Brunswick, NC
4 miles south
921 people, about a fifth of Whiteville's population
Attic insulation in BrunswickAttic Insulation in Whiteville, NC
Blown-in attic insulation for Whiteville, NC, in Columbus County, plus removal and air sealing.
About Whiteville and Its Homes
Whiteville, the Columbus County seat, was laid out in 1810 on plantation land of state senator James White, around a courthouse square with streets running off in four directions. The only house among its National Register listings is a balloon-framed Italianate home of about 1874, while about half of all homes here predate 1970.
Whiteville, in Columbus County, grew from 4,748 people in 2020 to 4,765 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimates), on 5.56 square miles. No town in Columbus County has more people than Whiteville.
Whiteville has about 2,100 housing units, 9 percent of Columbus County's; about 49 percent of the city's households own their home.
Whiteville at a Glance
- County: Columbus County
- Population: 4,765 (2025), 4,748 (2020), up 0.4%
- Land area: 5.56 square miles (857 people each)
- Housing units: about 2,100 (±253)
- Median year built: 1971 (±5); Columbus County: 1982
- Owner-occupied: 49% (±9); Columbus County: 71%
- Detached houses: 53% (±9); Columbus County: 62%
- Attached houses: under 3%
- Apartments: 32% (±9)
- Mobile homes: 13% (±6)
- Climate zone: 3 on both maps
- ENERGY STAR target for Whiteville attics: R-49 from bare, R-38 over 3 to 4 inches (R-value guide)
Census Bureau estimates for Whiteville, 2020 to 2024 (± margin of error).
Whiteville Homes and Their Attics
A Balloon-Framed House West of the Courthouse
The Culbreth House, listed on the National Register in 2016, sits a short way west of the courthouse. Its nomination describes a two-story house of about 1874, balloon framed and two rooms deep. A low hipped roof covers it, with brick chimneys on both sides. A one-story kitchen wing of about 1940 has a roof of its own at the back. If your older Whiteville house is balloon framed, its wall studs may run up past the floors with no top plate. Then the cavities lie open to the attic, and house air rises straight through them. We seal those openings from above before insulating. A rear wing under its own roof is a separate attic, measured and filled on its own.
Attic Insulation in Whiteville
About 45 percent of Whiteville's homes predate 1970; if your joists show above the insulation, ENERGY STAR says to add more insulation.
Built from 1940 to 1969, about 40 percent of Whiteville homes often have little insulation.
The Local Climate
Whiteville's center sits about 100 feet above sea level, 7 miles from NOAA's Whiteville 7 NW station, the best match for Whiteville. The station's 1991 to 2020 normals average about 2,910 heating and 1,760 cooling degree days a year, so at Whiteville's station, heating needs outweigh cooling.
The state energy code marks Columbus County warm and humid.
Homes by Age: What It Means for the Attic
About 53 percent of Whiteville housing units are detached single-family houses, about 13 percent mobile homes.
Built from 1970 to 1989, about 30 percent of Whiteville homes may hold settled fiberglass; check its depth against the joists.
About 70 percent of Whiteville's housing units predate 1980; nearly all predate the state's 1978 insulation rule too. About 32 percent of Whiteville units sit in buildings of two or more homes, where the attic is often shared. Renters hold about 51 percent of Whiteville's occupied homes, so many attic decisions rest with landlords.
Homes by Year Built
- Before 1940: 8% (±4), about 175 units
- 1940s: 11% (±5), about 225 units
- 1950s: 15% (±5), about 300 units
- 1960s: 13% (±5), about 275 units
- 1970s: 20% (±7), about 420 units
- 1980s: 9% (±5), about 190 units
- 1990s: 8% (±5), about 155 units
- 2000s: 4% (±4), about 80 units
- 2010s: 12% (±6), about 245 units
- 2020 or later: under 1%
Air Sealing and Duct Sealing in Whiteville
In Whiteville, about 86 percent of homes heat with electricity; where that heat is forced air, ducts often run through the attic.
Air sealing comes first, as the EPA advises: wire and pipe holes, wall tops and soffits.
How Homes Here Are Heated
- Electricity: 86% (±6), about 1,550 households; Columbus County: 76%
- Piped gas: 6% (±4), about 105 households
- Bottled or tank gas: 8% (±4), about 145 households
Power, Gas and Rebates
Duke Energy Progress supplies Whiteville's electricity. For gas, Whiteville is in the Columbus County franchise of Piedmont Natural Gas, whose mains may not reach every street in Whiteville. Duke's free House Call fits many Whiteville homes: about 86 percent heat with electricity.
