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Surf City Elementary

Q: Is Surf City Elementary a good school?

Surf City Elementary ranks 264 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

264^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 82% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Surf City Elementary is a large PK–5 public school in Hampstead, NC, serving 857 students as part of Pender County Schools. The school has a strong record, earning 4 or 5 stars nearly every year since 2018–2019 and rebounding from a brief 2024–2025 dip to an 82nd-percentile ranking with a 4-star rating in 2025–2026. In the most recent testing year, Surf City students outperformed both the district and state in every subject and grade—3rd grade math proficiency reached 81.9% versus 66.4% statewide, and 5th grade science hit 75.9% versus 67.7%. Within its district, North Topsail Elementary (91st percentile), Topsail Annandale Elementary School (92nd), and South Topsail Elementary (86th) rank higher, while Coastal Elementary in Onslow County Schools is Surf City's closest match at 83rd percentile.

Surf City's most notable gains are for groups that schools often struggle to serve. Special education students jumped from the 27th percentile in 2024–2025 to the 67th percentile the following year; gifted students soared from the 46th to the 98th percentile; and low-income students rose from the 51st to the 83rd percentile. Parents should know that the school's reported 99.65% free/reduced lunch rate reflects a federal meal program rule (Community Eligibility Provision) used across several Pender County schools, not a sudden poverty shift—the rate was 34% the year before. Surf City also gets results efficiently: it spends less per pupil ($7,721) than nearby Rocky Point Elementary ($11,562) and South Topsail Elementary ($10,357), despite larger class sizes than many peers.

The clearest opportunity for improvement is attendance. Surf City's chronic absenteeism rate of 20.1% beats its district (24.5%) and the state (24.2%), but trails top-performing schools like Ogden Elementary (8.1%), North Topsail Elementary (14.5%), and Topsail Annandale Elementary School (14.6%). Since last year's test dip proved temporary and the school already ranks in the top fifth of North Carolina elementary schools, closing the attendance gap is the most plausible path for Surf City to reach the 90th percentile and 5-star territory.

857

Students ?

16.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

12345-A Literacy Lane
Hampstead, NC 28445

(910) 928-0067

District: Pender County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.8%

Hispanic:

9.2%

Two or more races:

7.2%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Surf City Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 86th percentile in 2019 → 82nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (72% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 18% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school72%

District avg65%

North Carolina avg61%

264^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 18%▼ down 4 pts since 2019

From top 14% (2019) to top 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

120^th of 246Pender County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.3	264 of 1492	82.3%	★★★★☆
2025	66.8	451 of 1490	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.4	274 of 1505	81.8%	★★★★☆
2023	80.7	224 of 1502	85.1%	★★★★☆
2022	87.5	140 of 1514	90.8%	★★★★★
2021	84.2	192 of 1489	87.1%	★★★★☆
2019	82.1	207 of 1473	85.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	37.4	629 of 949	33.7%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	74.1	82 of 634	87.1%	★★★★☆
2021	48.2	255 of 646	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.9	259 of 878	70.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.8	296 of 1447	79.5%	★★★★☆
2025	64.0	470 of 1451	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.7	299 of 1455	79.5%	★★★★☆
2023	80.2	211 of 1459	85.5%	★★★★☆
2022	86.1	141 of 1458	90.3%	★★★★★
2021	84.0	173 of 1440	88.0%	★★★★☆
2019	79.9	212 of 1424	85.1%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.1	18 of 743	97.6%	★★★★★
2025	70.7	83 of 710	88.3%	★★★★☆
2024	57.1	358 of 669	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	68.1	94 of 582	83.8%	★★★★☆
2019	65.6	106 of 612	82.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.5	250 of 981	74.5%	★★★★☆
2025	63.4	281 of 961	70.8%	★★★★☆
2024	77.8	138 of 951	85.5%	★★★★☆
2023	67.4	212 of 915	76.8%	★★★★☆
2022	57.9	307 of 893	65.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.1	244 of 1434	83.0%	★★★★☆
2025	49.4	703 of 1437	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.5	433 of 1450	70.1%	★★★★☆
2023	65.5	403 of 1437	72.0%	★★★★☆
2022	79.1	151 of 1366	88.9%	★★★★☆
2021	80.5	146 of 1329	89.0%	★★★★☆
2019	80.8	149 of 1361	89.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.6	241 of 1451	83.4%	★★★★☆
2025	67.2	418 of 1450	71.2%	★★★★☆
2024	80.0	229 of 1464	84.4%	★★★★☆
2023	78.7	245 of 1461	83.2%	★★★★☆
2022	86.5	146 of 1464	90.0%	★★★★★
2021	81.2	215 of 1444	85.1%	★★★★☆
2019	81.8	196 of 1430	86.3%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.6	11 of 67	83.6%	★★★★☆
2025	56.0	33 of 72	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	77.4	10 of 75	86.7%	★★★★☆
2023	64.1	25 of 81	69.1%	★★★★☆
2022	80.7	8 of 85	90.6%	★★★★★
2021	82.3	7 of 76	90.8%	★★★★★
2019	72.2	15 of 72	79.2%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.9	33 of 181	81.8%	★★★★☆
2023	80.7	25 of 154	83.8%	★★★★☆
2022	75.6	26 of 133	80.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.3	273 of 815	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	31.6	598 of 821	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.5	611 of 801	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.6	433 of 1146	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.9	688 of 1172	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.6	431 of 1166	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.8	390 of 1183	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	75.8	247 of 1194	79.3%	★★★★☆
2021	63.4	397 of 1172	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.9	349 of 1183	70.5%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Gifted and Talented (2026)98th percentile+15 vs school

