Surf City is a town in Onslow County, North Carolina, home to about 4,396 people across 7.6 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 28443 and 28445.
Homes sold for a median of $230 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 1 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Hampstead; part is in Surf City
Mostly Holly Ridge; part is in Surf City
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Surf City. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Surf City’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR)94 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Wilmington International Airport (ILM)22 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Raleigh, NC112 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA406 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Surf City; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Surf City had 3,867 residents in the 2020 census, up 178% since 2000.
It’s the 195th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Onslow County grew from 11,940 residents in 1900 to 204,576 in 2020.
Onslow County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 89°F in summer, and winter lows average 35°F. About 56.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 1 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, New River Mcaf, NC weather station (20 miles away).
38,655 jobs at 3,080 businesses in Onslow County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
232 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Surf City’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 14 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 5 |
| Dentists | 20 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 37 |
| Mental health providers | 81 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 64 |
| Optometrists | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 9 |
| Pharmacies | 15 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores (4 nearby)
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1949.
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Onslow County Schools, Pender County Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dixon ElementaryHolly Ridge | Pre-K–5 | 760 | Public | 10.7 mi |
| North Topsail ElementaryHampstead | Pre-K–5 | 529 | Public | 5.1 mi |
| South Topsail ElementaryHampstead | Pre-K–5 | 618 | Public | 8.9 mi |
| Surf City ElementaryHampstead | Pre-K–5 | 857 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Topsail Annandale Elementary SchoolHampstead | Pre-K–4 | 580 | Public | 6.9 mi |
| Coastal ElementaryHolly Ridge | K–5 | 833 | Public | 6.6 mi |
| Topsail MiddleHampstead | 5–8 | 837 | Public | 6.7 mi |
| Surf City MiddleHampstead | 6–8 | 752 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Dixon HighHolly Ridge | 9–12 | 1,085 | Public | 10.5 mi |
| Topsail HighHampstead | 9–12 | 1,945 | Public | 7.0 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topsail Montessori LlcHampstead | Pre-K–4 | 38 | Nonsectarian | 11.3 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Hampstead, Holly Ridge and Topsail Beach.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.