PlainZIP

Wanchese, NC · standard

ZIP Code 27981

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

1,643
80/sq mi
$88,750
Median income
$311,800
Median home value
28.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Wanchese pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 28%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 32%
home value, US ZIPs
80
people per sq mi
69%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27981 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 27981 covers 20.4 square miles in Wanchese, Dare County, North Carolina (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,643 residents on file, a density of 80 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 27981 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $88,750 (28% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $39,682. Local economic indicators show a 6.9% poverty rate alongside 2.0% unemployment. Median home value sits at $311,800 (20% above the state average), median rent at $1,073 a month, and owner-occupancy at 69.4%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 28.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.4, and the average commute is -. Beyond these figures, 3 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Dare County, letting you compare 27981 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline 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 27981

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Wanchese, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27981.

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 27981, Wanchese, 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

1,643

Population

20.4

Area (sq mi)

80

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 27981?

36.4

Median Age

52.2%

Male

47.8%

Female

0.6%

Foreign-Born

White 91.5%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.7%
Hispanic or Latino 4.7%

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?

$88,750

Median Household Income

+28% vs state

$39,682

Per Capita Income

6.9%

Poverty Rate

2.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 27981 ranks nationally

Wanchese, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$88,750 Top 28% higher than 72% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $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 70.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 28.8%

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

What does housing look like?

777

Total Housing Units

726

Occupied Units

51

Vacant Units

2.69

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 69.4%
Renter 30.6%

$311,800

Median Home Value

+20% vs state

$1,073

Median Rent

1987

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 68 business establishments in ZIP 27981, employing approximately 666 people with a combined annual payroll of $33,565,000.

68

Businesses

666

Employees

$33.6M

Annual Payroll

7

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Other services (except public administration) 13 19.1%
Construction 12 17.6%
Manufacturing 12 17.6%
Retail trade 7 10.3%
Wholesale trade 6 8.8%
Transportation and warehousing 4 5.9%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 4 5.9%

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 27981 vs 27959 →

ZIP 27981 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 27981 ranks #3 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 27981 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 27981 ranks #2 of 4 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
27959 Nags Head, NC 2,789 3.3 mi
27954 Manteo, NC 6,111 4.5 mi
27978 Stumpy Point, NC 225 10.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Dare County

27948 standard
Kill Devil Hills, NC
Pop: 10,862
27949 standard
Kitty Hawk, NC
Pop: 6,947
27954 standard
Manteo, NC
Pop: 6,111
27959 standard
Nags Head, NC
Pop: 2,789
27920 standard
Buxton, NC
Pop: 1,326
27936 standard
Frisco, NC
Pop: 1,091

Related Areas

Dare County Wanchese, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 27981 in? ▼
ZIP code 27981 (Wanchese) 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 27981? ▼
ZIP code 27981 in Wanchese, NC has a population of 1,643 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 27981? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 27981 is $88,750, which is 16% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 27981? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 27981 is $311,800, which is 12% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27981? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 27981 is White at 91.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27981? ▼
ZIP code 27981 has 68 business establishments employing approximately 666 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27981? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27981 are: Other services (except public administration) (13), Construction (12), Manufacturing (12). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 27981? ▼
In ZIP code 27981, 70.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 28.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27981? ▼
In ZIP code 27981, approximately 69.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 30.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27981? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 27981 is 6.9% 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.