Top 20 Selling Communities in Brunswick County, NC (2026)

St James, Brunswick Plantation and Brunswick Forest were the best-selling communities in Brunswick County, NC, over the past 12 months, with 248, 231 and 207 closed sales. Together, the top 20 communities below made up 2,092 sales, about one third of the 6,300 single-family homes, townhomes and condos sold in the county.

Median prices run from $238,000 in Osprey Isle to $695,000 in Compass Pointe, and HOA fees and property taxes vary just as widely. Here is how each community compares. All figures come from Hive MLS closed sales between October 13, 2025 and October 9, 2026.

The top 20 at a glance

Community by community

1. St James (Southport)

The county's busiest community sold 248 homes (209 single-family, 30 condos, 9 townhomes) at a median of $680,000. The middle 80% of sales fell between $450,000 and $1.19 million. HOA fees run $1,200 to $1,380 a year, median taxes are $2,520, and homes sell in a median of 56 days. See St James homes for sale.

2. Brunswick Plantation (Calabash)

With 231 sales at a median of $355,000, this is the busiest community with a median under $400,000. The mix is 161 single-family homes, 52 townhomes and 18 condos. Most fees sit near $1,180 a year, but the top 10% reach $4,420, so confirm which association applies. Median taxes are $1,460. See Brunswick Plantation homes for sale.

3. Brunswick Forest (Leland)

Brunswick Forest sold 207 homes (173 single-family, 34 townhomes) at a median of $575,000, with a typical range of $414,000 to $856,000. HOA fees start at $1,650 a year and reach $4,410 depending on the neighborhood. Median taxes of $3,660 are the highest of the 20, and homes sell in a median of 49 days. See Brunswick Forest homes for sale.

4. Sea Trail Plantation (Sunset Beach)

Sea Trail sold 137 homes: 95 single-family, 29 condos and 13 townhomes. The price range is wide ($291,000 to $689,000, median $545,000) because it includes condos and single-family homes. HOA fees are tightly grouped at $1,050 to $1,150 a year, and median taxes are $2,240. See Sea Trail Plantation homes for sale.

5. Boiling Spring Lakes (Boiling Spring Lakes)

All 123 sales were single-family homes at a median of $309,000 ($248,000 to $444,000), or $217 per square foot. Only 8 of the 123 sales list an HOA fee ($180 to $234), so most homes appear to have no mandatory HOA; confirm this for the lot you are considering. Median taxes are $1,850. See Boiling Spring Lakes homes for sale.

6. Tranquil Harbor (Oak Island)

This community sold 122 single-family homes at a median of $535,000, and its $397 per square foot is the highest of the 20 by a wide margin. Homes are compact (1,020 to 2,000 square feet for the middle 80%), and prices reach $907,000 at the top end. No sale lists an HOA fee, and median taxes of $3,200 are the second highest of the group. See Tranquil Harbor homes for sale.

7. Ocean Ridge Plantation (Sunset Beach)

Ocean Ridge sold 114 single-family homes at a median of $664,000 ($550,000 to $929,000), with larger homes of 2,190 to 3,180 square feet. HOA fees are $2,570 to $2,650 a year, and median taxes are $2,620. Homes took a median of 75 days to sell, among the slower of the established communities. See Ocean Ridge Plantation homes for sale.

8. Indigo Preserve (Leland)

Indigo Preserve sold 98 homes (62 single-family, 36 townhomes) at a median of $409,000. It is almost all new construction: at least 90% of the homes were built in 2025 or 2026. HOA fees range from $1,200 to $3,600 a year. We left taxes out because too few tax records exist for new homes. See Indigo Preserve homes for sale.

9. Grayson Park (Leland)

Grayson Park sold 82 homes (56 single-family, 26 townhomes) at a median of $375,000, or $178 per square foot. HOA fees range from $1,000 to $3,040 a year, median taxes are $2,160, and homes sell in a median of 51 days. See Grayson Park homes for sale.

10. Terrapin (Leland)

Terrapin sold 81 homes, 80 of them single-family, in a narrow price band of $416,000 to $539,000 (median $475,000). At least 90% were built in 2025 or 2026. HOA fees range from $500 to $1,980 a year, with a median of $1,570. See Terrapin homes for sale.

11. Osprey Isle (Ocean Isle Beach)

Osprey Isle has the lowest median price of the 20 at $238,000 and the lowest price per square foot ($159). Of its 80 sales, 51 were townhomes and 29 were single-family homes. Homes sold in a median of 26 days, and nearly all were built in 2025 or 2026. HOA fees range from $730 to $1,620 a year. See Osprey Isle homes for sale.

12. Carolina Shores (Calabash)

Carolina Shores sold 71 homes, 68 of them single-family, at a median of $330,000. It has some of the lowest ownership costs in the group: HOA fees of $300 to $350 a year and median taxes of $1,510. It is also an established community, where one in ten homes sold was more than 45 years old. See Carolina Shores homes for sale.

