Navassa, NC

Sitting right across the river from Wilmington, Navassa is a small Brunswick County community with deep roots in coastal North Carolina. Home to around 1,400 residents, the town rests where the Brunswick and Cape Fear rivers meet. Much of its identity comes from a proud Gullah Geechee heritage, carried on by Black families whose ancestors lived and worked along the historic rice plantations and waterways that shaped the region.

Life in Navassa is quiet and unhurried, with residential streets bordered by tidal creeks, marshes, and longtime local churches. It appeals to people who want a calm, small-town atmosphere while staying remarkably close to the action. Downtown Wilmington is only a short drive across the water for work or dinner, and Brunswick County's beaches and the historic waterfront in Southport are easy trips to the south.