Attic Insulation in Pender County, NC

Pender County and Its Homes

Pender County grew 19 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 72,111 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 31,800 housing units.

Its six incorporated towns each have a page here: Surf City, Burgaw, Topsail Beach, St. Helena, Atkinson and Watha. About 25 percent of Pender County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.

A brick courthouse with a white cupola at the end of a long walkway in Burgaw, North Carolina — The Pender County Courthouse in Burgaw, the county seat Photo: Indy beetle, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pender County at a Glance

Population: 72,111 (2025), 60,614 (2020)
Housing units: about 31,800
Median year built: 1998 (North Carolina: 1991)
Built before 1980: 20% (statewide: 34%)
Detached houses: 71%
Mobile homes: 21%
Owner-occupied: 83%
Heated with electricity: 90% (statewide: 65%)
Climate zone: 3 on both maps, warm-humid
Towns with pages here: 6

Census Bureau estimates for Pender County (housing: 2020 to 2024).

Towns and Communities in Pender County

Surf City
5,142 people · median home 2002 · power varies by address
Burgaw
3,903 people · Duke Energy Progress
Topsail Beach
503 people · median home 1985 · power varies by address
St. Helena
434 people · median home 1985 · power varies by address
Atkinson
357 people · median home 1959 · Duke Energy Progress
Watha
226 people · Duke Energy Progress

Unincorporated communities the Census Bureau maps in Pender County: Hampstead (about 3,400 housing units, median year built 2003), Rocky Point and Long Creek.

What We Do in Pender County

Attic Insulation in Pender County
Some 20 percent of Pender County housing units predate 1980; joists showing above their insulation mean more blown-in fiberglass is due, R-49 from bare.
Attic Insulation Removal in Pender County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of Pender County attics, and a mouse-soiled Pender County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 9 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in Pender County
Some 90 percent of Pender County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.

Homes in Pender County

Half of Pender County's 31,800 housing units were built before 1998: 12 percent before 1970, 20 percent before 1980 (nearly all before the state's 1978 insulation rule) and 23 percent in 2010 or later. The largest share went up in the 2000s, under codes that asked for less than ENERGY STAR now suggests; ENERGY STAR notes insulation is often thinnest at the eaves. Among Pender County towns, the median home is oldest in Atkinson (1959) and newest in Surf City (2002).

Pender County by type: 71 percent detached houses, 5 percent in buildings of two or more homes and 21 percent mobile homes. In Pender County, 90 percent of homes heat with electricity and 6 percent with tank gas.

Pender County Homes by Year Built

Before 1940: about 1,300 units, 4% (±1)
1940s: about 530 units, 2% (±1)
1950s: about 1,080 units, 3% (±1)
1960s: about 960 units, 3% (±1)
1970s: about 2,560 units, 8% (±1)
1980s: about 4,790 units, 15% (±2)
1990s: about 6,050 units, 19% (±2)
2000s: about 7,170 units, 23% (±2)
2010s: about 5,550 units, 17% (±2)
2020 or later: about 1,860 units, 6% (±1)

Climate Across Pender County

The state energy code marks Pender County warm and humid.

NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Pender County towns, by station: Willard 4 SW station (Burgaw, St. Helena and Watha): about 2,830 heating and 1,620 cooling degree days; Surf City station (Surf City and Topsail Beach): about 2,770 heating and 1,740 cooling degree days; Moores Creek National Battlefield station (Atkinson): about 2,750 heating and 1,930 cooling degree days.

Power and Gas in Pender County

The card lists Pender County's town utilities by the territory maps; a power bill confirms the one at an address.

Piedmont Natural Gas holds the Pender County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 1 percent of Pender County homes heat with piped gas.

Who Supplies Power in Pender County

Duke Energy Progress: Burgaw, Atkinson and Watha; parts of Surf City, Topsail Beach and St. Helena
Jones-Onslow EMC: parts of Surf City and Topsail Beach
Four County EMC: parts of St. Helena; homes near Burgaw and Atkinson

Energy Programs for Pender County Homes

Check each program's current terms for a Pender County home; some pay only through the utility's contractor network. Insulation Pros is an approved Duke Energy trade ally for Duke's rebate.

Programs for Pender County

Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy rebate; Burgaw, Atkinson, Watha, Surf City and more).
Home Energy House Call (Duke Energy home assessment; Burgaw, Atkinson, Watha, Surf City and more).
Online Energy Audit (Jones-Onslow EMC; Surf City and Topsail Beach): an online energy audit tool for members.
Home Energy Audit (Four County EMC; St. Helena, near Burgaw and near Atkinson): home energy audits for members.
Income-qualified Weatherization (Duke Energy income-qualified; Burgaw, Atkinson, Watha, Surf City and more).
Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any Pender County address).
Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any Pender County address).
Piedmont Natural Gas lists rebates for high-efficiency gas furnaces, and none for insulation or air sealing (program page).

Get Your Free Estimate

or call (336) 870-3893

Pender County Insulation FAQs

Do you serve all of Pender County?

Yes: Surf City, Burgaw, Topsail Beach, St. Helena, Atkinson and Watha, and every unincorporated Pender County address.

Which utilities offer insulation rebates in Pender County?

Duke Energy's Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Burgaw, Atkinson, Watha, Surf City and more).

Does attic insulation in Pender County need a permit?

Ask Pender County Planning & Community Development before work starts. For an address in Surf City, Burgaw, Topsail Beach or another Pender County town, the town or city hall can tell you whether Pender County's office handles its permits.