Map the Block › Places › North Carolina › Dare County
Dare County, North Carolina in numbers: crime, income, hazards
Dare County averaged 2.1 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 46% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8). The median household earns $88,994 and the unemployment rate was 2.9% in August 2026. Population: about 37,875 (Census, 2020-2024).
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Dare County?
Police agencies in Dare County reported an average of 80 violent crimes and 598 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. The violent rate, 2.1 per 1,000 people, is 46% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8); nationally it is 3.7. Property crime ran at 15.6 per 1,000, against 20.0 statewide. Aggravated assaults make up 79% of the violent total.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Dare County | Per 1,000 | North Carolina per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 80 | 2.1 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 2 | 0.05 | 0.08 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 10 | 0.26 | 0.29 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 5 | 0.13 | 0.51 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 63 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 598 | 15.6 | 20.0 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 152 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 430 | 11.2 | 14.2 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 16 | 0.42 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (7 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Dare County?
Half of households in Dare County make more than $88,994 and half make less; across North Carolina the midpoint is $72,388. The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $460,400 by its owners; renters pay a median $1,345. 5.1% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 2.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 604 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Dare County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,875 | 10,730,404 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $88,994 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $460,400 | $288,900 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,345 | $1,228 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.9% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 6.6% | 13.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 5.1% | 12.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 43.2% | 35.7% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 78.4% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 49.0 | 39.1 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 91.7% | 90.1% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 8.6% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Dare County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Dare County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Moderate”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are hurricanes (Relatively High) and coastal flooding (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Dare County, active or completed (October 2026).
Disasters, air and water
Dare County was covered by 5 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 4, Tropical Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 7 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 3 (low). NHTSA counted 7 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 3 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Dare County?
Dare County had 3 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (1 active that day). Where crews are working: US 64. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Dare County?
Federal school lists show 12 public and 3 private schools in the county. 1 nursing home is certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 19 fire or EMS stations and 8 police or sheriff stations. Park Service units in the area: Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and Wright Brothers National Memorial. 1 state park or recreation area: Jockeys Ridge State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Dare County
Gun shops
2 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Dare County, plus 4 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Reds Carolina Outfitters LLC (Kitty Hawk) and Walmart #2000 (Kitty Hawk).
Liquor stores
5 liquor stores are on the map in Dare County: ABC Liquor, ABC Liquors (Buxton), ABC Liquors (Manteo), ABC Liquors (Nags Head) and ABC Store (Kitty Hawk). North Carolina has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Dare County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Dare County?
Dare County averaged 80 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 2.1 per 1,000 residents, 46% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8). The property-crime rate was 15.6 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Dare County?
$88,994 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Dare County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 2.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 604 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Dare County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Dare County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Moderate”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are hurricanes (Relatively High) and coastal flooding (Relatively High).
Is there road construction in Dare County right now?
Dare County had 3 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (1 active that day). Where crews are working: US 64.
How many nursing homes are in Dare County?
1 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Dare County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currituck County | 30,601 | 2.2 | $93,511 |
| Hyde County | 4,592 | – | $53,713 |
| Tyrrell County | 3,423 | 2.6 | $41,685 |
More: North Carolina statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
Home · Open the map · All places · About the data · Privacy · Terms