13. Compass Pointe (Leland)

Compass Pointe has the highest median price of the 20 at $695,000 (typical range $500,000 to $967,000) across 70 sales. It also has the highest HOA fees: $2,750 to $7,940 a year, with a median of $3,060. Median taxes are $2,380, and homes sell in a median of 62 days. See Compass Pointe homes for sale.

14. Mallory Creek Plantation (Leland)

Mallory Creek sold 70 homes (54 single-family, 16 townhomes) at a median of $336,000. Most fees are low (median $660 a year), though the top 10% pay up to $3,540. Median taxes are $2,190, and homes sell in about 35 days. See Mallory Creek Plantation homes for sale.

15. Grand Park (Leland)

Grand Park sold 65 homes (48 single-family, 17 townhomes) at a median of $451,000, or $176 per square foot. Nearly all are new construction, and the median of 121 days on market is among the longest of the 20. HOA fees range from $600 to $4,140 a year. See Grand Park homes for sale.

16. SeaBrooke (Leland)

SeaBrooke sold 60 homes, 36 of them townhomes, at a median of $269,000, the second lowest in the group. Median taxes of $1,340 are the lowest of the 20, and HOA fees range from $600 to $2,740 a year. See SeaBrooke homes for sale.

17. Palmetto Creek (Bolivia)

Palmetto Creek sold 60 homes, 57 of them single-family, at a median of $451,000. HOA fees are $1,320 to $1,470 a year and median taxes are $1,810. Its 129-day median on market is the longest of the 20. See Palmetto Creek homes for sale.

18. Cedar Hill Landing (Navassa)

All 60 sales were single-family homes in a tight band of $335,000 to $412,000 (median $366,000). The HOA fee is about $940 a year on nearly every sale, and at least 90% of the homes were built in 2025 or 2026. Median days on market is 39. See Cedar Hill Landing homes for sale.

19. Carolina Shores North (Calabash)

This community sold 57 single-family homes at a median of $445,000 ($239 per square foot). HOA fees are low at $460 to $530 a year, median taxes are $1,350, and homes sold in a median of 30 days. See Carolina Shores North homes for sale.

20. Coastal Club of the Carolinas (Calabash)

All 56 sales were single-family homes at a median of $484,000, and at least 90% were built in 2025 or 2026. Its median of just 5 days on market is the fastest of the 20. HOA fees are $2,710 to $2,760 a year. See Coastal Club of the Carolinas homes for sale.

What the numbers mean for buyers

• Prices. Five of the 20 have median prices under $340,000: Osprey Isle ($238,000), SeaBrooke ($269,000), Boiling Spring Lakes ($309,000), Carolina Shores ($330,000) and Mallory Creek Plantation ($336,000). Three are above $650,000: Compass Pointe, St James and Ocean Ridge Plantation.
• HOA fees. The lowest are Carolina Shores ($300 to $350 a year), Carolina Shores North ($460 to $530) and Boiling Spring Lakes, where only 8 sales list a fee. Compass Pointe is the highest, reaching $7,940. Wide ranges, such as Brunswick Plantation, Brunswick Forest and Grand Park (all above $4,000), usually mean more than one association or fee tier applies, so confirm exactly what you would pay.
• Property taxes. Median taxes run from $1,340 in SeaBrooke to $3,660 in Brunswick Forest. Brunswick Forest and Tranquil Harbor ($3,200) are the highest, while SeaBrooke, Carolina Shores North and Brunswick Plantation all come in under $1,500. Taxes are based on assessed value, not sale price, so ask for an estimate on the specific home.
• New construction. Six of the 20 are almost entirely new: Indigo Preserve, Terrapin, Osprey Isle, Grand Park, Cedar Hill Landing and Coastal Club of the Carolinas. We left taxes blank for them because a new home's first tax bill often reflects only the land and understates what you will pay later.
• Speed. Median days on market ranges from 5 in Coastal Club of the Carolinas to 129 in Palmetto Creek. Slower communities can leave more room to negotiate, but ask your agent how a specific home compares.

Want a closer look at any of these communities? Contact Coastline NC Real Estate for a walk-through of the neighborhoods, HOA details and current listings.

About these numbers

• Source: Hive MLS closed sales of single-family homes, townhomes and condos in Brunswick County, October 13, 2025 to October 9, 2026. Communities are ranked by number of closed sales, and homes outside a named subdivision are excluded.
• Price ranges show the middle 80% of sales (10th to 90th percentile). Price per square foot is sold price divided by heated square feet.
• HOA and taxes come from the first association fee and the annual tax amount listed on each sale. A median tax figure needs at least 5 usable records.
• All home types are combined, so figures can differ from the single-family and townhome numbers on each community page.

Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Confirm HOA fees, assessments and taxes with the association and county before you buy.