Why is Hampstead the fastest growing community in Pender County?

The unincorporated town of Hampstead is located 15 miles north of Wilmington on US Highway 17. It does not have distinct borders but does have a number of attributes people want. Why is Hampstead the fastest growing community in Pender County?

Of paramount importance to the young families who choose Hampstead is the good public school system with supportive parents of the students who attend them. A library in Hampstead that is part of the County system also benefits financially from the dedicated efforts over many years of a group known as the Friends of the Library.

Affordability is another draw for Hampstead residents. Housing prices are relatively low and the types of homes available are diverse too, with everything from modest bungalows to huge multistory mansions facing the Intracoastal Waterway offered. Compared against New Hanover County and especially against the city of Wilmington, taxes in Pender County are very modest, which adds to the affordability index.

Great beaches nearby

Hampstead is situated between two fabulous beaches, with Topsail Island about 20 minutes north and Wrightsville Beach about 20 minutes south. And thanks to a bypass that was completed just a few years ago, Hampstead residents can easily reach all the attractions in downtown Wilmington in 30 minutes or so.

The community is topographically diverse, stretching as it does from the Intracoastal Waterway to more than five miles inland. There are still farms in Hampstead, though more and more are being sold off for residential development. Nonetheless, you can buy goat cheese on-site from the farmer who makes it. Locally-grown fresh vegetables and fruits are available in season at the nearby Poplar Grove Plantation Farmer’s Market.

Fishing and boating are extremely popular in Hampstead. There are several marinas in the area so getting a boat into the water is not a problem. Fish and seafood can be purchased from those who caught it, and fish is packed, processed and shipped on a daily basis from a processing company located in Hampstead to the major markets on the East Coast, including New York City. Hampstead, by the way, bills itself as the seafood capital of the Carolinas, and no one has disputed that.