Kenansville, with an elevation of 127 feet above sea level, is located in the fertile Coastal Plains of southeastern North Carolina. Kenansville is just 55 miles north of Wilmington and 80 miles southeast of Raleigh. Kenansville has a population of 1,169.

The Duplin Arts Council is located in Kenansville and conducts numerous events throughout the year. Various types of entertainment events are held during the year at the William Rand Kenan Jr. Memorial Amphitheater. Kenansville is also home to The Cowan Museum in the Kelly-Farrior House.

Kenansville is headquarters for the Duplin and Pender Highway Patrol and is covered by the Duplin County Communications department for police, fire and rescue emergencies.

The Duplin General Hospital is also located in Kenansville and serves as the primary and specialty healthcare for residents in Duplin County. The Emergency Department is staffed by specially trained physicians and nurses and is open 24-hours a day. Additionally, the 101-bed community hospital offers skilled nursing and psychiatric services as well as outpatient treatment and same-day surgery. Duplin County Home Care and Hospice offices are based in this hospital complex.

Education is important to the residents of Kenansville. One local elementary and middle school are inside the town limits. The local high school is just a short four miles away. There is also one private, K-12, school four miles outside of the town. The James Sprunt Community College Main Campus is less than 1 mile outside of Kenansville. Three daycare centers are also available to younger children.

The Kenansville area has a park with age appropriate playground equipment, picnic areas and a tennis court lighted for nighttime use. The Duplin Country Club is located three miles from Kenansville and the Duplin Commons, a multi-purpose agribusiness center, is just outside Kenansville.