Rebate to check in Whiteville: Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy; Insulation Pros is an approved trade ally). Before a job in Whiteville, check its current terms; the Columbus County page lists every program.
Attic Insulation Removal in Whiteville
In a Whiteville attic, only wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation is vacuumed out (ENERGY STAR's test), once the cause is fixed, and after mice that Whiteville attic is sanitized and deodorized; dry, clean insulation stays.
Also Serving Near Whiteville
Nearest to Whiteville first.
Chadbourn, NC
7 miles west
1,539 people, about a third of Whiteville's population
Attic insulation in ChadbournLake Waccamaw, NC
11 miles east
Median home built 1977 (Whiteville: 1971); 1,239 people, about a quarter of Whiteville's population
Attic insulation in Lake WaccamawClarkton, NC
11 miles north
Median home built 1974 (Whiteville: 1971); 604 people, about an eighth of Whiteville's population
Attic insulation in ClarktonCerro Gordo, NC
13 miles west
Median home built 1975 (Whiteville: 1971); 144 people, under a tenth of Whiteville's population
Attic insulation in Cerro Gordo
Whiteville Insulation FAQs
Do the National Register listings near the Whiteville courthouse put rules on my house?
No. Whiteville has two individual listings, the county courthouse and the Culbreth House, and no listed district. In the words of the state preservation office, being on the Register does not bind an owner who uses private funds. Rules on outside changes would come from a local preservation commission, and the state's 2023 roster shows none in Columbus County. Before outside work, such as new roof vents, a call to the city's planning office is still wise.
After a hurricane like Florence, what are the signs rain reached my Whiteville attic?
Fresh ceiling stains first, then insulation that feels damp or has matted down under the roof. During Hurricane Florence in 2018, a gauge at Whiteville caught more than 22 inches of rain, the National Weather Service reported. To ENERGY STAR, wet insulation means the roof is leaking. That repair comes before anything else. After it, we vacuum out the soaked material and blow in new insulation once the framing has dried.
Could the old insulation in a Whiteville attic be vermiculite?
It could: about 35 percent of Whiteville's homes predate 1960. If a Whiteville attic holds a pebble-like gray-brown or silver-gold fill, leave it undisturbed: the EPA says vermiculite may contain asbestos.
Does attic insulation in Whiteville need a permit?
Whiteville City Hall can say whether Columbus County Building Inspections, the city itself or another office handles permits in Whiteville; ask before work starts.
Helpful Guides
- Columbus County is warm and humid by the state energy code: attic condensation and mold and attic ventilation
- Power from Duke Energy Progress: high summer electric bills and home energy audits
Sources
Census Bureau figures for Whiteville, NOAA normals for the Whiteville 7 NW station, Duke Energy Progress (October 2026). Compiled by Insulation Pros. How the town pages are made.
Sources for the Whiteville notes and questions (read October 20, 2026):
- Whiteville, in The North Carolina Gazetteer (William S. Powell, 2nd ed., UNC Press 2010), NCpedia
- Columbus County Architectural Reconnaissance Survey, 1998 (Edward F. Turberg), NC HPO
- Dr. Neil and Nancy Elizabeth Culbreth House, National Register nomination (NC HPO)
- Year Structure Built (table B25034), Whiteville city, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau via Census Reporter
- Building Construction Problem Areas, weatherization training text, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
- Adding Attic Insulation, ENERGY STAR do-it-yourself guide
- NC Listings in the National Register of Historic Places, NC State Historic Preservation Office
- Columbus County Courthouse, National Register nomination (NC HPO)
- What Is the National Register of Historic Places?, NC State Historic Preservation Office
- Historic Preservation Commission Staff in North Carolina, listed by county, as of 2/20/2023 (NC HPO)
- Hurricane Florence, September 2018, event summary, National Weather Service Wilmington, North Carolina
- Attic Insulation Project, ENERGY STAR
Whiteville, NC
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Insulation Pros is an insulation contractor serving North Carolina, Whiteville and the rest of Columbus County included.
Reach us
Send the square footage of your Whiteville attic, or call (336) 870-3893.