1st Advantage MortgageOwners are 78% of Dare County households and renters pay a median of $1,345. For a Dare County borrower, the safe sequence is the same: price the need, compare APR and fees on several written offers, confirm the North Carolina license, and pick the shortest term whose payment fits.
On this page
- Local snapshot
- What Dare County residents do for work
- Age, schooling and housing in Dare County
- Monthly budget benchmarks in Dare County
- Loan lessons from the Dare County figures
- How Dare County compares
- Local context
- A Dare County borrower checklist
- How Dare County's population is spread
- What kind of homes Dare County has
- Household incomes in Dare County, step by step
- Carolina counties near Dare County
- Dare County's outlier numbers
- Frequently asked questions
Local snapshot
Numbers come from the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 ACS for Dare County. Treat them as estimates.
What Dare County residents do for work
By industry, the largest groups of Dare County workers are in education and health care (16%), arts, entertainment, lodging and food service (13%) and professional, scientific and administrative services (13%). Compared with the median place in our Carolina county set, Dare County leans toward finance, insurance and real estate: 11% of workers against a median of 5%.
A median hides the edges. The ACS counts 17% of Dare County households under $35,000 and 44% at $100,000 or higher, with 14% above $200,000. That is 18 points above the Carolina county median on six-figure households and 12 below it on households under $35,000. Spread matters because a median can hide a large group of households with much less room in their budgets.
Age, schooling and housing in Dare County
A bachelor's degree or more is held by 43% of Dare County adults aged 25 and up, and the median age is 49.0. That makes Dare County 6.8 years older than the middle place in our Carolina county set, with a degree share 20 points higher.
By structure type, 80% of Dare County housing units are detached single-family homes and 9% are in buildings with five or more units. Detached homes run 12 points above the typical place in our set. Mobile and manufactured homes sit in a different insurance and financing category, which is worth knowing if one is yours.
Monthly budget benchmarks in Dare County
Monthly math for a typical Dare County household: $7,416 before taxes, from a median income of $88,994. After the median rent of $1,345 (18% of income), the 30% yardstick of $2,225 is not reached. Apply a 36% debt-to-income test and a median-earning household in Dare County could carry roughly $2,670 a month in total debt payments, housing included. Home prices sit near 5.2x the median household's annual income.
Loan lessons from the Dare County figures
Dare County homes run 5.2 times median income ($460,400 against $88,994), high for our Carolina county set. Housing already strains many budgets, so keep new payments modest.
Short trips are the norm in Dare County, where 11% commute 45 minutes or more. That trims one common emergency from household budgets.
Working from home is common in Dare County (14% of workers), higher than in most of our Carolina county set. Lenders will ask how that income is paid, so keep W-2s or 1099s handy.
How Dare County compares
Line Dare County up with the other 146 Carolina county places and you see a median household income of $88,994 (No. 9 of 146), a median gross rent of $1,345 (No. 15 of 146), and a median home value of $460,400 (No. 3 of 146). Ranks like these are a snapshot that changes each release.
For scale, look at two North Carolina places of similar size: Macon County ($59,061 income, $803 rent), where Dare County runs 51% above on income and 67% above on rent and Yadkin County ($62,932 income, $766 rent), where Dare County runs 41% above on income and 76% above on rent. Size any payment to your own budget rather than to a neighbor's.
Local context
Dare County takes in 15 Census places, 6 of them incorporated towns or cities; the largest are Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Southern Shores. County-wide figures here include Kill Devil Hills and every smaller community around it.
A Dare County borrower checklist
- Look the lender up with the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks and file any complaint there. North Carolina does not allow payday storefronts.
- Read your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and fix errors before you shop.
- Confirm there is no prepayment penalty, in writing, so you can clear the balance early.
- Run the offer checklist before you sign.
- Stress-test the payment: could you still make it after one bad month?
