Affordable Jacksonville Storage

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether traveling across town or the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Jacksonville.

About Jacksonville, NC

Jacksonville is the Onslow County seat. The 2020 U.S. census found that the city has a population of 72,723. It is in the southeastern part of the state and is the largest city in the county.

The area was invaded by European settlers who fought the native people in the Tuscarora War to force them from the land. After the settlers took over, they exploited the lush forest for timber and timber products such as turpentine made from tree sap. They grew tobacco. They offered these goods as naval stores to the ships that came by way of the New River.

The city got its name from Andrew Jackson, who founded many communities in the area and was the seventh president of the United States. In 1842, the city incorporated and grew rapidly because of the trading of goods.

In contemporary times, the city is best known for being a military base for marines. The base was founded in 1941 with the authorization of Congress to buy 100,000 acres along the New River. This effort progressed to build up what is now called Camp Lejeune, which is the largest marine base on the East Coast.

What to do in Jacksonville, NC

Jacksonville is a lovely city with plenty of things to see and do. Here are some suggestions:

• Features: This city is a coastal town surrounded by smaller towns. The adjacent New River connects to Stones Bay, which leads to the Atlantic Ocean.
• Events: There are big celebrations for the fall and winter holidays and summer celebrations for the 4th of July and Memorial Day.
• Museums: Museums that are fun to visit are the Great Spirit Pow Wow Center, the Montford Point Marin Museum, and the Zing Zumm Children’s Museum of Jacksonville.
• Destination: The Croatan National Forest with the Great Lake Recreation Site is 32 miles northeast of the city. This huge pine forest has saltwater estuaries, swamps, and bogs. There are lovely campsites, trials, and hunting areas.

Working in Jacksonville, NC

The Jacksonville local economy depends on healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, and education. The unemployment rate is high at 5%. Households earn a median income of $58,125 per year, about $11,000 lower than the American median income of $69,021. The economy is plugging along at the same rate as the national average. Over the next ten years, Jacksonville's predicted job growth rate is 32.9%. This number is close to the predicted national rate of 33.5%.

The industries offering good jobs are education (12%), healthcare (9.9%), professional services (6.7%), hospitality (6.1%), utilities (11.4%), construction (5.3%), and government administration (5.1%).

Jacksonville, NC Neighborhoods

The most expensive neighborhoods in Jacksonville, like Kellum, Half Moon, and Gum Branch, are on the city's north side, with median prices around $350,000 or higher.

Here are the areas on the west side.

• Verona: This neighborhood is very nice, yet the houses are lower priced than the areas to the north of the city. You can find a home with a median sales price of $287,804. Most homes are owner-occupied; however, there are some available to rent. The average rental price is $1,447 monthly. Many houses are medium-sized single-family homes with three or four bedrooms. The vacancy rate is 11.8%, so finding a place to buy or rent is easy.
• Cyrus / Haws Run: This neighborhood is southwest of the city. The median real estate price is $269,470. Apartments and mobile homes are available to rent for around $1,138 per month. The vacancy rate is 17.6%, so finding a rental is easy.
• Tar Landing: This area is near the city center on the west side. The median real estate price is $266,223. Rental homes are available for an average rent of $1,878 per month. The vacancy rate is high at 12.3%, making finding a place to rent easy.
• Blue Creek Road / Ben Williams Road: The median real estate price is $207,650. This area has a mixture of homes, apartment complexes, and mobile homes. The average rent is $1,680 per month.

Jacksonville, NC School District

Onslow County Schools is the administrator of the public schools. The school district spends $10,788 per student per year. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16 to one, offering a reasonable class size.

There are 12 private schools in this area. The top three private schools are Lwcs (PK to 12th), Jacksonville Christian Academy (PK to 12th), and Fellowship Christian Academy (PK to 12th).

The public two-year Coastal Carolina Community College and seven other two-year community colleges are within a 50-mile radius. The nearest public four-year school is 46 miles away in Wilmington, NC. It is the University of North Carolina.

Moving to Jacksonville, NC Resource Guide

The city’s government has an elected mayor and six members serving on the Jacksonville City Council.

The Jacksonville Recreation Department manages the public parks and recreational areas. Residents and visitors enjoy the downtown waterfront, games between the local sports teams, and the Jacksonville Commons.

Jacksonville, NC Housing

This city's median home sales price is $282,000, going up around 9.6% year-over-year. It is a seller’s market with fewer real estate listings than the number of interested buyers looking for homes. Rental units are readily available because of the high turnover and vacancies caused by military families who move about every two or three years.

The cost of living in Jacksonville is low. It is 1% lower than other cities in the state and 7% lower than other American cities.