Topsail's summer population swells up to 35,000, as compared to the 3,500 year-round residents. The convenient location between the cities of Jacksonville and Wilmington makes Topsail a desirable place to live. Residents here enjoy a relatively quiet lifestyle on the beach.

     North Topsail Beach, the northernmost town, is a residential community with oceanfront resort condominium complexes and rental cottages. With only two restaurants and a pizza shop, North Topsail Beach's visitors depend on Surf City or Sneads Ferry for most of their shopping and entertainment.

     Surf City, located on both the island and mainland, is in the center of the island. It is the commercial hub with a number of restaurants and retail establishments. A variety of vacation rental homes, condominiums and motels are also found here, along with the most year-round residents.

     Topsail Beach, on the southern end of the island, is accessible only through Surf City. It is a quieter area with year-round homes, rental cottages, motels and condominiums complementing a small downtown shopping area.

     On the mainland, Sneads Ferry and Holly Ridge offer more choices for entertainment, dining and shopping. Sneads Ferry is a small village where shrimping and fishing are a way of life. In recent years, however, the area has grown and is now developing into a community of upscale housing developments. Holly Ridge once had a large population during World War II when Camp Davis was established as an Army coastal artillery and anti-aircraft training base. The town is now a quiet place enjoyed by longtime residents who find pleasure in the friendly services of locally owned restaurants, retail stores and service businesses.

     Topsail Island is a small place with a big history. From the early Native Americans and explorers in the 1500s to pirates, the Civil War Era, World War II and Operation Bumblebee to the present, much has been documented about the Topsail area. This history can be found in the Missiles and More Museum on Channel Boulevard in Topsail Beach.

     Local residents are protective of their environment. This is particularly evident in the Topsail Turtle Project and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, both run solely by volunteers. Many of the volunteers locate and monitor loggerhead turtle nests until the young turtles are hatched and make their way to the sea, while others maintain the center and care for sick and injured sea turtles until they have been rehabilitated and returned to the ocean. Still others take responsibility for the Turtle Talks, where participants can learn about the turtles and how they can help protect them. A visit to the Turtle Hospital, as it is affectionately known, is a real highlight of a Topsail Island vacation.

     The greater Topsail Island area is a friendly place, offering a nice balance between residents and visitors and busy and quiet times.