How Dare County's population is spread
The 2024 Census place list for Dare County has 15 entries: 6 towns or cities with their own government and 9 unincorporated CDPs. Southern Shores has the priciest homes at the median ($712,300); Wanchese the least expensive ($311,800).
| Town or CDP | Type | People | Portion of county | Typical home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kill Devil Hills | incorporated town | 7,761 | 20.5% | $442,200 |
| Kitty Hawk | incorporated town | 3,724 | 9.8% | $535,000 |
| Nags Head | incorporated town | 3,160 | 8.3% | $490,800 |
| Southern Shores | incorporated town | 3,139 | 8.3% | $712,300 |
| Manteo | incorporated town | 2,020 | 5.3% | $444,400 |
| Wanchese | unincorporated (CDP) | 1,956 | 5.2% | $311,800 |
| Buxton | unincorporated (CDP) | 1,267 | 3.3% | $409,900 |
| Manns Harbor | unincorporated (CDP) | 926 | 2.4% | $253,000 |
| Rodanthe | unincorporated (CDP) | 781 | 2.1% | n/a |
| Duck | incorporated town | 669 | 1.8% | $767,500 |
| Frisco | unincorporated (CDP) | 664 | 1.8% | $439,600 |
| Avon | unincorporated (CDP) | 339 | 0.9% | $400,500 |
What kind of homes Dare County has
Compared with North Carolina overall, Dare County has fewer mobile homes (4% vs 11%) and more detached houses (80% vs 65%). Housing type matters for repair costs in Dare County: manufactured homes, older detached houses and condos each bring different bills.
| Structure type | Dare County | vs North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family detached | 79.7% | +14.4 pts |
| Townhouse or attached | 1.1% | -3.7 pts |
| 2 to 4 units | 5.5% | +0.9 pts |
| 5 to 19 units | 6.9% | -1.4 pts |
| 20 or more units | 2.3% | -3.7 pts |
| Mobile home | 4.3% | -6.6 pts |
Household incomes in Dare County, step by step
Eight income steps for Dare County: the largest group, 25% of households, is in the $150,000 or more band. For the 17% of Dare County households under $35,000, free help and payment plans usually beat borrowing (no-cost options).
| Yearly income step | Dare County households | Difference from North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Under $15,000 | 4.4% | -4.3 pts |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 4.9% | -2.1 pts |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 7.7% | +0.2 pts |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 9.0% | -2.7 pts |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 15.8% | -1.0 pts |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 14.0% | +1.0 pts |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 19.2% | +2.5 pts |
| $150,000 or more | 25.0% | +6.4 pts |
Carolina counties near Dare County
Neighboring Carolina counties, nearest first (26 to 53 miles), with population, median age, degree share and poverty rate.
| County | How far | People | Median age | Degree holders | Poverty rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dare County | - | 37,875 | 49.0 | 43% | 7% |
| Hyde County, NC | 26 mi | 4,592 | 47.1 | 15% | 22% |
| Tyrrell County, NC | 29 mi | 3,423 | 47.8 | 13% | 19% |
| Washington County, NC | 48 mi | 10,812 | 48.8 | 15% | 24% |
| Pasquotank County, NC | 53 mi | 40,834 | 39.6 | 28% | 11% |
| Perquimans County, NC | 53 mi | 13,244 | 50.7 | 22% | 10% |
Dare County's outlier numbers
Out of 100 North Carolina counties, Dare County's most unusual ranks are on vacant housing, home values, poverty, six-figure households.
- Vacant housing puts Dare County at #1 of 100 among North Carolina counties (52%). Seasonal and second homes are common.
- Home values puts Dare County at #2 of 100 among North Carolina counties ($460,400). Equity is an option for owners, with the house at stake.
- Dare County: 6.6% for poverty, #2 lowest of 100 in North Carolina. Still, test every payment against a lean month.
- Dare County: 44% for six-figure households, #6 of 100 in North Carolina. Use strong credit to compare, not to borrow more.
| Indicator | Dare County figure | Rank | Median of 146 NC/SC counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vacant housing | 52% | #1 of 100 | 14% |
| Home values | $460,400 | #2 of 100 | $213,900 |
| Poverty | 6.6% | #2 lowest of 100 | 15.4% |
| Six-figure households | 44% | #6 of 100 | 26% |
Frequently asked questions
Is Dare County housing expensive relative to income?
Yes by this measure: a $460,400 median home value is about 5.2 times the $88,994 median income. That leaves less room for new payments.
Do you treat Dare County applicants differently from anyone else?
No. The check looks at what you borrow, your credit range, your income from any source and your monthly payments, and treats every applicant the same. A lender's own decision is separate, and fair-lending laws bind lenders.
Who regulates personal lenders in North Carolina?
Consumer finance lenders that make small loans to Dare County residents are licensed by the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks, which also takes complaints. North Carolina prohibits payday lending. Always verify a lender's license and never pay a fee before funding.
Is same-day funding realistic in Dare County?
Sometimes, after full verification, but plan for a few business days. Treat any promise of instant cash for an upfront fee as a scam.