What is the median household income in Nags Head, NC?

Name: Income and affordability in Nags Head, NC, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The median household income in Nags Head, NC is $91,264 (±$15,374) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Paying the median gross rent of $1,005 a month would take about $40,200 a year at the common guideline of spending no more than 30% of income on rent.

In Nags Head, the median household income went from $65,968 in 2015–2019 to $91,264 in 2020–2024 (+38.3%).

Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years; the change is not measurably different from the rise in prices.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Median household income: $91,264 (±$15,374)
Median renter income: $47,969 (±$19,202)
Income to afford median rent: about $40,200

Income in Nags Head against Dare County, its state and the nation

Income, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Nags Head	Dare County	North Carolina	United States
Median household income	$91,264 (±$15,374)	$88,994 (±$5,211)	$72,388 (±$324)	$80,734
Median renter household income	$47,969 (±$19,202)	$68,881 (±$7,430)	$48,010 (±$418)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$101,500 (±$26,122)	$100,036 (±$5,586)	$88,911 (±$521)	$100,009
Median gross rent	$1,005 (±$428)	$1,345 (±$85)	$1,228 (±$5)	$1,413

In Nags Head, median household income is not measurably different from Dare County ($88,994).

It is also higher than in North Carolina ($72,388).

It is not measurably different from the national figure ($80,734).

In Dare County, Nags Head ranks 4 of 7 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest median household income.

Statewide, it ranks 103 of 643.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How much you need to earn to rent in Nags Head

Many landlords and housing programs use 30% of gross income as the most a household should spend on rent.

At that guideline, the median gross rent of $1,005 a month ($12,060 a year) needs an income of about $40,200 a year.

The median renting household in Nags Head earns $47,969 a year.

This is arithmetic on the published medians, not a rule any landlord must follow; screening criteria vary and some places limit how income may be weighed.

Income against housing costs since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Median household income	$65,968 (±$11,944)	$91,264 (±$15,374)	+38.3%	No measurable change after inflation
Median gross rent	$1,310 (±$370)	$1,005 (±$428)	−23.3%	No measurable change after inflation
Median home value	$327,900 (±$27,928)	$490,800 (±$81,751)	+49.7%	No measurable change after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Median household income in places near Nags Head

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Nags Head
Place	Distance	Median household income	Compared with this place
Nags Head	—	$91,264 (±$15,374)	—
Manteo	3.7 mi	$83,777 (±$15,990)	Not measurably different
Kill Devil Hills	5.4 mi	$89,773 (±$19,071)	Not measurably different
Wanchese	7.5 mi	$88,750 (±$22,450)	Not measurably different
Kitty Hawk	9.9 mi	$94,450 (±$16,986)	Not measurably different
Southern Shores	13 mi	$131,429 (±$23,323)	Higher
Duck	18 mi	$136,250 (±$48,364)	Not measurably different
Grandy	24 mi	$62,847 (±$17,273)	Lower
Columbia	34 mi	$25,893 (±$12,151)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Grandy, NC ($62,847), Columbia, NC ($25,893).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Southern Shores, NC ($131,429).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Median household income across Dare County, place by place

Rank	Place	Median household income
1	Duck	$136,250 (±$48,364)
2	Southern Shores	$131,429 (±$23,323)
3	Kitty Hawk	$94,450 (±$16,986)
4	Nags Head	$91,264 (±$15,374)
5	Kill Devil Hills	$89,773 (±$19,071)
6	Wanchese	$88,750 (±$22,450)
7	Manteo	$83,777 (±$15,990)

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Nags Head

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Nags Head beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Nags Head, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Nags Head, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Nags Head

What is the median household income in Nags Head?

The median household income in Nags Head is $91,264 (±$15,374) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How much do you need to make to afford rent in Nags Head?

About $40,200 a year, if rent is to stay at or below 30% of income at the median gross rent of $1,005 a month.

Have incomes in Nags Head kept up with inflation?

In Nags Head, the median household income went from $65,968 in 2015–2019 to $91,264 in 2020–2024 (+38.3%).

Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years; the change is not measurably different from the rise in prices.

What do renters earn in Nags Head?

The median renting household in Nags Head, NC earns $47,969 (±$19,202) a year.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for Nags Head town, North Carolina (place:45880, in state:37).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are B19013_001E, B19013_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B25077_001E, B25077_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.