Total enrollment
11,073
+1,613 (+17%) vs SY 2017-18
Pender County
North Carolina · Public K-12
Pender County runs 19 public K-12 schools inside North Carolina, with the county population around 65,550. The mix is 9 elementary, 5 middle, and 4 high.
7-year change in Pender County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
19
+3 (+19%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
65%
was 66%
% Hispanic
18%
was 15%
% Black
11%
was 14%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
19
1 districts
Enrollment
11,073
NCES CCD
Median income
$80,396
Above North Carolina avg
Free/reduced lunch
70.3%
Below North Carolina avg
Elementary
9
5,031 students
Middle
5
2,464 students
High
4
3,540 students
Combined / other
1
38 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Pender County Schools
11,073 students · 1 district in Pender County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Pender County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
30.6%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
6.6%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.8%
civilian labor
Median age
42
22.4% under 18
Test scores in Pender County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 17 schools ranked. North Carolina state average: 51.8%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Topsail High· 77.4%
- Topsail Annandale Elementary School· 72.9%
- North Topsail Elementary· 67.3%
- Topsail Middle· 66.8%
- South Topsail Elementary· 64.7%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Malpass Corner Elementary· 28.8%
- Pender High· 29.2%
- West Pender Middle· 32.9%
- C.F. Pope Elementary· 33.5%
- Burgaw Middle· 36.4%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topsail High | Hampstead | High | 09-12 | 1,945 | · |
| Surf City Elementary | Hampstead | Elementary | PK-05 | 857 | · |
| Topsail Middle | Hampstead | Middle | 05-08 | 837 | · |
| Surf City Middle | Hampstead | Middle | 06-08 | 752 | · |
| Heide Trask High | Rocky Point | High | 09-12 | 732 | · |
| Pender High | Burgaw | High | 09-12 | 648 | · |
| South Topsail Elementary | Hampstead | Elementary | PK-05 | 618 | · |
| Topsail Annandale Elementary School | Hampstead | Elementary | PK-04 | 580 | · |
| Cape Fear Elementary | Rocky Point | Elementary | PK-05 | 533 | · |
| C.F. Pope Elementary | Burgaw | Elementary | PK-05 | 530 | · |
| North Topsail Elementary | Hampstead | Elementary | PK-05 | 529 | · |
| Malpass Corner Elementary | Burgaw | Elementary | PK-05 | 513 | · |
| Penderlea Elementary | Willard | Elementary | KG-08 | 468 | · |
| Cape Fear Middle | Rocky Point | Middle | 06-08 | 430 | · |
| Rocky Point Elementary | Rocky Point | Elementary | PK-05 | 403 | · |
| Burgaw Middle | Burgaw | Middle | 06-08 | 236 | · |
| Pender Early College High | Burgaw | High | 09-13 | 215 | · |
| West Pender Middle | Burgaw | Middle | 06-08 | 209 | · |
| Pender Innovative Learning Academy | Rocky Point | Combined | KG-12 | 38 | · |
Cities in Pender County
About Pender County
Across the medium-population North Carolina county of Pender County of about 65,550 residents, the public-school footprint covers 19 schools and about 11,073 students.
In context, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $80,396, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the federal-poverty share is near 7%. That income level is 27% meaningfully above the North Carolina median.
For a sense of the school types, Pender County comprises 9 elementary schools (5,031 students), 5 middle schools (2,464), 4 high schools (3,540), and 1 combined or other schools.
Pender County Schools is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 11,073 students across Pender County.
Looking at the last 7 years. Total public-school enrollment in Pender County has rose 17% since SY 2017-18, moving from about 9,460 students to 11,073. The school count climbed from 16 to 19 across the same 7-year window. The Black share of public-school enrollment decreased from 14% to 11%.
On this page, the community for Pender County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.
Frequently asked questions
Pender County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data