ZIP Code 28461

Southport is a city in Brunswick County, North Carolina, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Its population was 3,828 as of the 2018 census. Southport is the location of the North Carolina Fourth of July Festival, which attracts 40,000 to 50,000 visitors annually. The Southport area was explored in the 1500s by Spanish explorers. The town was named after Benjamin Smith, a colonel in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and later governor of North Carolina. In an effort to promote the town as a major shipping port, Smithville was renamed Southport in 1887. The city has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). Summers in Southport are very hot and humid, while winters are very mild by North Carolina standards. The average yearly temperature is 65.3 °F (18.0 °C), with annual temperatures that are more similar to the northern Gulf Coast of Georgia or the northern Florida than the rest of North. Carolina. North Carolina is the warmest place in the state of the state, with a yearly average temperature of 65.0°F (18 °C) Southport was founded as the town of Smithville in 1792. It is located in southeastern Brunswick County on the northwest bank of the tidal Cape Fear river, approximately 2 miles (3 km) inland from the Atlantic Ocean. The U.S. Census Bureau says the city has an area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²), of which 3.7 square miles of land and 0.73% of the city is water.

History

Southport is the primary city name, but also Bald Head Isl, Bald Head Island, Blng Spg Lks, Boiling Spring Lakes, Oak Island, Saint James are acceptable city names or spellings, Bald Head, Bling Spr Lks on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is Southport, North Carolina. Southport was founded as the town of Smithville in 1792. The town was named after Benjamin Smith, a colonel in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and later governor of North Carolina. In an effort to promote the town as a major shipping port, Smithville was renamed Southport in 1887. In 1911, the Wilmington, Brunswick and Southern Railroad began operation in Southport. The 30 mile long railroad ceased operation in 1945. The U.S. Government would construct the present rail line from the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point just north of Southport to the interior rail system along a different, more direct path. Southport became known for its relaxed atmosphere and Victorian era seaside charm. The Southport area was explored in the 1500s by Spanish explorers. It was the county seat of Brunswick County from 1808 to 1977. It is located on the North Carolina coast near the mouth of the Cape Fear River, and is on the Atlantic Coast Line/Seaboard Air Line Railroad systems. It has a population of about 3,000. The city is home to the Southport International Airport, which opened in 1998. The airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States, serving more than 20 million passengers a year. It also serves as a gateway to the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic Seaboard, and has an international airport on the tip of Cape Fear, North Carolina, near the city of Beaufort. The port has a long history of being used as a tourist destination, especially during the summer months.

Geography

Southport is located in southeastern Brunswick County on the northwest bank of the tidal Cape Fear River, approximately 2 miles (3 km) inland from the Atlantic Ocean. North Carolina Highway 211 enters the city from the north as North Howe Street and travels south to one block north of the waterfront. Southport is the warmest place in the state of North Carolina, with a yearly average temperature of 65.0 °F (18.3 °C), with annual temperatures more similar to that of coastal Georgia or the northern Gulf Coast of Florida. The city has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) Summers in Southport are very hot and humid while winters are very mild by North Carolina standards. According to the United States Census Bureau, Southport has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²), of which 3.7 square miles is land and 0.1 km², or 0.73%, is water. It is the home of the SouthportFort Fisher ferry, which ferries people across the Cape Fear river to and from Southport. The town has a population of 2,000, with the majority of its residents living in or near the city limits. It has an average annual rainfall of 1,700 millimeters (450 in), with the highest monthly average of 1.8 mill inches (3.2 mm) per year. The average annual temperature is 65 °F (18.3 °C), and the city has an annual average of 2.4 mm (0.7 in) precipitation.

Demographics

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 3,971 people, 1,434 households, and 942 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 76.61% White, 21.78% African American, 0.43% Native American, and 0.17% Asian. The city's median income for a household was $33,714, and the median family income was $45,714. The per capita income for the city is $23,059. About 7.1% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1%, 14.6% of those under age 18, and 7.3% who were 65 or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was2.65. The median age was 49 years of age. For every 100 females, there are 82.7 males. For each 100 females age 18 and over, there is 79.8 males. The population was 2,351 in 2000, and 2,972 in 2020. In 2000, the city had a median income of $34,167; in 2020, it was $44,857. In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.8% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 21% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.7% who are 65 and older.

Economy

Built in the 1970s on 1,200 acres (490 ha) at 20 feet (6.1 m) above sea level and about 5 miles (8.0 km) from the Atlantic Ocean. Duke Energy Carolinas operates the 1,870-megawatt Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant which has two nuclear reactors. This plant is the same generation and design as the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan. Temporary flood prevention updates, called "cliff edge barriers" to make doors at the facility water tight, were installed at Brunswick to prevent flooding from Hurricane Florence. These temporary barriers are designed to stop flooding from a storm surge of up to 26 feet (7.9 m). On Thursday, September 13, 2018, before Hurricane Florence made landfall at Wrightsville Beach, Duke Energy shut down the first reactor in the early morning. The second reactor was shut down in the afternoon, approximately two hours before tropical storm-force winds at the plant were expected to make landfall on September 14. The first reactor shut down at 9:30 a.m. and the second reactor at 10:30 p.m., just before the storm made landfall. The plant has a capacity of 1,900 megawatts (1,900 MW) and is located in Brunswick, North Carolina. It has two reactors, one of which is located at the center of the plant, the other at the east end of the power station, which has a total capacity of 2,000 megawatts. The nuclear plant is located near the town of Brunswick, South Carolina.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Southport, Brunswick County, North Carolina = 84. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 47. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 60. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Southport = 4.9 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 2,155 individuals with a median age of 45.9 age the population grows by 8.09% in Southport, Brunswick County, North Carolina population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 991.76 residents per square mile of area (382.89/km²). There are average 1.95 people per household in the 1,264 households with an average household income of $36,079 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.60% of the available work force and has dropped -4.25% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 20.90%. The number of physicians in Southport per 100,000 population = 97.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Southport = 56.1 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.7 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 108. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 215. 88 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 34.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 32, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Southport, Brunswick County, North Carolina which are owned by the occupant = 57.34%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 34 years with median home cost = $184,440 and home appreciation of -10.61%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $5.99 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,575 per student. There are 15.2 students for each teacher in the school, 398 students for each Librarian and 405 students for each Counselor. 7.97% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 17.74% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 8.66% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).