Cape Fear (region)

Cape Fear is a coastal plain and Tidewater region of North Carolina centered around the city of Wilmington. The area gets its name from the nearby Cape Fear headland and the Cape Fear River, which flows through the region and ends in the Atlantic Ocean near the cape.

People mostly live along the Atlantic beaches and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, while rural parts have many farms and swampland such as the Green Swamp. This area is also called the Lower Cape Fear, the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, Southeastern North Carolina, or the Azalea Coast, after the North Carolina Azalea Festival held each year in Wilmington. Towns in the region work together through the Cape Fear Council of Governments.

The Port of Wilmington is the busiest port in North Carolina and is run by the North Carolina State Ports Authority. The region is also home to Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, the largest ammunition port in the United States, and it serves as the main deep-water port for the U.S. Army on the East Coast.

Geography

The Cape Fear region is found on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Much of this area is made up of low, wet land, including a special place called the Green Swamp. This swamp is one of the few places where a unique plant, the Venus flytrap, can grow. Two big rivers, the Cape Fear River and the Northeast Cape Fear River, flow through the region. Smaller rivers like the Lockwood Folly River, Brunswick River, and Shallotte River also help connect tiny communities by water.

Counties

Three counties make up the main part of the Cape Fear region: Brunswick County, New Hanover County, and Pender County. In the year 2020, about 440,353 people lived in these three counties. These coastal areas are popular for tourists, so many more people visit during the summer than in the winter.

Sometimes, two more counties, Bladen and Columbus, are also considered part of the Cape Fear region. In some wider descriptions, Duplin, Onslow, and Sampson counties might be included too.

Communities

The Cape Fear region in North Carolina includes many places where people live. The main city is Wilmington. Other cities in the area are Boiling Spring Lakes, Northwest, and Southport.

There are also many smaller towns such as Atkinson, Belville, Bolivia, and Burgaw. Some beach towns include Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Wrightsville Beach.

Villages and other places like Bald Head Island and Bayshore are also part of this area. Many of these places are near the coast and have beautiful beaches.

Demographics

According to the 2000 United States census, the area had 274,532 people living in 114,675 households, with 75,347 families. Most people, about 79.47%, identified as White, while 17.27% were African American. Smaller groups included Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and people from other races.

The average income for a household was $37,321, and for a family, it was $44,844. Men earned about $32,454 on average, while women earned about $22,998. The average income per person was $20,287.