Jacksonville, North Carolina and Onslow County are located on the central NC coast, and the area is home of Camp Lejeune and the New River Marine Corps Air Station. The county also includes over thirty miles of some of the finest beaches on the east coast. Because of its military presence, Onslow County is one of the most diverse areas in the nation. Rich in history, the Jacksonville area and its surrounding communities are wonderful places to live, work and play.

For complete information on life in the Jacksonville and Onslow County area, visit our Area Information section or Contact Jacksonville Life.

Communities

Onslow county is made up of five incorporated towns and over a dozen other small towns and communities. Jacksonville, the county seat, is the largest, with a population of over 70,000. Swansboro and North Topsail Beach, are the next largest towns in the county.

Jacksonville, designated an All-America City by the National Civic League, is the hub of county commerce, and is proud of its collaborative interaction of citizens, government, business, and the voluntary sector in the resolution of public issues and the solving of shared problems.

In Swansboro, you can step back in time, as you explore the seaside downtown area. Who knows what you might find in the unique shops. You can also take a stroll on one of the areas beautiful beaches; or take a ferry ride to Hammocks Beach State Park and view nesting loggerhead turtles. There is always something going on in Swansboro.

North Topsail Beach is at the north end of Topsail Island, a 26-mile barrier island that reaches from 500 to 1,500 feet wide. North Topsail Beach offers some of the most pristine, uncrowded beaches along the east coast, where you can witness coastal wildlife flourishing in its natural environment. You will also enjoy some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets found on the North Carolina coast.

For complete information on Onslow Counties communities and what they offer, visit our Area Information section or Contact Jacksonville Life.

Education

With the region's rapid growth, the Onslow County School system has had to anticipate and maintain adequate classroom space for the county's youth. The 2009-2010 student population is over 24,500 served by thirty-five educational facilities including eighteen elementary schools, eight middle schools, seven high schools, one early childhood development center, and one alternative learning program. The Onslow County School System was the first school system in the state of North Carolina to achieve District SACS/CASI Accreditation in April of 2005. It is this process of continuous improvement that has resulted in a system of excellence. In addition, there are many fine private elementary, middle, high and K-12 schools in the area from which to choose.

Coastal Carolina Community College in Jacksonville serves both the civilian and military communities of the area and has an earned a reputation for educational quality that few public community colleges in the nation can match. Year after year, Coastal College Transfer graduates outperform those of other community colleges, and in most years, the "native" students of the UNC System as well, after transferring to one of the University of North Carolina campuses. And Coastal's record on the Annual Performance Measures, published by the North Carolina Community College System, speaks for itself. It is the only one of the 58 public community colleges, which met or exceeded all 12 of the Annual Performance Measures for each of the past five years!

Curriculum offered includes Certificate and Diploma programs plus Associates in Arts, Sciences, Fine Arts and Applied Science Degrees. The Associates Degree programs prepare students to transfer courses or the degree in its entirety to a four-year senior institution.

For more information on all Onslow County area schools & colleges, visit our Area Information section or Contact Jacksonville Life.

Health

Onslow Memorial Hospital (OMH) is the only full-service hospital in the City of Jacksonville and the County of Onslow. OMH is nationally accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). A 162 bed facility with a vast array of healthcare services, state-of-the-art diagnostic services include a Women's Imaging Center, Sleep Lab, Heartburn Center, Cardiac Cath Lab, Neurodiagnostic Lab, MRI and CT Scan to list a few. Onslow Memorial Hospital has a modern Labor and Delivery suite with state-of-the-art monitoring system, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Newborn Nursery, Intensive Care Unit/Coronary Care Unit, Medical and Surgical Services, Rehabilitation Services to include Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Aquatic Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy. The Emergency Department and Minor Emergency Care Unit treats over 37,000 patients annually.

The OMH medical staff of over 100 doctors is accredentialed in over 25 specialty areas to include Anesthesiology, Cardiology, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, Family Practice, Gastroenterology, Internal Medicine, Nephrology, Neurology, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Oral Surgery, Orthopedics, Otolaryngology, Pain Management, Pathology, Pediatrics, Plastic Surgery, Podiatry, Pulmonology, Radiology, Surgery and Urology.

The Naval Hospital at Camp Lejeune provides services to active navy and marine personnel and their families in addition to retirees from these services. The facility recently marked the completion of a $10 million renovation project for two preventivemedicine facilities.

For more information on healthcare in the Jacksonville area, visit our visit our Area Information section or Contact Jacksonville Life.

Arts & Culture

Jacksonville and Onslow County host some of the finest theatrical, musical and arts events, and festivals, in the state. The non-profit Council for the Arts is the place to find out every event in the area. Included are programs presented by the Snead's Ferry Community Theatre, Wilmington Symphony Orchestra, Crystal Coast Choral Society, USAF Heritage of America Band among many others.

The Onslow County Museum in Richlands is recognized as an important local history museum and serves the public through its permanent exhibit, changing exhibits, outreach programs to schools, and sponsorship of special events.

The Museum of the Marine in Jacksonville tells the stories of the unique contributions of those passing through Camp Lejeune and other bases throughout the Carolinas including black marines, women marines, wounded marines plus the history of amphibious, helicopter and other special operations, many of which were first developed at Camp Lejeune.

The NC State Historic Preservation Office recognizes over 800 prehistoric and historic archaeological sites in Onslow County, including forty-eight prehistoric sites and Snead's Ferry Shipwreck, a Confederate blockade running schooner that was burned during a Civil War raid. There are also fifteen listings in the National Register of Historical Places in the county.
For more information, visit our Area Information section or Contact Jacksonville Life.

Jacksonville & Onslow County Real Estate

Because of the strong military presence in Onslow County, real estate values have remained fairlystable compared to other parts of the country.The median sales price over the past twelve months was approximately $155,000, actually increasing over the previous year. Single-family home listings begin below $30,000 and go up to $1.2 million, however the majority of sales are in the $95,000 - $150,000 range.

Jacksonville and Onslow County offer all types of single-family and condo choices, including traditional neighborhood, golf front, beach and other waterfront.

Contact Jacksonville Life to learn more about real estate and properties available in Jacksonville, Swan Quarter, North Topsail Beach and surrounding communities. You may also visit our Property Search section to view all of the properties currently available through our multiple list service.