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 Moderate-density area
- $88,750
- Median income Above-median income area
- $311,800
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 28.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $39,682. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 6.9% and unemployment is 2.0%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $311,800 (20% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while 69.4% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,073.
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 -. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Dare County, so 27981 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 27981
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Wanchese, NC
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27981.
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
13 establishments
- Construction
Construction
12 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
12 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
7 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
6 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 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
Who lives in ZIP 27981?
36.4
Median Age
52.2%
Male
47.8%
Female
0.6%
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?
$88,750
Median Household Income
+28% vs state ZIP avg
$39,682
Per Capita Income
6.9%
Poverty Rate
2.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 27981 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Wanchese, 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)
$88,750 Top 16% higher than 84% 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
777housing units
777
Total Housing Units
726
Occupied Units
51
Vacant Units
2.69
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$311,800
Median Home Value
+20% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 27954
Manteo (27954)
6,111 residents
- 27959
Nags Head (27959)
2,789 residents
- 27981 1,643
Wanchese (27981)
1,643 residents
- 27978 225
Stumpy Point (27978)
225 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27981 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27981 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
- 27954
Manteo (27954)
$80,587 median income
- 27978
Stumpy Point (27978)
$60,192 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 27981, 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 (1,643 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 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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 27981's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 27981 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Wanchese, 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.