Holly Ridge is a very small coastal town (ie. on the ocean or tidally-influenced rivers) located in the state of North Carolina. With a population of 4,717 people and two constituent neighborhoods, Holly Ridge is the 182nd largest community in North Carolina.

Unlike some towns where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Holly Ridge is neither predominently one or the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Holly Ridge is a town of sales and office workers, construction workers and builders, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Holly Ridge who work in office and administrative support jobs (12.70%), sales jobs (11.54%), and management occupations (8.92%).

There are quite a few people in the armed forces living in Holly Ridge, and when you visit or drive around town, you will see military people in and out of uniform, shopping, enjoying life, and being part of the community.

Holly Ridge is a major vacation destination. Much of the town's population is seasonal: many people own second homes and only live there part-time, during the vacation season. The effect on the local economy is that many of the businesses are dependant on tourist dollars, and may operate only during the high season. As the vacation season ends, Holly Ridge's population drops significantly, such that year-round residents will notice that the city is a much quieter place to live.

The town is also nautical, which means that parts of Holly Ridge are somewhat historic and bounded by the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and tidal rivers. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.

Holly Ridge is a small town, and as such doesn't have a public transit system that people use to get to and from their jobs every day.

Holly Ridge Information and Demographics

The citizens of Holly Ridge are slightly better educated than the national average of 14.96% for all cities and towns, with 17.92% of adults in Holly Ridge having a bachelor's degree or advanced degree.

The per capita income in Holly Ridge in 2000 was $19,291, which is upper middle income relative to North Carolina and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $77,164 for a family of four.

The people who call Holly Ridge home come from a variety of different races and ancestries. The most prevalent race in Holly Ridge is White, followed by African-American. Important ancestries of people in Holly Ridge include German, English, Irish, Scotch-Irish, and Italian.

The most common language spoken in Holly Ridge is English. Some people also speak Spanish.