Nags Head is home to 3,160 people in North Carolina. The median age is 58.4, about 19 years above the US median. Owners hold 83% of the housing stock. Few US cities rank higher on income. This is an unusually credentialed place: 51% of adults have a four-year degree. 2% of locals were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $91,264, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 58.4
US median: 38.9
More educated
51% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 88%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Nags Head
What changed most since 1990
Median age38.2 → 58.4(+20.2 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
White share96.8% → 93.6%(−3.2 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Homes owned by their occupants68.5% → 82.8%(+14.4 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
Nags Head's population equals 8.3% of Dare County's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 3.1% of the county's. Its number of households without a car equals 4.5% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)16.8%(49)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)2.1%(6)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era30.9%(90)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War20.6%(60)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II4.1%(12)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 291 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Nags Head, decade by decade
Nags Head population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
1,838
$82,502
$300,009
30.8%
7.8
2000
2,700
$96,721
$261,225
34.7%
9.7
2010
2,757
$78,786
$506,952
35.8%
17.0
2020
3,168
$94,824
$383,368
47.4%
20.5
2024
3,160
$91,264
$490,800
50.9%
15.4
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
