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COUNTY

Dare County

North Carolina · 38,245 residents (2025 est.) · 383 sq mi
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The short version

Dare County is a county of 37,875 people in North Carolina. The median age is 49.0, about 10 years above the US median. Few US counties rank higher on income. Owners hold 78% of the housing stock. The population is up 26% since 2000. 5% of people here were born outside the United States.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 49.0
US median: 38.9
More educated
43% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 97%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
37,875
+26%since 2000
from 29,967 in 2000
38,245 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
99 / sq mi
+11%since 2009
from 89 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
49.0
+21%since 2000
from 40.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
383 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
21K26K30K35K39K19902000201020202024Dare County
202438K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.1%(1,538)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.3%(1,633)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.7%(2,152)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.6%(2,131)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244.1%(1,541)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 349.1%(3,437)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412%(4,543)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.2%(4,991)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6416.8%(6,346)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7416.6%(6,280)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.6%(2,517)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(766)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$88,994
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,411 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$56,589
+140%since 2000
from $23,614 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
58.3%
+28.3 ptssince 2009
from 30.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
6.6%
−1.4 ptssince 2000
from 8.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.491
+18%since 2010
from 0.417 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade11.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services10.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade5.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration3.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance2.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction2.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$460,400
+97%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $128,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,345
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $638 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
78.4%
+3.9 ptssince 2000
from 74.5% in 2000
21.6% rent
Vacancy rate
52.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 51.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.24 people
+5%since 2009
from 2.14 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
25.5%
−14.3 ptssince 2009
from 39.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.5%
−6.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.2
−21%since 2009
from 6.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
60
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic93.5%(28,028)
Black2.6%(793)
Hispanic / Latino2.2%(666)
Asian0.4%(110)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic85.4%(32,339)
Black2.5%(964)
Hispanic / Latino7.4%(2,788)
Asian0.4%(169)
Other4.3%(1,615)
Diversity Score
33
+63%since 2009
from 20 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
26
−25%since 2020
from 34 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican4%(1,500)
Guatemalan0.9%(323)
Peruvian0.5%(181)
Honduran0.5%(171)
Puerto Rican0.4%(156)
Nicaraguan0.2%(91)
Panamanian0.2%(63)
Colombian0.2%(59)
Spaniard0.1%(49)
Cuban0.1%(41)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.2%(70)
Filipino0.1%(33)
Korean0.1%(23)
Thai0.1%(21)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
English19.1%(7,245)
American14.2%(5,363)
German14%(5,296)
Irish12.1%(4,586)
Italian5.7%(2,151)
Polish3.3%(1,267)
French2.4%(906)
Scottish2.3%(887)
Welsh1.2%(447)
Dutch1%(364)
Swedish0.8%(310)
+ 30 more ancestry groups with data
British0.6%(233)
Croatian0.5%(184)
Norwegian0.5%(173)
Ukrainian0.4%(134)
Danish0.3%(119)
Hungarian0.3%(100)
Portuguese0.3%(96)
Russian0.2%(92)
Swiss0.2%(62)
Lithuanian0.1%(56)
Australian0.1%(47)
Slovene0.1%(45)
Greek0.1%(44)
Slovak0.1%(42)
Finnish0.1%(39)
Latvian0.1%(38)
Czech0.1%(37)
Arab0.1%(33)
Canadian0.1%(31)
Serbian0.1%(28)
Lebanese0.1%(22)
Romanian0.1%(21)
Austrian0%(17)
Brazilian0%(10)
Belgian0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
43.2%
+15.5 ptssince 2000
from 27.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.7%
+6.1 ptssince 2000
from 88.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
13.2%
+4.7 ptssince 2000
from 8.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.4 min
+61%since 2000
from 13.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
72.7%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 76.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.5%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 10.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
14.2%
+6.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
2.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.9%
−1.0 ptssince 2011
from 6.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.0%
−6.8 ptssince 2011
from 70.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
81.5%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 79.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.1%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 12.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
42.0%
+10.5 ptssince 2009
from 31.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.3%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Female
50.7%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Foreign born
4.7%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
8.1%
−6.1 ptssince 2009
from 14.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.8%
−3.1 ptssince 2012
from 13.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.6%
−11.4 ptssince 2013
from 20.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.7%
+6.9 ptssince 2017
from 84.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.9%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 96.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
90.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 89.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
91.4%
−1.9 ptssince 2016
from 93.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
6.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2016
from 5.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married27.9%(4,456)
Married57.6%(9,211)
Widowed4.5%(725)
Divorced10%(1,604)
Women 15+
Never married21.3%(3,527)
Married56.1%(9,293)
Widowed11%(1,823)
Divorced11.6%(1,913)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
8.6%
−11.4 ptssince 2013
from 20.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
50.6%
+3.5 ptssince 2020
from 47.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
25.9%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 27.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
25.8%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 22.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
10.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 10.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
76.2%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 73.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.5%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 32.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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)25.1%(626)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24.7%(616)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.9%(921)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.6%(140)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.4%(34)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,498 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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Dare County

Clinton County
Pop 37,128
Amador County
Pop 41,876
Lee County
Pop 34,179
Jefferson County
Pop 35,297
Places similar to Dare County
Head to head

Compare Dare County to nearby counties

DARE COUNTY VS
Hyde County
Income$53,713−40%
Home value$124,000−73%
Population4,554−88%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DARE COUNTY VS
Tyrrell County
Income$41,685−53%
Home value$164,500−64%
Population3,537−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DARE COUNTY VS
Washington County
Income$41,813−53%
Home value$125,900−73%
Population10,638−72%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DARE COUNTY VS
Pasquotank County
Income$66,589−25%
Home value$234,600−49%
Population42,201+10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Dare County, North Carolina?

Dare County, North Carolina has about 37,875 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Dare County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Dare County, North Carolina earns about $88,994 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Dare County, North Carolina expensive?

In Dare County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $460,400, and the typical rent is about $1,345 a month.

How educated are people in Dare County, North Carolina?

About 43.2% of adults age 25 and over in Dare County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Dare County, North Carolina?

About 6.6% of people in Dare County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Dare County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Dare County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 15,129 residents, a change of about 67 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →