Southeastern North Carolina beach town on Pleasure Island
Named after the family who built the community from the ground up, Kure Beach is a summer destination for many. But a little over 2,100 people call this small New Hanover County beach town home year-round. The word “relaxed” is often used to describe the vibe in this once-sleepy community, where the Atlantic Ocean is visible on nearly every street. “Think of this as a mini, quaint Carolina Beach,” says Derek Criscitiello, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage who has visited the town since childhood. “A lot of people group them together, but they have their own differences. Kure is a little bit quieter.” Kure Beach is part of several communities that make up the coastal barrier island known as Pleasure Island.
Although the town was incorporated in 1947, its story began earlier, when Hans Kure purchased a tract of land between Fort Fisher and Carolina Beach in 1913. Three years later, the family’s Kure Land and Development Co. would help build a road from Wilmington to Kure Beach. A fishing pier would rise in 1923, and Kure Beach would become a hot spot for angling. Today, the pier remains an integral piece of the community. Along with generational residents, the town is home to young families and retirees, many of whom moved in from out of state to fulfill a lifelong dream of living here.
Given that they live in a primarily residential town about 18 miles south of downtown Wilmington, most working residents travel about 25 minutes into the city for their jobs or work from home. Kure Beach's largest industries are professional, scientific and technical services, hospitality and food service. While not hosting any major companies, the town is home to the North Carolina National Guard’s Fort Fisher Training Center.
Kure Beach is a summer destination for many.
Approximately 2,100 people call Kure Beach home year-round.
Atlantic Ocean is visible on nearly every street in Kure Beach.
The heart of the community is Kure Beach Fishing Pier.
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Multimillion-dollar oceanfront homes and a hot short-term rental market
First a community of small cottages, Kure Beach today features a wide variety of coastal-style single-family homes, condos and townhouses. “It’s got some really beautiful, colorful homes along the beach — purple, pink, blue, orange and yellow all in a row, some on the waterfront,” says Mary-Katherine Smith, a broker with Keller Williams Realty Innovate. Low-lying brick ranch-style homes fill the Beachwalk neighborhood, while towering Charleston-style designs populate the Seawatch subdivision. Waterfront condos look out over the Atlantic at the southern end of town.
Home prices here rose over 20% between 2023 and 2024. The median home price is $435,000, slightly under the national figure. “You’re going to spend a lot on an oceanfront property compared to something a block or two inland,” says Smith, who’s lived in this part of North Carolina for 12 years. “$1.5 million for an oceanfront standalone would be a good price.” On the low end, a one-bedroom condo can list for $325,000. At the top of the market, a seven-bedroom oceanfront home can top $2.5 million. Homes in Kure Beach sell after 91 days on average, nearly twice as long as the national average. Smith adds that many homes are short-term rentals, but “there are more restrictions. Some neighborhoods don’t allow it.”
You can find beautiful, colorful homes along Fort Fisher Blvd, in Kure Beach.
Kure Beach today features a wide variety of coastal-style single-family homes.
A seven-bedroom oceanfront home in Kure Beach can top $2.5 million.
The median home price in Kure Beach is $435,000.
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Earning the nickname Nature’s Playground
The people of Kure Beach enjoy active lives centered around the ocean, with the coastline a daily stop year-round. They use the town’s parks and green spaces to exercise, unwind and connect with nature. The heart of the community is Kure Beach Fishing Pier. Originally constructed by Lawrence C. Kure in the 1920s, it stretches more than 700 feet over the Atlantic. Today, residents mix with tourists as they cast lines into the water or take in the view and the salty sea breeze. A seaside boardwalk connects the pier to Ocean Front Park and Pavilion, the town’s central spot for live music and events. Joe Eakes Park is a more traditional town park known for its pickleball courts and a challenging disc golf course where whipping winds are at play. Untouched coastline and marshland trails draw people to the Blakeslee Air Force Recreation Area, home to the North Carolina Aquarium. The Cape Fear River also offers sailing, fishing and kayaking. Kure Beach Community Center is in the center of town for indoor recreation.
the original Kure Beach Pier was constructed by Lawrence C. Kure in the 1920s.
The people of Kure Beach enjoy active lives centered around the ocean.
Joe Eakes Park is known for its dog run, pickleball courts, and disc golf courses.
Kure Beach's seaside boardwalk connects the pier to Ocean Front Park and Pavilion.
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The Kure Beach Downtown Preservation District
From casual joints to elevated date-night spots, Kure Beach is home to a small collection of cafes, restaurants and bars, all locally owned. These tiny, brightly colored businesses sit in a four-block area designated as the Kure Beach Downtown Preservation District, which aims to protect the town’s oldest buildings. Fresh, locally caught seafood is the specialty, often enjoyed on an outdoor patio, but American fare, Italian cuisine and Caribbean-inspired food are also available. Many of these eateries have been around for decades. With no chain stores in town, residents head to Carolina Beach for grocery shopping and name-brand retailers.
Brightly colored businesses sit along Kure Beach Downtown Preservation District.
Jack Mackerel's Island Grill, is a beloved coastal-inspired dining spot in Kure Beach.
Bud & Joe's SandBar is a local favorite for its casual vibe, and cold drinks in Kure Beach
Fresh, locally caught seafood is the Kure Beach specialty.
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A supportive Pleasure Island art scene
While small, Kure Beach’s art scene comes with coastal flair. Live music can often be heard flowing from the stage at Ocean Front Park, host of the Boogie in the Park concert series. Bands covering various genres, from blues and country to jazz and reggae, play twice a month throughout the summer. In November, the annual Cape Fear Kite Festival takes flight along the shore, with professional flyers using the sky as a canvas and wowing audiences with kites of all shapes and sizes.
