HomeNorth CarolinaDare County
Dare County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Dare County, North Carolina had an estimated 38,183 residents on July 1, 2024, up 3.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 36,912, across 383 square miles. County output reached $3.09 bn in 2024, 2,079 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 57 7(a) approvals worth $44.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Dare County
How many people live in Dare County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202437,875
- Households16,836
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$88,994
- Median age49.0
- Median gross rent$1,345 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$460,400
- Home value to household income5.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher43.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over28,880
- Population under 186,771
- Share under 1817.9 percent
- Population 65 and over9,563
- Share 65 and over25.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,541
- Civilian labor force20,470
- Unemployment rate5.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.8 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties65th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1259th of 3,222
Dare County is the 65th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 5.2 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.2 percent against 17.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Dare County
Is Dare County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202438,183
- Census 2020 base population36,912
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.44 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20242
- Births, 2024259
- Deaths, 2024423
- Natural change, 2024-164
- Net domestic migration, 202428
- Net international migration, 2024137
- Total net migration, 2024165
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,288
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents787th of 3,144
The county has grown 3.44 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Dare County
Where are people moving to Dare County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,416
- People arriving, from those returns2,446
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,307
- Net household movement109
- Adjusted gross income arriving$177.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$54.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$125,532
- Average income of a leaving household$94,216
- Largest single originCurrituck County (83 households)
- Largest single destinationCurrituck County (147 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currituck County | 83 | 144 | $5.9 m |
| Wake County | 46 | 81 | $6.2 m |
| Chesapeake city | 40 | 71 | $3.6 m |
| Virginia Beach city | 40 | 70 | $4.1 m |
| Fairfax County | 38 | 65 | $6.1 m |
| Chesterfield County | 25 | 52 | $2.6 m |
| Pitt County | 22 | 32 | $1.1 m |
Households arriving report $31,316 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Currituck County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Dare County
What is the Dare County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$3.09 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.01 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.6 percent
- GDP change over five years33.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes43rd of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes958th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$81,512
Output grew 2.6 percent in the latest year and 33.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Dare County
Employment by industry in Dare County
- Covered employment, annual average20,359
- Establishments reporting2,329
- Average annual pay$46,480
- Average weekly wage$894
- Accommodation and food services, employment4,898
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$32,152
- Retail trade, employment3,913
- Retail trade, average annual pay$39,489
- Real estate and rental and leasing, employment1,870
- Real estate and rental and leasing, average annual pay$43,928
- Construction, employment1,245
- Construction, average annual pay$56,723
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment1,027
- Manufacturing, employment681
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 4,898 | 348 | $32,152 |
| Retail trade | 3,913 | 362 | $39,489 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 1,870 | 160 | $43,928 |
| Construction | 1,245 | 304 | $56,723 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,027 | 173 | $44,971 |
| Manufacturing | 681 | 49 | $59,354 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 680 | 254 | $76,156 |
| Other services, except public administration | 550 | 143 | $39,200 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 4,898 jobs, 24.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Dare County
How many businesses are in Dare County?
- Establishments, all industries2,079
- Employment at those establishments16,320
- Annual payroll$740.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents54.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Dare County
Building permits in Dare County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024371
- Declared construction value permitted$228.0 m
- Single family units authorized371
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$614,518
- Units authorized per 1,000 households22.0
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Dare County
SBA loans in Dare County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded57
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$44.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$775,505
- Median 7(a) approval$300,000
- 10th percentile approval$47,400
- 90th percentile approval$1,894,000
- Largest single approval$4,320,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)738
- Jobs per approval12.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active21
- Distinct industries receiving approvals30
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms9
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter46
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals1.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (8)
- Most active lenderTowneBank (11)
- 504 approvals recorded31
- 504 gross approval dollars$20.4 m
- Average 504 approval$656,677
- Median 504 approval$391,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval7.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.8
- Most active CDC504 Capital Corporation (19)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$64.6 m
The average approval of $775,505 sits well above the median of $300,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 15.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dare County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Dare County
Do SBA loans in Dare County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded11
- Paid in full11
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure41
- Status: Paid in full11
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Only 11 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dare County
SBA lending by place in Dare County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending14
- Kill Devil Hills, approvals16
- Nags Head, approvals12
- Kitty Hawk, approvals10
- Manteo, approvals4
- Avon, approvals3
- Hatteras, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Kill Devil Hills | 16 | $15,380,300 |
| Nags Head | 12 | $8,163,800 |
| Kitty Hawk | 10 | $6,222,600 |
| Manteo | 4 | $2,966,000 |
| Avon | 3 | $2,020,800 |
| Hatteras | 2 | $2,130,000 |
| Manns Harbor | 2 | $895,000 |
| Duck | 2 | $695,000 |
| 6 other borrower cities | 6 | $5,730,300 |
Kill Devil Hills accounts for 16 approvals against 12 in Nags Head. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dare County
How large is Dare County?
- Land area383 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties68th of 100
- Width, east to west33 mi
- Height, north to south80.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land99
- Establishments per square mile5.43
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Dare County
Flood risk in Dare County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Dare County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 375348
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 6
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class7
- Radon levels in Dare County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Dare County (community 375348), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 6, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Dare County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Dare County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Dare County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202437,875
- Households16,836
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$88,994
- Median age49.0
Common questions
Dare County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Dare County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 38,183 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 37,875, in 16,836 households, ranking 65th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Dare County's population growing?
The population has grown 3.44 percent since the 2020 census base of 36,912, to 38,183 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 259 births against 423 deaths, with net migration of 165. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Dare County?
$88,994. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $460,400, which is 5.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,345 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Dare County?
2,079 establishments, employing 16,320 people with an annual payroll of $740.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Dare County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 4,898 jobs, 24.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 20,359 jobs at an average annual pay of $46,480, or $894 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Dare County?
57 7(a) approvals totaling $44.2 m since FY2020, across 21 lenders, with a median approval of $300,000, plus 31 504 approvals worth $20.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Dare County?
371 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $228.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Dare County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Dare County come from?
The largest single origin is Currituck County, with 83 households. Arriving households report an average income of $125,532 against $94,216 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Dare County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Dare County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Dare County
Cities and places in Dare.
15 Census places lie wholly or partly in Dare County. All 15 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kill Devil Hills | town | 7,761 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Kitty Hawk | town | 3,724 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Nags Head | town | 3,160 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Southern Shores | town | 3,139 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Manteo | town | 2,020 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Wanchese | CDP | 1,956 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Buxton | CDP | 1,267 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Manns Harbor | CDP | 926 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Rodanthe | CDP | 781 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Duck | town | 669 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Frisco | CDP | 664 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Avon | CDP | 339 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Salvo | CDP | 220 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Waves | CDP | 153 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hatteras | CDP | 152 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 57 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Dare County, the largest being Powells Point (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.