute 78.4 percent of the New Hanover County population followed by Black or African Americans making up 17.4 percent. Figure 3.3 displays the most recent estimates for demographic data on race distribution for New Hanover County. 3: NEW HANOVER COUNTY MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN

3 Figure 3.3 Race Percentages in New Hanover County, 2008 Race People Percent White 151, % Black 33, % American Indian/Alaska Native % Asian 2, % Pacific Islander % Other Race 2, % Two or More Races 2, % Total Hispanic Population (ethnicity) 5, % Source: NC EDIS Housing, Infrastructure and Land Use In 2008, there were 99,730 housing units in New Hanover County, a 22 percent increase from Of these, 85,520 are inhabited, 55,588 units are owner occupied (65%) and 29,932 are renter occupied (35%).The average household size for the county is 2.0 persons. Median home values in New Hanover County in 2008 were $230,589 for owner-occupied units, a 70 percent increase from Despite the recent increase in foreclosure activity across the nation, the median single family home sales price in New Hanover County for 2008 held fairly steady at $204,148. Transportation networks are vital to New Hanover County, not only for local transportation but for encouraging tourism as well as serving industries requiring transportation infrastructure for the shipment of goods. New Hanover County is the eastern terminus of Interstate 40, which connects the transcontinental route with Barstow, California. Interstate 40 offers a connection to Interstate 95, within a one-hour drive. Interstate 73/74 (currently under construction), located within a 30-minute drive via Interstate 40, will connect the region with Detroit and the Midwest. Highway 17 is a major north-to-south thoroughfare, which also leads travelers down the North Carolina Coast. The Port of Wilmington is located along the Cape Fear River, approximately 26 miles from open sea, and provides easy vehicular and railway access. Wilmington International Airport, located approximately three miles north of Wilmington, is the regional airport serving the people of southeastern North Carolina. Airlines serving the Airport are: USAir with six daily jet flights through their Charlotte hub and Delta Air Lines with three ASA commuter flights a day to the Atlanta hub. In addition, WAVE Transit serves the County with ten bus routes, van services for handicapped persons, a shuttle that is primarily dedicated to University of North Carolina at Wilmington students and faculty, and downtown trolley services. COMMUNITY PROFILE The density of New Hanover County is approximately persons per square mile, well above the 2008 statewide average of persons per square mile. Development and economic growth in the area increased in the 1990s, prompted by the completion of Interstate 40. Between 2000 and 2008, New Hanover County s population increased nearly 21 percent and is projected to continue growing, increasing by about 36.5% by the year NEW HANOVER COUNTY MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN 3:3

4 COMMUNITY PROFILE Table 3.2 lists the projected population counts for New Hanover County at five-year intervals between 2000 and Table 3.2 Projected Population Growth for New Hanover County, , , , , , , ,231 Source: North Carolina State Data Center Employment and Industry In 2008, the median household income for New Hanover County was $52,601 (the state median household income was $51,411) and median per capita income was $30,387 (the state median per capita income was $26,823). The state unemployment rate for 2008 was 6.3 percent, and for New Hanover County the rate was 5.3 percent percent of people in New Hanover County are reportedly below the federal poverty level (which is just below the State s average of 14.6 percent). New Hanover County sustains a diversified economy, with 80.5% of employment being concentrated in the private sector. This is followed by a strong workforce in retail trade, accommodation and food services, and educational services respectively. Table 3.3 provides an overview of employment in New Hanover County by economic sector. Table 3.3 Employment by Sector for New Hanover County, First Quarter 2003 Employment Sector Workforce Percentage Health Care and Social Assistance 15,385 16% Accommodation and Food Services 13,444 14% Retail Trade 13,307 13% Educational Services 7,892 8% Professional and Technical Services 6,904 7% Construction 6,629 7% Manufacturing 6,234 6% Administrative and Waste Services 5,078 5% Public Administration 5,010 5% Wholesale Trade 2,999 3% Transportation/Warehousing 2,930 3% Finance/Insurance 2,924 3% Other Services (except Public Administration) 2,776 3% Information 2,696 3% Arts/Entertainment/Recreation 1,739 2% Real Estate/Rental and Leasing 1,706 2% Management of Companies and Enterprises 497 <1% 3: NEW HANOVER COUNTY MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN

5 Employment Sector Workforce Percentage Utilities 263 <1% Unclassified 321 <1% Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Hunting 103 <1% Total Federal Government 968 1% Total State Government 4,575 5% Total Local Government 11,952 12% Total Private Industry 81,389 82% Total All Industries 98, % Source: North Carolina Department of Commerce (EDIS). Table 3.4 New Hanover County Top Private Sector Employers Company or Institution Product or Service Approximate Number of Employees New Hanover Regional Medical 1 Center/Cape Fear Hospital Hospitals 4,480 2 New Hanover County Schools Education 3,950 General Electric Wilmington (GE Hitachi 3 and GE Aviation) Nuclear Energy 2,000 4 University of North Carolina Wilmington Education 1,888 5 PPD Contract Research Organization 1,500 6 New Hanover County Government Government 1,720 7 Verizon Wireless Call Center Wireless Communications Technology 1,300 8 Cape Fear Community College Education 1,053 9 City of Wilmington Government Government 1, Wal-Mart Retail 971 Source: The Employment Security Commission of North Carolina (ESC) nd quarter Numbers reflect only employees working in New Hanover County and not employees who work in neighboring counties but for the same company. This data collected via phone surveys in January 2010 and includes both full-time and part-time employees. COMMUNITY PROFILE Disaster Declarations Since , New Hanover County has experienced a total of eight (8) presidential disaster declarations, shown in Table 3.5. Two new disasters, Hurricane Ophelia and Tropical Storm Hanna occurred since the completion of the 2004 plan. The county has also experienced additional emergencies and disasters that were not severe enough to require federal disaster relief through a presidential declaration. 1 Prior to January 1, 1965, presidential disaster declarations did not have county designations NEW HANOVER COUNTY MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN 3:5

6 COMMUNITY PROFILE Table 3.5 Presidential Disaster Declarations for New Hanover County, Event Declaration Date Declaration Number Hurricane Diana 09/21/1984 DR-724 Hurricane Bertha 07/18/1996 DR-1127 Hurricane Fran 09/10/1996 DR-1134 Hurricane Bonnie 08/27/1998 DR-1240 Hurricane Floyd 09/21/1999 DR-1292 Hurricane Isabel 09/18/2003 DR-1490 Hurricane Ophelia 10/7/2005 DR Tropical Storm Hanna 10/8/2008 DR-1801 Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency 3: NEW HANOVER COUNTY MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN