Hampstead, NC Homes for Sale

Hampstead is an unincorporated community located in Pender County between Wilmington and Jacksonville, NC on US Route 17, and has a population of approximately 18,000 people. It got its name from Hampstead, England.  

In the beginning, downtown Hampstead was a pine forest with a three-way stop sign and a little cottage on the corner that sold local grown plants. Most front lawns had Venus flytraps! With the beautiful location of Hampstead being right along the Intracoastal Waterway and such a short distance to the beaches and located right off of I-40, it was destined to expand and become a very popular area. Hampstead is an area that offers the laid back life away from the hustle and bustle of the big city life. There is plenty of boating in this area and fishing along with shops and restaurants to enjoy.   

Topsail Beach is a popular area to visit and it is only a fifteen minute drive away as well as the Wilmington area which can be driven to in about a half hour. Wilmington has everything a big city town would have to offer as well as a historic area.  

Hampstead has five schools, three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. It also has three golf courses for the golf enthusiast. For public services Hampstead has two volunteer fire departments and the Topsail Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. This area is also served by the Pender EMS and the Pender County Sheriff’s Department.  

Every year on the last weekend in September, Hampstead holds a festival known as the Spot Festival. Thousands of people attend and there are thousands of plates of “spots” served. This is the largest fundraiser for the schools and community.