Is Holden Beach, NC a Good Place to Live?
Holden Beach is a small town of 997 in North Carolina, with a median household income of $106,375 and a 2.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 100 (US average = 100), which is 0% below the national average.
Strengths: Holden Beach stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices. Whether Holden Beach is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Holden Beach city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 99.7Holden Beach's overall cost of living index is 99.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Holden Beach costs roughly 0% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Holden Beach, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $475,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,208 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 92.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $106,375 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeHolden Beach's violent crime rate is 105.8 per 100,000 residents — 72% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Holden Beach is served primarily by Brunswick County Schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Holden Beach, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Brunswick County Schools | — |
| Elementary Schools | 10 | — |
| Middle Schools | 5 | — |
| High Schools | 5 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 68.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 97.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Holden Beach sees average highs of 55.6°F in January and 87.2°F in July, with 56.5 inches of annual precipitation and 0.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Holden Beach, NC |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 55.6°F |
| Average High — July | 87.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 56.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Holden Beach, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 997 | — |
| Median Age | 63.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.3% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 21.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 98.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 4.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 43.0% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Holden Beach
Holden Beach, NC is covered by 1 ZIP code: