Jacksonville

History

The end of the Tuscarora wars in 1713 and the forced removal of Native American tribes was followed by permanent settlement of the regions between New Bern and Wilmington. The New River became a major production center for naval stores like turpentine. The downtown waterfront park is built on the original site of Wantland's Ferry.

In 1752, a devastating hurricane destroyed the county seat of Johnston, and Wantlands Ferry, located further up the New River, at the present site of Jacksonville, was chosen as the site of the new county courthouse. The area was later known as Onslow Courthouse. In 1842, the town was incorporated and renamed Jacksonville in honor of former U.S. President Andrew Jackson. The town was briefly captured and occupied in November 1862 by a raiding party led by U.S. Navy Lt. William B. Cushing.

Jacksonville and Onslow County continued to rely on naval stores, lumber, and tobacco crops for industry. In 1939, Colonel George W. Gillette of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers surveyed and mapped the area from Fort Monroe, Virginia to Fort Sumter, South Carolina which included the Onslow County coastline and the New River. The map is believed to have fostered the interest of the War and Navy Departments in establishing an amphibious training base in the area. Congressman Graham Arthur Barden of New Bern lobbied Congress to appropriate funds for the purchase of about 100,000 acres (400 km2) along the eastern bank of the New River. The establishment in 1941 of Marine Barracks, New River, later renamed Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base, led to the relocation of 700 families. While the landowners were compensated, many of the families displaced were sharecroppers who did not own the land on which their houses were built, and did not receive compensation for their structures. Some African American families were able to purchase property from Raymond Kellum and established the community of Kellumtown. Other displaced families established communities in Georgetown, Pickettown, Bell Fork, and Sandy Run. The latter communities have since been absorbed by Jacksonville. Colonel Gillette had planned to retire near the small village of Marine, ironically named after a local family whose surname was Marine, but lost his land to the acquisition, as well.

Construction of Camp Lejeune caused a population explosion in the small town of about 800 inhabitants, as new workers migrated to the area. Growth continued to be fueled by both young Marine families and military retirees. Today, Jacksonville's primary industry is retail sales and services. The primary migration draw continues to be the U.S. Marine Corps.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 56.42 square miles (146.1 km2), of which 48.80 square miles (126.4 km2) is land and 7.62 square miles (19.7 km2) (13.51%) is water. It is about 60 minutes from Wilmington and 15 minutes from the Intracoastal Waterway.

Climate

Jacksonville has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) with long, hot summers and short, mild winters.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Jacksonville had a population of 72,723. The median age was 23.3 years. 19.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 7.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 151.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 165.5 males age 18 and over.

96.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 20,582 households in Jacksonville, including 15,491 families; 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.1% were married-couple households, 16.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 24,004 housing units, of which 14.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.0%.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 66,715 people, 17,175 households, and 13,533 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,500.0 inhabitants per square mile (579.2/km2). The 18,312 housing units averaged 411.7 per square mile (159.0/km2). The racial composition of the city was 63.94% White, 23.96% African American, 2.07% Asian, 0.75% Native American, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 5.42% some other race, and 3.67% two or more races.

Of the 17,175 households, 49.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were not families. About 16.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.8

In the city, the population was distributed as 24.3% under 18, 36.3% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 8.8% from 45 to 64, and 4.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 22 years. Jacksonville has been named the youngest city in the nation (lowest median age) on various lists. For every 100 females, there were 156.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 178.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,544, and for a family was $33,763. Males had a median income of $17,121 versus $19,931 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,237. About 12.5% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 17.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Top employers

According to the city's 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Current state of the economy

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from March 2025 to August 2025, there have been slight changes in civilian labor force, employment, unemployment, and unemployment rate values. July 2025, suffer worse declining values compared to the other months mentioned, expected for the unemployment rate, which in that case would be August 2025. Over the course of the 6 months, the general pattern is the unemployment rate has increased over time while people that are employed have decreased over time. [7] These factors include a decrease in jobs available and other resources like lack of education, and other resources.

Law and government

The mayor of Jacksonville is Sammy Phillips. The city manager is Joshua W Ray, and the deputy city manager is Ron Massey. The postmaster of Jacksonville is Jamie Thompson.

City Council

The Jacksonville City Council members (as of 2026) are:

N. Jerome Willingham – Ward 1

Rev. Mickey Smith – Ward 2

Logan Sosa – Ward 3

Dr. Angelia Washington – Ward 4

Cindy Edwards – At-large (Mayor Pro-Tem)

Michael Yaniero – At-large

Education

Public schools

Onslow County Schools serves the city, except for areas on U.S. military bases, including Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River; the military areas are served by Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools.

Alternative school

Onslow County Learning Center

Elementary schools

Bell Fork Elementary School

Blue Creek Elementary School

Carolina Forest Elementary School

Clyde Erwin Elementary School

Hunters Creek Elementary School

Jacksonville Commons Elementary School

MeadowView Elementary School

Morton Elementary School

Northwoods Elementary School

Parkwood Elementary School

Silverdale Elementary School

Southwest Elementary School

Stateside Elementary School

Summersill Elementary School

Thompson Elementary School

Dixon Elementary School

Middle schools

Dixon Middle School

Private schools

Fellowship Christian Academy

Grace Baptist School

Infant Of Prague Catholic School

Jacksonville Christian Academy

Living Water Christian School

Montessori Children's School

St. Anne's Day School

Shiloh Institute of Learning

One World Montessori School

Public magnet schools

Clyde Erwin Elementary School (year round school)

New Bridge Middle School

Northwoods Elementary School (year round school)

Onslow Virtual Secondary School

Higher education

Coastal Carolina Community College

Miller-Motte Technical College - Jacksonville branch

University of Mount Olive - Jacksonville branch

Charter school

ZECA School of Arts and Technology

Transportation

In 2009, the Jacksonville metropolitan statistical area ranked as the ninth-highest in the United States for ratio of commuters who walked to work (8.1%).

The city's commercial air services are filled by Albert J. Ellis Airport in nearby Richlands.

Notable people

Bali Baby, rapper (born in Jacksonville)

David Charles Abell, conductor (born in Jacksonville)

Ryan Adams, singer-songwriter, who frequently makes reference to Jacksonville in his songs

Jones Angell, play-by-play announcer for the North Carolina Tar Heels

Troy Barnett, former NFL defensive lineman

Art Bell, talk radio host

David Braxton, former NFL player

Levi Brown, former NFL offensive tackle

Joe Cannon, former MLB outfielder

Burke Day, Georgia state legislator and businessman

Edward B. Dudley, governor, congressman

Dave Dunaway, former NFL player

Jacob Evans, NBA player

Chad Fonville, former MLB player for the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Boston Red Sox

Mike Frier, former NFL player for the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks

David Green, former NFL and CFL player

Sara Hickman, singer

Marcus Jones, former NFL player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers