Topsail Beach is a town in Onslow County, North Carolina, home to about 406 people across 4.4 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 28445.
Homes sold for a median of $246 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Holly Ridge; part is in Topsail Beach
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Topsail Beach. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Topsail Beach’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)97 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Albert J Ellis Airport (OAJ)23 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Raleigh, NC111 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA403 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Topsail Beach; 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.
Topsail Beach had 461 residents in the 2020 census, down 2% since 2000.
It’s the 623rd 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 (17 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).
50 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Topsail Beach.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Dentists | 3 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 11 |
| Mental health providers | 17 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 11 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 5 |
| Pharmacies | 3 |
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
Counts are within about 1.5 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.
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 | 7.7 mi |
| Surf City ElementaryHampstead | Pre-K–5 | 857 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| Coastal ElementaryHolly Ridge | K–5 | 833 | Public | 3.9 mi |
| Dixon HighHolly Ridge | 9–12 | 1,085 | Public | 7.5 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Holly Ridge and Surf City.
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.