Manteo, NC · standard
ZIP Code 27954
Dare County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 6,111
- 267/sq mi
- $80,587
- Median income
- $418,400
- Median home value
- 38.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Manteo pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 37%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 19%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 267
- people per sq mi
- 82%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27954 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 27954 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 22.9 square miles in Manteo, Dare County, North Carolina. The area is home to 6,111 residents, producing a population density of 267 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 27954 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27954 sits at $80,587 (17% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $46,544. The poverty rate stands at 7.4% and the unemployment rate at 2.7%. On housing, the median home value is $418,400 (61% above the state average) with median rent at $1,243 per month, and 81.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27954 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 38.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.1, and the average commute is 20 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Dare County, so you can benchmark 27954 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 27954
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27954.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
53 establishments
- Construction
Construction
25 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
25 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
23 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing 20
Real estate and rental and leasing
20 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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 27954, Manteo, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
6,111
Population
22.9
Area (sq mi)
267
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 27954?
44.1
Median Age
47.1%
Male
52.9%
Female
5.9%
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?
$80,587
Median Household Income
+17% vs state
$46,544
Per Capita Income
7.4%
Poverty Rate
2.7%
Unemployment Rate
20.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 27954 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$80,587 Top 37% higher than 63% of 30,318 US ZIPs
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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
3,680
Total Housing Units
2,983
Occupied Units
697
Vacant Units
2.41
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$418,400
Median Home Value
+61% vs state
$1,243
Median Rent
1994
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
+9.2%
YoY Change (2024)
330
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+230%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 27954 have increased 9.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +230% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.6% | 197 |
| 2021 | +14.8% | 226 |
| 2022 | +24.9% | 282 |
| 2023 | +6.9% | 302 |
| 2024 | +9.2% | 330 |
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 244 business establishments in ZIP 27954, employing approximately 1,512 people with a combined annual payroll of $65,046,000.
244
Businesses
1,512
Employees
$65.0M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 53 | 21.7% |
| Construction | 25 | 10.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 25 | 10.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 23 | 9.4% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 20 | 8.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 18 | 7.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 17 | 7.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 13 | 5.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 13 | 5.3% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 11 | 4.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 10 | 4.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 6 | 2.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 1.6% |
| Information | 3 | 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 27954 vs 27981 →
ZIP 27954 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
- 27954
Manteo (27954)
6,111 residents
- 27959 2,789
Nags Head (27959)
2,789 residents
- 27981 1,643
Wanchese (27981)
1,643 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27954 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27954 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27959
Nags Head (27959)
$91,264 median income
- 27981
Wanchese (27981)
$88,750 median income
- 27948
Kill Devil Hills (27948)
$86,193 median income
- 27954
Manteo (27954)
$80,587 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 27954 ranks #4 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Dare County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 27954 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 27954? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 27954? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 27954? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27954? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27954? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27954? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27954? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 27954? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 27954? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27954? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27954? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Manteo, NC
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.