The Island Arts Council supports artists and artisans who make their homes in Kure Beach and neighboring Carolina Beach. The nonprofit helps art-based organizations get off the ground and brings new art-related events to Pleasure Island. Art in the Yard is one of those events. Initially organized by a group of island residents, it’s modeled after a yard sale and provides local artists a way to sell their work and connect with the community.
The small coastal town vibes of Kure Beach are attracting filmmakers to the area. Various parts of the community can be seen in the Netflix summer drama “Along for the Ride,” filmed in 2021, and “Merv,” an upcoming Amazon romantic comedy starring Zooey Deschanel, which features scenes at the Kure Beach Fishing Pier and shoreline that were shot in April 2024.
A one-stoplight town and the route to Wilmington
U.S. Route 421 is the main road through town. It parallels the shoreline, heading north through Carolina Beach all the way into downtown Wilmington. It’s common for bikes and street-legal golf carts to share the road with cars here. Several companies offer bike rentals, and Route 421 has bike lanes. When traffic is heavy, commuters will use Dow Road as an alternate route. Wilmington International Airport is about 22 miles away. The Fort Fisher Ferry crosses the Cape Fear River to reach the city of Southport.
There are no clinics or hospitals within Kure Beach. Pleasure Island Health Urgent Care and Wilmington Health Family Medicine are about 4 miles away in Carolina Beach. The closest hospital is Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, roughly 16 miles north in Wilmington.
A new greenway could be on the way for Kure Beach. The proposed 4.8-mile trail would go from Carolina Beach to the ferry terminal in Fort Fisher, providing cyclists a path off main roads. Other future investments in Kure Beach include replacing the fire department’s ocean rescue equipment and truck. Meanwhile, a rescue buoy marker sign pilot program is underway that, if successful, will add rescue buoy markers at all public beach accesses, helping beachgoers easily find a buoy in case of emergency.
U.S. Route 421 is the main road through Kure Beach..
It’s common for bikes and street-legal golf carts to share the road with cars in Kure Beach.
Fort Fisher trails wind through maritime forests, salt marshes, and dunes of Kure Beach.
Kure Beach is named after the family who built the community from the ground up.
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Inspiring future marine scientists
New Hanover County Schools serves over 25,000 students and earns an A-minus from Niche. Students interested in marine science can start learning about the field in elementary school and can later move on to the Marine Science Academy in high school. The program partners with the University of North Carolina Wilmington to help students earn college credits before they receive their high school diploma. The B-plus-rated Coastal Christian High School in Wilmington is the closest private school.
The student population of Carolina Beach Elementary is 409 and the school serves K-5.
The entrance to Charles P Murray Middle School.
Eugene Ashley High Sxchool in Wilmington, NC provides quality mentorship and guidance.
The University of North Carolina Wilmington is only 9 miles from Arrondale.
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Common crimes and protecting the coastal environment
Kure Beach has a CAP Index crime score of 1 out of 10, compared to the national average of 4. Thirteen police officers patrol the town year-round, and three to four part-time officers help during tourist season. According to the department, traffic accidents, vandalism/property damage and domestic-related crimes are some of the most common incidents.
It’s hot in Kure Beach in the summer, with temperatures often above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Fall is warm, while winter and spring are mild. Snowfall is rare.
Hurricanes and tropical storms are a reality of coastal living in the Carolinas, and like many beachside communities, Kure Beach is impacted by beach erosion. The town has a 50-year beach nourishment contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which began in 1995. Every three years, sand is pulled from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean and added back to the shoreline. Kure Beach adopted a Universal Storm Water Ordinance in 2007, requiring developers to have an approved, professionally engineered storm-water plan before applying for a building permit. This is to control the negative impacts of post-construction runoff. The town also has storm-water dune infiltration systems that capture rain and filter out pollutants before the water flows into the ocean.
Tom Gale is the captain of Team Gale with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage, the leader in real estate sales in southeastern North Carolina for a quarter of a century. Tom has been calling the area home for over thirty years and has been a REALTOR® for over twenty years, so he knows the area and the market well. Over this time, Team Gale has helped over 2,500 buyers and sellers with over $400 million in sales. Tom and his fellow agents’ commitment to ongoing education have earned them several designations including GRI (Graduate of the REALTOR Institute), CRS (Council of Residential Specialists), ABR (Accredited Buyer’s Representative), GREEN, SFR (Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource), CLHMS (Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist), and WHS (Workforce Housing Specialist). These designations, along with the varied locations along southeastern NC that each team member calls home, allow the team to specialize in helping nearly every buyer and seller regardless of location or property type. In addition to the knowledge, experience, and expertise, Tom and Team Gale are dedicated to their community, donating financially and of their time to numerous area non-profits including Habitat for Humanity, Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry, Good Shepherd, and the Cape Fear Chapter of the American Red Cross, to name a few. Tom is also involved in his local and state REALTOR® Associations, including having served as president of Cape Fear REALTORS in 2021. This service to his industry gives him additional insight into the profession and influence in shaping its future. Tom and Team Gale’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Tom was named Cape Fear REALTORS’ 2017 Salesperson of the year and 2020 REALTOR® of the year, and was the recipient of NC REALTORS’ Regional Service Award in 2022. Additionally, Team Gale has been repeatedly recognized among Real Trend's Top 250 Real Estate Teams in the nation and Coldwell Banker International President's Circle Premiere. Team Gale’s slogan, “Good neighbors. Great agents.” reflects their dedication to making a positive impact in the community and their commitment to excellence with their clients. Team Gale strives to make the process of buying or selling a home smooth, easy, and fun!
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