ZIP Code 27981

ZIP code 27981 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 20.4 square miles in Wanchese, Dare County, North Carolina. The area is home to 1,643 residents, producing a population density of 80 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 27981 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27981 sits at $88,750 (28% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $39,682. The poverty rate stands at 6.9% and the unemployment rate at 2.0%. On housing, the median home value is $311,800 (20% above the state average) with median rent at $1,073 per month, and 69.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27981 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 28.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.4, and the average commute is —. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Dare County, so you can benchmark 27981 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 →