Disabled (2022)87th percentile-4 vs school

Military Connected (2026)84th percentile~ school

Male (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)82nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)80th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)75th percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2026)67th percentile-16 vs school

White (2026)62nd percentile-20 vs school

African American (2019)34th percentile-52 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics76%+13 vs state

Science76%+8 vs state

Reading67%+11 vs state

5.0

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Schools Near Surf City Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Surf City Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12345-A Literacy Lane	Hampstead	28445	Onslow County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 928-0067	857	51	16.8	99.6%	684 (79.8%)	25 (2.9%)	79 (9.2%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (7.2%)	78.3	264^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.3%		66.8	451^st of 1490 public elementary schools	69.7%	187	81.9	69.7	77.2	67.8	68.3	65.5	75.9	$7,721	$547	$7,175
North Topsail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1310 Sloop Point Loop Road	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-0694	529	33	15.9	99.1%	450 (85.1%)	12 (2.3%)	36 (6.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.3%)	89.2	129^th of 1492 public elementary schools	91.4%		85.5	165^th of 1490 public elementary schools	88.9%	36	90.4	86.4	78.4	71.1	75.4	72.1	87.4	$9,936	$444	$9,492
Coastal Elementary	Public	K-5	370 Folkstone Rd	Holly Ridge	28445	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 455-2448	833	58	14.4	33.1%	612 (73.5%)	18 (2.2%)	123 (14.8%)	6 (0.7%)	6 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	65 (7.8%)	78.5	259^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.6%		82.1	215^th of 1490 public elementary schools	85.6%	44	77.2	69.2	72.4	73.1	72.6	64.6	78.0
Topsail Annandale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	17385 US Hwy 17	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-1977	580	34	17.0	19.8%	502 (86.6%)	13 (2.2%)	42 (7.2%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (2.9%)	89.8	116^th of 1492 public elementary schools	92.2%		90.3	106^th of 1490 public elementary schools	92.9%	10	87.9	80.8		77.8	74.6			$8,786	$660	$8,125
South Topsail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	997 Hoover Road	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-2756	618	38	16.1	99.5%	475 (76.9%)	19 (3.1%)	67 (10.8%)	8 (1.3%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (7.3%)	82.1	214^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.7%		77	297^th of 1490 public elementary schools	80.1%	83	80.4	74.2	85.1	66.7	64.5	73.4	85.1	$10,357	$486	$9,871
Dixon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	130 Betty Dixon Rd	Holly Ridge	28445	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 327-2104	760	47	16.1	33.4%	576 (75.8%)	21 (2.8%)	86 (11.3%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	69 (9.1%)	61.1	564^th of 1492 public elementary schools	62.2%		66.9	448^th of 1490 public elementary schools	69.9%	116	59.5	52.6	64.2	60.3	63.2	71.6	79.8	$8,351	$596	$7,756
Porters Neck Elementary	Public	K-5	416 Edgewater Club Rd	Wilmington	28411	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 251-2975	666	42	16.0	22.4%	530 (79.6%)	30 (4.5%)	58 (8.7%)	16 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.4%)	79.6	246^th of 1492 public elementary schools	83.5%		86.3	156^th of 1490 public elementary schools	89.5%	90	74.8	79.1	71.4	71.5	73.6	65.7	75.2
Rocky Point Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	255 Elementary School Road	Rocky Point	28457	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 675-2309	403	29	13.7	99.3%	145 (36.0%)	55 (13.6%)	189 (46.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.5%)	46.6	793^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	46.8%		62.5	522^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	65.0%	271	52.8	58.1	72.6	41.5	51.6	58.1	66.1	$11,562	$1,485	$10,077
Southwest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2601 Burgaw Hwy	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 347-0900	720	51	14.1	60.4%	441 (61.3%)	80 (11.1%)	128 (17.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	66 (9.2%)	59.2	598^th of 1492 public elementary schools	59.9%		54.4	663^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	55.5%	65	70.5	67.6	68.3	52.7	60.0	54.8	68.6	$8,706	$779	$7,927
Ogden Elementary	Public	K-5	3637 Middle Sound Rd	Wilmington	28411	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 686-6464	619	39	15.9	17.6%	541 (87.4%)	7 (1.1%)	36 (5.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (5.0%)	94.7	47^th of 1492 public elementary schools	96.8%		96.8	22^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	98.5%	25		92.1	88.2	84.9	83.3	80.0	86.4	$9,099	$487	$8,612

Frequently Asked Questions about Surf City Elementary

Is Surf City Elementary a good school?

Surf City Elementary ranks 264^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Surf City Elementary in?

Pender County Schools

How many students attend Surf City Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 857 students attended Surf City Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Surf City Elementary?

Students at Surf City Elementary are 80% White, 9% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 3% African American.

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Schools in Hampstead, NC

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.