Hampstead is a somewhat small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of North Carolina. With a population of 7,016 people and five associated neighborhoods, Hampstead is the 128th largest community in North Carolina. Hampstead has seen a significant amount of newer housing growth in recent years. Quite often, new home construction is the result of new residents moving in who are middle class or wealthier, attracted by jobs, a healthy local economy, or other amenities as they leave nearby or far away areas for greener pastures. This seems to be the case in Hampstead, where the median household income is $90,184.00.

Hampstead home prices are not only among the most expensive in North Carolina, but Hampstead real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Also of interest is that Hampstead has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 17.35% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Hampstead is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, Hampstead’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

Hampstead is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.

Being a small town, Hampstead does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work.

The education level of Hampstead citizens is very high relative to the national average among all cities (21.84%): 38.26% of adults in Hampstead have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.

The per capita income in Hampstead in 2022 was $43,630, which is wealthy relative to North Carolina, and upper middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $174,520 for a family of four. However, Hampstead contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Hampstead is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Hampstead home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Hampstead residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Hampstead include German, English, Irish, Scottish, and Italian.

The most common language spoken in Hampstead is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and German/Yiddish.