Where Are People Moving in New Hanover, NC?
IRS county-to-county migration, 2023 tax year (released about two years after the tax year it covers).
People moving in
5,691
People moving out
5,245
Net migration
+1,709
New Hanover, NC is a net gainer of residents. In the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), 5,691 people moved in and 5,245 moved out, for a net gain of +1,709. Sustained inflows like this are one of the strongest long-run signals of housing demand.
Migration is most useful read alongside the rest of the market. People move for jobs, affordability, climate, and lifestyle, and where they come from and go to says a lot about what a county is competing on. Below are the specific counties driving New Hanover, NC’s flows in each direction.
Top counties people moved to New Hanover, NC from
| Origin county | Returns | People |
|---|---|---|
| Brunswick, NCNorth Carolina | 750 | 1,201 |
| Wake, NCNorth Carolina | 681 | 1,015 |
| Pender, NCNorth Carolina | 490 | 796 |
| Mecklenburg, NCNorth Carolina | 282 | 432 |
| Onslow, NCNorth Carolina | 237 | 372 |
| Guilford, NCNorth Carolina | 141 | 197 |
| Cumberland, NCNorth Carolina | 116 | 158 |
| Durham, NCNorth Carolina | 114 | 183 |
| Forsyth, NCNorth Carolina | 99 | 149 |
| Johnston, NCNorth Carolina | 98 | 138 |
Top counties people left New Hanover, NC for
| Destination county | Returns | People |
|---|---|---|
| Brunswick, NCNorth Carolina | 1,286 | 2,149 |
| Pender, NCNorth Carolina | 760 | 1,445 |
| Wake, NCNorth Carolina | 524 | 707 |
| Mecklenburg, NCNorth Carolina | 307 | 437 |
| Onslow, NCNorth Carolina | 286 | 457 |
| Guilford, NCNorth Carolina | 119 | 191 |
| Durham, NCNorth Carolina | 114 | 148 |
| Duplin, NCNorth Carolina | 98 | 180 |
| Buncombe, NCNorth Carolina | 89 | 125 |
| Horry, SCSouth Carolina | 89 | 134 |
“Returns” counts tax returns (a household proxy) that moved along each flow; “People” counts the individuals on those returns, when reported. IRS aggregate and foreign pseudo-rows are excluded. Informational only, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Are people moving to New Hanover, NC or leaving?
New Hanover, NC had a net gain of +1,709 residents in the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), with 5,691 people moving in and 5,245 moving out. Net migration is inflow minus outflow.
Where are people moving to New Hanover, NC from?
The largest sources of new New Hanover, NC residents are Brunswick, NC, Wake, NC, Pender, NC. The full top-ten list of origin counties is in the table above.
Where do people leaving New Hanover, NC go?
People leaving New Hanover, NC most often move to Brunswick, NC, Pender, NC, Wake, NC. The full top-ten list of destination counties is in the table above.
What does New Hanover, NC migration mean for housing?
Migration is a leading demand signal. Sustained net inflows tend to support rents and home prices when supply cannot keep up, while net outflows can soften them. Read this alongside New Hanover, NC's price forecast, building permits, and affordability on the full county dashboard before drawing a conclusion.
How current is this New Hanover, NC migration data?
It comes from IRS Statistics of Income county-to-county migration data, which is released about two years after the tax year it covers; the figures above reflect the 2023 tax year. That lag is normal for this dataset, which counts actual tax returns rather than survey estimates.