Housing data for Oak Island, NC
Oak Island, NC has an estimated 9,030 residents and 10,805 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Brunswick County.
10.3% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,339 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+15.0%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 9,030 (±24)
- Housing units
- 10,805 (±371)
- Households that rent
- 10.3%
- Median gross rent
- $1,339
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +15.0%
What stands out in Oak Island
Rental vacancy rate: 70.0% (±8.5 points) in Oak Island, higher than in Brunswick County (27.9%).
Median real estate taxes: $3,156 (±$177) in Oak Island, higher than in Brunswick County ($1,890).
Working from home: 24.9% (±6.2 points) in Oak Island, higher than in Brunswick County (14.7%).
Median home value: $456,500 (±$23,101) in Oak Island, higher than in Brunswick County ($349,800).
Housing in Oak Island at a glance
- Median rent: $1,339 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,403 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 60.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 10.3% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $85,872 median household income
- Home values: $456,500 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,968 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $3,156 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 3.4% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 79.8% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 18.3% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 70.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 92.1% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 23.4 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 91 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +15.0% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 32.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 1.1% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Oak Island against Brunswick County, its state and the nation
| Oak Island | Brunswick County | North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 9,030 (±24) | 152,568 (exact) | 10,730,404 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 10,805 (±371) | 99,077 (±98) | 4,895,668 (±642) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 10.3% (±3.3 points) | 15.4% (±1.2 points) | 33.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,339 (±$148) | $1,351 (±$52) | $1,228 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $85,872 (±$7,281) | $77,024 (±$2,734) | $72,388 (±$324) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $456,500 (±$23,101) | $349,800 (±$6,851) | $288,900 (±$1,086) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $3,156 (±$177) | $1,890 (±$42) | $1,896 (±$8) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 18.3% (±2.8 points) | 13.7% (±0.9 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 23.4 minutes (±3.2) | 25.7 minutes (±0.8) | 25.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 94.7% (±2.3 points) | 93.3% (±1.0 points) | 90.1% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 62.3 years (±1.3) | 56.4 years (±0.3) | 39.1 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Oak Island covers 19.3 square miles of land, about 469 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Oak Island has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 7,851 (±23) | 9,030 (±24) | +15.0% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 9,421 (±257) | 10,805 (±371) | +14.7% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $1,072 (±$52) | $1,339 (±$148) | +24.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $255,900 (±$14,366) | $456,500 (±$23,101) | +78.4% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $72,821 (±$8,150) | $85,872 (±$7,281) | +17.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,611 (±$96) | $1,968 (±$154) | +22.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,958 (±$94) | $3,156 (±$177) | +61.2% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 17.6% (±2.8 points) | 10.3% (±3.3 points) | −7.3 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 29.2% (±9.6 points) | 70.0% (±8.5 points) | +40.8 percentage points | Measurable increase |
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.
Crime reported to police in Oak Island
In 2024, the Oak Island Police Department reported 91 violent and 1,088 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
ZIP codes in Oak Island
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28465 | 68% | 8,756 | $1,289 | $479,500 | $86,194 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Oak Island
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. James | 2.4 mi | — | $636,800 | 3.6% |
| Caswell Beach | 4.1 mi | — | $648,400 | 6.6% |
| Southport | 6.5 mi | $1,426 | $437,700 | 19.8% |
| Varnamtown | 6.9 mi | $1,087 | $293,800 | 6.3% |
| Bald Head Island | 8.6 mi | — | $1,367,200 | 1.9% |
| Boiling Spring Lakes | 9.4 mi | $1,385 | $292,300 | 18.4% |
| Bolivia | 11 mi | $1,167 | $290,000 | 12.9% |
| Holden Beach | 12 mi | $1,475 | $658,900 | 5.4% |
Places in North Carolina most like Oak Island
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southport | $1,426 | $437,700 | $87,641 | 19.8% |
| Mills River | $1,551 | $436,100 | $105,398 | 14.4% |
| Pinehurst | $1,664 | $476,600 | $109,802 | 14.8% |
| Silver Lake | $1,416 | $325,500 | $76,756 | 17.8% |
| Myrtle Grove | $1,463 | $439,100 | $113,463 | 16.4% |
| Etowah | $1,413 | $338,100 | $72,596 | 16.0% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across North Carolina.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Oak Island, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,388 | $1,446 | $1,574 | $2,062 | $2,407 |
HUD income limits for Oak Island, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $20,850 | $34,750 | $55,550 |
| 2 people | $23,800 | $39,700 | $63,500 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $44,650 | $71,450 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $49,600 | $79,350 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $53,600 | $85,700 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $57,550 | $92,050 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $61,550 | $98,400 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $65,500 | $104,750 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Brunswick County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $99,200.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Oak Island
What is the average rent in Oak Island, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Oak Island is $1,339 (±$148) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a two-bedroom apartment in Oak Island?
The median gross rent for a two-bedroom home in Oak Island, NC is $1,403 (±$220) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Oak Island rent-burdened?
60.0% of renting households in Oak Island pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Oak Island?
Oak Island has an estimated 476 (±154) renting households, 10.3% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Oak Island?
The median household income in Oak Island is $85,872 (±$7,281) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Oak Island, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $456,500 (±$23,101) for owner-occupied homes in Oak Island (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Oak Island growing?
In Oak Island, the number of residents went from 7,851 in 2015–2019 to 9,030 in 2020–2024 (+15.0%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Oak Island?
The ZIP code that covers Oak Island is 28465.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 28465?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 28465 is $1,289 (±$277) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Oak Island town, North Carolina
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Oak Island town, North Carolina
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Oak Island town, North Carolina
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Oak Island town, North Carolina
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Oak Island town, North Carolina
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Oak Island town, North Carolina
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Oak Island town, North Carolina
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Brunswick County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Brunswick County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Oak Island Police Department (ORI NC0100100)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
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) for Oak Island town, North Carolina (place:48345, in state:37).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
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.
Figures last updated on .