Located near Stones Bay, you’ll find Jacksonville, North Carolina nestled between the New River and the highly traveled Highway 17. This sunny, southern locale is adjacent to some of North Carolina’s top coastal attractions; this comes as no surprise when finding out that Jacksonville is known as the youngest city in the United States.
Founded in 1757, this charming town features a robust history filled with memories of the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and both World Wars. Currently, Jacksonville hosts Camp Lejeune, one of the many military bases claimed by the United States Marine Corps (USMC). This base features over 246 square miles of amphibious, artillery, and airborne training sites for current service members to hone their skills as part of the USMC.
Because of the strong US military presence, the Jacksonville metropolitan area is the youngest city in the United States based off of the average population age, according to the city government. After the 2010 census, researchers found that the median age in Jacksonville is 22.9 years old as compared to 37.4 years old for the state of North Carolina as a whole. It should be noted that Jacksonville’s census statistics includes that of Onslow County as well, and it did exclude some members of the armed forces from participating in the census because they were not eligible to participate or were deployed at the time.
Because of the young population, the city has seen an uptake in businesses catering to young people as well as families. This area has seen a large increase in young families due, in part, to military service members and their spouses moving to the area with their children; thus, leading to the growth in a family and youth-oriented community.
There are plenty of fun restaurants and businesses to enjoy in the area as well as outdoor resources to experience at the local estuaries, coastal regions, and forested areas. Also, Jacksonville has a variety of academic opportunities for students, including over 30 primary and secondary schools. Several of the schools in the area area highly rated because of their quality of education, access to resources, and academic equity. Because of numerous young families, there are more primary schools available than secondary schools, but it’s good to note that they all provide a quality education for Jacksonville children.
Nearby Wilmington, North Carolina, one of the major cities in eastern North Carolina, hosts a large population including a large tourist community and a major university. As a result, Highway 17 has a direct route up the east coast of North Carolina that connects Jacksonville with major vacation hotspots such as Topsail Island, Sneads Ferry, Wilmington, Carolina Beach, Southport, and Myrtle Beach. Jacksonville is in the perfect location for the family that wants to travel, and this is a great spot for Marine Corps service members because they can spend their time off duty on gorgeous beaches while paddle boarding, surfing, or learning more about the local natural environment.
Jacksonville has incorporated a children’s museum, zoo, and trampoline park for young kids to enjoy. Jacksonville’s “Hands on” Children’s Museum offers families the opportunity to experience learning through “observation, inquiry, creative construction, role playing, problem solving and free play.” This museum was created in response to the growing youth population in the city because many families wanted a comfortable and fun location for their young children to learn and grow.
Similar to the children’s museum, the influx of young people into the Jacksonville metro area influenced the development of several cultural and activity focused locations like the zoo and trampoline park. The Lynwood Park Zoo is known as one of the “must-see” locations in the Jacksonville area, and this 10.5 acre zoo offers a number of exhibits and tours with mammals, reptiles, and birds. Like the children’s museum, Lynwood Park Zoo was established at the beginning of and as a response to the growing numbers of young families in the area.
Jacksonville also plays host to a unique trampoline park for some of the more adventurous to play. The park, Altitude Trampoline Park, is known as one of the best trampoline parks in the state of North Carolina, and offers 26,000 square feet of space for gymnastics tumbling, dodgeball, dunk ball, and climbing challenges for everyone to enjoy. This park is a local favorite because it has so much to offer for families, teens, adults, and military service members, and it’s just another example of the influence that the younger community has had on the city of Jacksonville.
Known as one of the top universities in the state, UNC Wilmington, located in Wilmington, has created a satellite campus to service Onslow County and the growing population hoping to pursue higher education. This satellite campus also caters to families and veterans, making it the top choice for many families located in the Camp Lejeune and Jacksonville metropolitan area.
Jacksonville’s proximity to estuaries and the Croatan National Forest enable the many citizens in their 20s and 30s to explore nature both on solo journeys and with families.
Also, this area features a strong emphasis on the coast, which makes sense seeing as how it lies so close to the Crystal Coast of North Carolina.
As an ever growing metropolis, Jacksonville is preparing to participate in the 2020 census in the most comprehensive way possible. According to the official city government website,
Had the deployed military and their families been counted in 2010, more than $402 million of federal and state funds would have come to Onslow County over the decade since the census, and that North Carolina could have likely had an additional seat in congress.
With so much at stake for this growing city, they have set up a committee along with redistricting plans to ensure the 2020 census brings these benefits to the Onslow and Jacksonville areas in order to support the economic, military, and population growth that they continue to experience. Jacksonville seems to be a growing metropolis with a bright future in eastern North Carolina as a result of its growing population, economic development, and young population.
