Fourth largest in the state by area, North Carolina’s southernmost county is home to more than 30 golf courses, Calabash-style seafood and Bill Rabon, the State Senate’s powerful Rules Chair who was also the county’s first veterinarian.
Formed out of Bladen and New Hanover counties in 1764, Brunswick County received its name after Brunswick Town, a major British port named in honor of King George I who was also the Duke of Brunswick in Germany. Notable for being the first successful European settlement in the Cape Fear region, Brunswick Town was raided during the American Revolution and never rebuilt. The vast majority of the land later became the site of Fort Anderson during the Civil War. Southport served as the county seat from 1808 until a referendum passed in 1975 making Bolivia the county seat.
Unsurprisingly, tourism is the county’s most prominent industry, thanks in large part to Brunswick’s six beaches, three islands, and two lighthouses. Brunswick has surged in population over the past decade, making it one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing counties. A key demographic contributing to this rapid growth is retirees, who comprise a third of the county’s overall population (16% higher than the statewide average), earning Brunswick the title of “oldest county in North Carolina.”
Politically, Brunswick is one of the larger exurban counties balancing out the Democratic voter surge in places like Wake and Mecklenburg and preventing North Carolina from going the way of Georgia and Virginia. Democratic registrations plunged by 10 points over the past decade. While the number of registered voters in the county has increased by 52% since 2013, the raw number of registered Democrats has stayed almost exactly the same, hovering around 26,900 voters. Brunswick voters also turn out at higher rates than most other counties – a full 4% above statewide turnout in ’20 and 7% in ’22.
Last but not least, a Brunswick highlight would be incomplete without acknowledging the picturesque backdrops the county has offered popular culture. From Nicholas Sparks’ popularization of the Kindred Spirit mailbox on Sunset Beach to downtown Southport’s feature in 1984’s Firestarter, Brunswick County has a rich and storied history of setting the small town scene (see: Matlock and Dawson’s Creek) against the impressive 45 miles of coastline sprawling along the South Carolina border.