Dare County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Dare County, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 89% of counties in North Carolina
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 93% of counties in North Carolina
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 91% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Dare County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,875 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 24.6 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.92% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.5 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,836 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Dare County grew by 11.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 37,875 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Dare County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.5% of residents. That is 4.0 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,098 16.1% -5.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,965 18.4% -3.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,297 24.5% +4.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,129 24.1% +7.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.6% of the people living in Dare County and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 49.4% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Dare County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Dare County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Dare County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $89,741 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.65% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Dare County is about 24% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Dare County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $69,230 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,345 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.4% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Dare County is about 4.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,345 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Dare County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 145 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Dare County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.4 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.8 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 145 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,498 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.2% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,799 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 980 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Dare County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Dare County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Dare County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.6% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.24 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Dare County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Dare County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.7% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.4% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Dare County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
How Dare County, NC compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dare County, NC | 37,875 | $89,741 #2/3 | $69,230 #3/3 | 17.4 min #1/3 |
| Currituck County, NC | 30,601 | $95,793 | $93,333 | 33.9 min |
| Pasquotank County, NC | 40,823 | $65,195 | $104,038 | 18.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Dare County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Dare County, North Carolina?
About 37,875 people live in Dare County, North Carolina, in 16,836 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 47.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
How densely populated is Dare County, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Dare County, North Carolina has 25 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 28% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Dare County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($69,230 against $89,741), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,345 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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