New Hanover County Quailty of Life

The Cape Fear Coast is a world of history, sports, island beaches and incredible natural beauty-just waiting to be discovered. Along the Cape Fear Coast you'll find endless enjoyment and adventure, whether you're an avid golfer, a beachcomber, a shopper, a history buff, a naturalist, or all of the above.

The historic port city of Wilmington affords all the unique opportunity to enjoy an exciting area rich in shopping, dining, culture and the arts, while being only minutes away from white sandy beaches.

An architecturally unique historic district highlights the downtown area with a scenic riverfront park overlooking the Battleship North Carolina. Numerous museums, galleries, historic sites and plantation homes and gardens lie nearby. Meeting facilities for large and small groups accommodate conferences from 10 to 1000.

Wrightsville Beach , 12 miles east of Wilmington, is a year-round island resort. Wide uncrowded beaches, over 30 marinas, and a variety of accommodations are complimented by excellent seafood restaurants, specialty shops and a touch of nightlife.

Carolina Beach and Kure Beach, just south of Wrightsville, offer pier fishing, charter boat cruises, amusements, fine restaurants, festivals and beautiful beaches. Relive the Civil War at historic Fort Fisher, or visit the North Carolina Aquarium shark tank and sea turtle exhibits.

Midway between New York City and Miami, the Cape Fear Coast enjoys four distinct yet mild seasons. The area offers year-round golf on .nearly 150 golf courses within 90 minutes of Wilmington. Just over the state line, within an hour’s drive, is the Myrtle Beach Coast - a Mecca for golf, shopping and night life.

The Arts

The Arts Council of the Lower Cape Fear
Located at 807 N. Fourth St., Wilmington, The Arts Council of the Lower Cape Fear is a private, non-profit local arts agency whose mission is to create an environment in which cultural resources can flourish. Major programs of the council include technical assistance and grant support for cultural organizations and artists, arts in education, a community calendar of events, and presentation of the annual Piney Woods Cultural Heritage Festival. For details call (910) 762-4223.

Climate Data

Average Wilmington temperatures for the last 30 years

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Annual
44.8 47.3 54.3 62.2 70.0 76.5 80.1 79.3 75.2 65.3 56.8 48.4 63.3

Average Wilmington rainfall for the last 30 years

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Annual
3.8 3.5 4.2 2.9 4.3 5.4 7.9 7.1 5.6 3.3 3.2 3.5 54.9

Source:  www.worldclimate.com

Health Care

The hospitals and services that are part of New Hanover Health Network have long-standing roots in Southeastern North Carolina, offering quality care close to home for generations of families through all stages of life. The network includes three general hospitals, New Hanover Regional Medical Center and Cape Fear Hospital in Wilmington and Pender Memorial Hospital in Burgaw. New Hanover Health Network employees over 4,700 people and has a physician staff of over 500. As the ninth largest hospital in the state, NHRMC specializes in many areas of health care including cardiology, neurology, community wellness, and rehabilitation. As a division of the nation's largest hospital corporation, CCFMH holds the distinction of having the longest standing accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations of any hospital in southeast North Carolina. Specialized areas of care at CCFMH include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT), interventional neuroradiology, and occupational therapy. For further information on New Hanover Regional Medical Center, call 910-343-7095, Cape Fear Hospital, call 910-452-8100, Pender Memorial Hospital call 910-259-5451.

HOSPITALS New Hanover Regional Cape Fear Pender Memorial
Number of Beds 628 141 86
In/out patients per year

 185,395 39,100 26,278

Education

Statistics for New Hanover Co. Schools

Listing of New Hanover Co.  Public and Charter schools.

Private Schools

The Greater Wilmington Area has several private and parochial schools including Amy Bradley School, Cape Fear Academy, Friends of Wilmington School, Myrtle Grove Christian School, New Horizons Elementary School, Saint Mary Catholic Church School, Seventh Day Adventist Church School, and Wilmington Christian Academy.

Cape Fear Academy
Cape Fear Academy is the only college-preparatory day school in the Greater Wilmington area. It serves students from grades PK-12 with a mission emphasizing community, respect, integrity, and academic excellence. The school was established in 1967 and has a student body of about 650 students. Average class size in the Lower School is 19 students with at least a part-time teacher assistant. Middle and Upper School classes usually have 15-20 students in an academic class. Cape Fear Academy has been identified by the College Board as leading the world in two areas of the Advanced Placement Program (AP) when factoring in participation and performance among schools in our size range. These two areas are AP English Literature and Composition, and AP Government and Politics. This information is reported in the newly published 2006 Advanced Placement Report to the Nation. Facilities include several new and newly renovated classroom buildings, as well as a gymnasium, fitness center, dining hall, art studio, athletic fields, and music and drama performance areas. Athletic offerings for grades 7-12 include soccer, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, volleyball, swimming, tennis, softball, golf, and lacrosse. Drama, music, visual arts, and community service are also strong elements of their program. The average SAT score for Cape Fear Academy graduates is about 1200. Advanced Placement classes are offered in the Upper School and 100% of their graduates attend four-year colleges and universities.
For further information, call 910-791-0287

Colleges and Universities

University of North Carolina at Wilmington
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) was established as Wilmington College in 1947. Approved as a constituent school of the University of North Carolina system in 1969,  UNCW offers 73 bachelor’s degree programs and 27 graduate programs, which include a Ph.D. in marine biology, one of only three offered on the East Coast. For the ninth year, UNCW was seventh among the top public master’s universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report. Among both public and private institutions in the South, UNCW is 20th out of 127 institutions.  As the only public university in Southeast North Carolina, UNCW is committed to lifelong learning opportunities, assisting with the improvement of public school education, and enhancing the personal, cultural, and economic health of the region. UNCW has become a leader in the use of technology and employs distance learning and hypermedia in the teaching of its classes. The university is also committed to lifelong learning and offers a wide array of enrichment opportunities. For more information contact the UNCW Admissions Office at 910-962-3243.

Cape Fear Community College
Cape Fear is among the largest of North Carolina's 59 community colleges. Over 26,000 people attend classes at CFCC every year. The College's enrollment in credit programs topped 7,200 in the fall 2006 semester. CFCC has something for everyone. Students can train for a new career in one of CFCC's 60 technical programs or earn a two-year college transfer degree to continue their education at a four-year institution. CFCC also offers a wide variety of adult education and continuing education classes for lifelong learning. CFCC's main campus is located in historic downtown Wilmington, North Carolina on the banks of the Cape Fear River and a North Campus in northern New Hanover County. The College also offers classes in Pender County center in Burgaw and Surf City. Day and evening classes are offered at all campuses. CFCC also offers a large number of online classes through an expanding distance education program.  Focused Industry Training (FIT) is a core part of CFCC's mission. FIT provides for the development and delivery of customized training programs for existing industry for skilled and semi-skilled workers employed in industrial occupations. Training can be held at CFCC, the firm's site or another appropriate location. Apprenticeship training is also offered as is cooperative education which provides job experience in a field related to the student's area of study. For further information about the school contact CFCC at 910-251-5100.

Other area colleges

Miller-Motte Business College
James Sprunt Community College
Fayetteville State University  
Methodist College
St. Andrews Presbyterian College  
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke  
Shaw University - satellite campus
Mt. Olive College - satellite campus

Daycare Center

Over 50 daycare centers and pre-schools are located in the Greater Wilmington Area. For detailed information call the Child Advocacy Commission at 910-763-7430.

Quality of Life Areas

The Arts
Climate Data
Education
Healthcare