Residential delivery area · North Carolina
ZIP Code 27981: Wanchese, NC
ZIP code 27981 is in Wanchese, North Carolina, entirely in Dare County (Census 2020 ZIP-county file). About 2,000 people live there (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Median household income is $88,750 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). By Census place, 51% of its land lies in Wanchese (a census-designated place); 49% is outside any Census place.
- ACS2020-24
- Census2020
- FHFA2022
- ZBP2023
- IRS2022
- Town
- Wanchese · its only residential ZIP
- County
- Dare County
- Census places
- Wanchese census-designated place
- Micro area
- Kill Devil Hills, NC
- House district
- NC-3 119th Congress
- State
- North Carolina
- Time zone
- Eastern
- Land area
- 9.1 sq mi · 216 people per sq mi
Where is ZIP code 27981?
27981 centers on 35.853°, -75.637° and covers 9.1 square miles of land plus 3.3 of water. It borders 1 ZIP code: 27954.
The map draws ZIP code areas only. For the streets inside 27981, open its center on OpenStreetMap.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA cartographic boundaries and the 2023 Gazetteer (2020 ZCTAs); ZIP-to-county shares, Census places and House districts (119th Congress) from the Census 2020 relationship files (shares of land); metro area from the OMB delineation (July 2023); town name and time zone from simplemaps US ZIP Codes (CC BY 4.0).
How does 27981 compare with the rest of Dare County?
| Measure | 27981 | In Dare County | In NC |
|---|---|---|---|
| People (ACS 2020-2024) | 1,969 | 5th of 14 | 600th of 853 |
| Median household income | $89k | not ranked | not ranked |
| Median home value | $312k | 6th of 6 | 176th of 572 |
27981's median household income is not ranked: its 90% margin of error (±$22,450) is more than a quarter of the figure ($88,750). Rankings use ZIP codes of 1,000 or more people living in households, with margins at most 25% of the figure.
It is denser than 63% of U.S. residential ZIP codes. ZIP codes at the ACS caps ($250,000 or more for household income, $2,000,000 or more for home value) share the top rank.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B19013, B25077); ranks by PlainZIP over residential ZIP codes (ZCTAs).
How many people live in 27981?
The 2020 Census counted 1,544 people in 27981; the ACS, which samples households over 2020-2024, estimates 1,969. Its boundary changed between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, so the two counts are not compared.
- People, ACS 2020-2024
- 1,969±458 (90% margin)
- 2020 Census count
- 1,544
- Households
- 726
- Median age
- 36.4
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B01002, B11001); 2020 Census (DHC P1); 2010 Census (SF1 P1).
Who lives in 27981?
Of the 1,969 people the ACS estimates in 27981, 30.9% are under 18 and 14.7% are 65 or older. The largest group by race and Hispanic origin is White (not Hispanic) (91.5%).
- Under 1830.9%
- 18 to 6454.4%
- 65 and older14.7%
- White, not Hispanic91.5%
- Hispanic or Latino4.7%
- Other or two or more3.6%
- Black, not Hispanic0.3%
- Asian, not Hispanic0.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01001 age by sex, B03002 Hispanic or Latino origin by race); shares of the estimated population, small ZIP codes carry wide margins.
What do households in 27981 earn?
Median household income is $88,750 (ACS 2020-2024).
- Median household income
- $88,750±$22,450
- Income per person
- $39,682
- Below the poverty line
- 6.9%
- Unemployed (of the labor force)
- 2.0%
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree
- 28.8%
- Adjusted gross income per tax return, 2022
- $58,706800 returns; wages 58% of AGI (IRS)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 and 2015-2019 5-year estimates (B19013, B19301, B17001, B23025, B15003; 2015-2019 dollars converted with the BLS CPI-U, 1.22699); IRS Statistics of Income, ZIP code data, tax year 2022 (adjusted gross income per return, filed under the address on the return).
What are homes worth in 27981?
- Median home value (owners' estimate)
- $311,800
- Median gross rent
- $1,073
- Homes owned by their occupants
- 69.4%
- Housing units
- 777
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25077, B25064, B25003, B25001); FHFA House Price Index, annual five-digit ZIP, updated 2026-03-31.
What businesses are in 27981?
68 business establishments had a location in this ZIP code in 2023, 7 more than in 2018; the most are in other services (except public administration) (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
- Other services (except public administration)13
- Construction12
- Manufacturing12
- Retail trade7
- Wholesale trade6
- Transportation and warehousing4
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 and 2018 (establishments with paid employees, by the business's ZIP code).
Which ZIP codes are next to 27981?
| ZIP | Town | People | Household income | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27954 | Manteo | 7,237 | $81k | 4.9 mi |
| 27959 | Nags Head | 3,170 | $91k | 3.3 mi (near) |
| 27948 | Kill Devil Hills | 12,436 | $86k | 11.9 mi (near) |
| 27953 | Manns Harbor | 999 | $53k | 13.8 mi (near) |
| 27978 | Stumpy Point | 237 | $60k | 14.6 mi (near) |
| 27968 | Rodanthe | 781 | – | 15.8 mi (near) |
| 27949 | Kitty Hawk | 8,251 | $121k | 18.8 mi (near) |
| 27941 | Harbinger | 641 | $51k | 19.5 mi (near) |
Source: PlainZIP from the Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries (shared edges) and internal points; figures ACS 2020-2024.