Dare County, NC

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

37,875

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

1.03% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

6.62%

12.2% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$88,994

9.58% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$460,400

8.23% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

19,254

1.43% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Dare County, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.2% of the residents in Dare County, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Dare County, NC was $460,400, and the homeownership rate was 78.4%.

Most people in Dare County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Dare County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Dare County, NC borders Currituck County, NC, Hyde County, NC, and Tyrrell County, NC.

About the photo: Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a United States national seashore which preserves the portion of the Outer Banks of North Carolina from Bodie Island to Ocracoke Island, stretching over 70 miles (110 km), and is managed by the National Park Service.

Photo by eflon

United States North Carolina Kill Devil Hills, NC

Population & Diversity

Dare County, NC is home to a population of 37.9k people, from which 97.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.74% of Dare County, NC residents were born outside of the country (1.8k people).

In 2024, there were 26.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (32.3k people) in Dare County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.2k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 1.06k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.2%

2024 Citizenship

97%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.2% of Dare County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Dare County, NC was 97%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Dare County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Dare County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
32.3k ± 350
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
1.2k ± 383
Other (Hispanic)
1.06k ± 371

7.36%

Hispanic Population

2.79k people

7.36% of the people in Dare County, NC are hispanic (2.79k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Dare County, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
Honduras
48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

Foreign-Born Population

4.74%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.8k people

4.96%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.86k people

As of 2024, 4.74% of Dare County, NC residents (1.8k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Dare County, NC was 4.96%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Dare County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
878 ± 209
Gulf War (2001-)
626 ± 215
Gulf War (1990s)
292 ± 98

Dare County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.4 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Dare County, NC.

Economy

The economy of Dare County, NC employs 19.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Dare County, NC were Retail Trade (2,480 people), Construction (2,159 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,954 people), and the highest paying industries were Information ($198,295), Finance & Insurance ($130,625), and Wholesale Trade ($90,560).

Employment

Occupations

19.3k

2024 Value

± 1,127

1.43%

1 Year growth

± 8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Dare County, NC grew at a rate of 1.43%, from 19k employees to 19.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Dare County, NC, are Management Occupations (2,856 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,491 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,742 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Dare County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

19.3k

2024 Value

± 1,127

1.43%

1 Year growth

± 8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Dare County, NC grew at a rate of 1.43%, from 19k employees to 19.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Dare County, NC, are Retail Trade (2,480 people), Construction (2,159 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,954 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Dare County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Dare County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,507

Median earning men ± $3,892

$41,697

Median earning women ± $3,628

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($95,833), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($87,794), and Public Administration ($79,773).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($250,001), Wholesale Trade ($106,895), and Construction ($55,524).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

240
Retail Trade
210
Construction
127
Accommodation and Food Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$156k
Accommodation and Food Services
$140k
Retail Trade
$87.7k
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Dare County, NC was $460,400 in 2024, which is 1.38 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $425,400 to $460,400, a 8.23% increase. The homeownership rate in Dare County, NC is 78.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Dare County, NC have an average commute time of 22.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Dare County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 13.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dare County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.69%.

Housing

Property

$460,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$16,420

$13,202

Median Property Taxes

±$879

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Dare County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Dare County, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

78.4%

Homeownership

2024

67.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 78.4% of the housing units in Dare County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 77.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Dare County, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$88,994

Median Household Income

± $5,211

16.8k

Number of Households

± 975

In 2024, the median household income of the 16.8k households in Dare County, NC grew to $88,994 from the previous year's value of $81,214.

The following chart displays the households in Dare County, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Dare County, NC is from North Carolina.

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (72.7%)
Worked At Home (14.2%)
Carpooled (8.5%)

In 2024, 72.7% of workers in Dare County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.2%) and those who carpooled to work (8.5%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Dare County, NC have a shorter commute time (22.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.61% of the workforce in Dare County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Dare County, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Dare County, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Dare County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 13.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dare County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.69%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

6.62% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Dare County, NC (2.5k out of 37.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Dare County, NC is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 13.3% of the children was living in poverty in Dare County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 247 in Dare County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 109 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

91.4% of the population of Dare County, NC has health coverage, with 38.9% on employee plans, 8.32% on Medicaid, 19.3% on Medicare, 23% on non-group plans, and 1.9% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Dare County, NC see 1,719 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,719 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1518 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 465 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,719 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Dare County, NC

Primary care physicians in Dare County, NC see an average of 1,719 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,719 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Dare County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.1% under 18 years, 13.7% between 18 and 34 years, 42% between 35 and 64 years, and 25.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.63%

Uninsured

38.9%

Employer Coverage

8.32%

Medicaid

19.3%

Medicare

23%

Non-Group

1.9%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Dare County, NC declined by 2.59% from 8.86% to 8.63%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Dare County, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 36.2 in Dare County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Dare County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 29.5% in Dare County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Dare County, NC.