PlainZIP

Kitty Hawk, NC · standard

ZIP Code 27949

Dare County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

6,947
177/sq mi
$120,662
Median income
$677,600
Median home value
55.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Kitty Hawk pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 9%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 7%
home value, US ZIPs
177
people per sq mi
83%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27949 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 27949 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Kitty Hawk, Dare County, North Carolina, home to 6,947 residents across 39.3 square miles, a density of 177 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 27949 skews affluent, with a median household income of $120,662 (74% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $67,976. 3.2% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 9.2%. Housing costs here run $677,600 for a typical home value (161% above the state average), with rent averaging $1,306 a month; 83.4% of homes are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 55.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 55.3, and the average commute is 26 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 6 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 27949, plus 6 more within Dare County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

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 27949

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Kitty Hawk, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27949.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 27949, Kitty Hawk, 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

6,947

Population

39.3

Area (sq mi)

177

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 27949?

55.3

Median Age

49.3%

Male

50.7%

Female

5.8%

Foreign-Born

White 91.4%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%

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?

$120,662

Median Household Income

+74% vs state

$67,976

Per Capita Income

3.2%

Poverty Rate

9.2%

Unemployment Rate

25.8 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 27949 ranks nationally

Kitty Hawk, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$120,662 Top 9% higher than 91% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 73.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 55.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

8,994

Total Housing Units

3,589

Occupied Units

5,405

Vacant Units

2.30

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 83.4%
Renter 16.6%

$677,600

Median Home Value

+161% vs state

$1,306

Median Rent

1988

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

+1.3%

YoY Change (2024)

336

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+236%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 27949 have increased 1.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +236% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +8.0% 206
2021 +14.7% 236
2022 +26.2% 298
2023 +11.2% 332
2024 +1.3% 336

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 576 business establishments in ZIP 27949, employing approximately 4,717 people with a combined annual payroll of $229,232,000.

576

Businesses

4,717

Employees

$229.2M

Annual Payroll

15

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 125 21.7%
Construction 96 16.7%
Accommodation and food services 81 14.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing 63 10.9%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 45 7.8%
Other services (except public administration) 37 6.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 36 6.3%
Finance and insurance 29 5.0%
Health care and social assistance 29 5.0%
Wholesale trade 7 1.2%
Information 6 1.0%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 6 1.0%
Manufacturing 5 0.9%
Educational services 5 0.9%
Transportation and warehousing 4 0.7%

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 27949 vs 27941 →

ZIP 27949 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27949 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 27949 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 27949 ranks the highest of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
27941 Harbinger, NC 536 4.8 mi
27964 Point Harbor, NC 545 4.3 mi
27966 Powells Point, NC 1,052 6.3 mi
27948 Kill Devil Hills, NC 10,862 6.7 mi
27947 Jarvisburg, NC 1,230 10.6 mi
27939 Grandy, NC 2,361 11.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Dare County

27948 standard
Kill Devil Hills, NC
Pop: 10,862
27954 standard
Manteo, NC
Pop: 6,111
27959 standard
Nags Head, NC
Pop: 2,789
27981 standard
Wanchese, NC
Pop: 1,643
27920 standard
Buxton, NC
Pop: 1,326
27936 standard
Frisco, NC
Pop: 1,091

Related Areas

Dare County Kitty Hawk, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 27949 in? ▼
ZIP code 27949 (Kitty Hawk) 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 27949? ▼
ZIP code 27949 in Kitty Hawk, NC has a population of 6,947 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 27949? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 27949 is $120,662, which is 58% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 27949? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 27949 is $677,600, which is 144% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27949? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 27949 is White at 91.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27949? ▼
ZIP code 27949 has 576 business establishments employing approximately 4,717 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27949? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27949 are: Retail trade (125), Construction (96), Accommodation and food services (81). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27949? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 27949 increased by 1.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 236%. 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 27949? ▼
In ZIP code 27949, 73.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 55.0% 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 27949? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 27949 is 25.8 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 27949? ▼
In ZIP code 27949, approximately 83.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 16.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27949? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 27949 is 3.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.