Kill Devil Hills, NC · standard
ZIP Code 27948
Dare County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 10,862
- 454/sq mi High-density area
- $86,193
- Median income Above-median income area
- $437,500
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 43.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Kill Devil Hills pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 31%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 17%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 454
- people per sq mi
- 74%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27948 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 27948 (Kill Devil Hills, NC) rose +7.0% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 374.2 in 2023 to 400.4 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 27948 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Kill Devil Hills, Dare County, North Carolina, home to 10,862 residents across 23.9 square miles, a density of 454 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 27948 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $86,193 (25% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $46,939. The poverty rate is 8.6%, with unemployment at 7.8%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $437,500 (69% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while 74.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,673.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 43.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.4, and the average commute is 23 minutes. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Dare County, so 27948 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 27948
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Kill Devil Hills, NC
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27948.
- Construction
Construction
86 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
82 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
72 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
43 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing
Real estate and rental and leasing
40 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 27948, Kill Devil Hills, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
10,862
Population
23.9
Area (sq mi)
454
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 27948?
48.4
Median Age
48.6%
Male
51.4%
Female
4.3%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$86,193
Median Household Income
+25% vs state ZIP avg
$46,939
Per Capita Income
8.6%
Poverty Rate
7.8%
Unemployment Rate
22.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 27948 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Kill Devil Hills, NC household income vs. every North Carolina ZIP code
Median household income among 749 reporting North Carolina ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$86,193 Top 17% higher than 83% of 749 North Carolina ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more North Carolina ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
10,173housing units
10,173
Total Housing Units
5,586
Occupied Units
4,587
Vacant Units
2.22
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$437,500
Median Home Value
+69% vs state ZIP avg
$1,673
Median Rent
1986
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+7.0%
YoY Change (2024)
400
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+300%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 27948 have increased 7.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +300% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +8.5% | 231 |
| 2021 | +16.8% | 270 |
| 2022 | +25.5% | 339 |
| 2023 | +10.3% | 374 |
| 2024 | +7.0% | 400 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 486 business establishments in ZIP 27948, employing approximately 4,041 people with a combined annual payroll of $163,658,000.
486
Businesses
4,041
Employees
$163.7M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 86 | 17.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 82 | 16.9% |
| Retail trade | 72 | 14.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 43 | 8.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 40 | 8.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 39 | 8.0% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 33 | 6.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 23 | 4.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 18 | 3.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 16 | 3.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 11 | 2.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 7 | 1.4% |
| Manufacturing | 6 | 1.2% |
| Information | 6 | 1.2% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 27948 vs 27954 →
ZIP 27948 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27948
Kill Devil Hills (27948)
10,862 residents
- 27949
Kitty Hawk (27949)
6,947 residents
- 27954
Manteo (27954)
6,111 residents
- 27959 2,789
Nags Head (27959)
2,789 residents
- 27964 545
Point Harbor (27964)
545 residents
- 27941 536
Harbinger (27941)
536 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27948 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27948 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27949
Kitty Hawk (27949)
$120,662 median income
- 27959
Nags Head (27959)
$91,264 median income
- 27948
Kill Devil Hills (27948)
$86,193 median income
- 27954
Manteo (27954)
$80,587 median income
- 27941
Harbinger (27941)
$50,893 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 27948 ranks #3 of 5 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 27948, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (10,862 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Dare County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 27948 in?
ZIP code 27948 (Kill Devil Hills) is located in Dare County, North Carolina. Dare County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/dare-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 27948?
ZIP code 27948 in Kill Devil Hills, NC has a population of 10,862 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 27948?
The median household income in ZIP 27948 is $86,193, which is 13% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 27948?
The median home value in ZIP 27948 is $437,500, which is 57% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27948?
The largest racial group in ZIP 27948 is White at 84.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 9.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27948?
ZIP code 27948 has 486 business establishments employing approximately 4,041 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27948?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27948 are: Construction (86), Accommodation and food services (82), Retail trade (72). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27948?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 27948 increased by 7.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 300%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 27948?
In ZIP code 27948, 61.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 43.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 27948?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 27948 is 22.7 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27948?
In ZIP code 27948, approximately 74.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 25.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27948?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 27948 is 8.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 27948's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 27948 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Kill Devil Hills, NC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.