27948 ZIP Code — Kill Devil Hills, NC

Dare County, North Carolina

ZIP code 27948 is located in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, within Dare County. It covers approximately 9.26 square miles and serves a population of 12,579 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 27948

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $341,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $78,517. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 34% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 22 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 40% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 27948 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

12,579

population

9.26

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

27948 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 27948

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 27948. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Kill Devil Hills	Acceptable
Kill Devil Hills	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

27949 Kitty Hawk (6.8 mi) 27964 Point Harbor (6.9 mi) 27941 Harbinger (9.6 mi) 27954 Manteo (10.3 mi) 27966 Powells Point (11.1 mi) 27959 Nags Head (11.9 mi) 27947 Jarvisburg (14 mi) 27981 Wanchese (14.4 mi) 27939 Grandy (18.4 mi) 27953 Manns Harbor (18.9 mi) 27965 Poplar Branch (19 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	12,579
Population density	1,358 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	055

Geography
Land area	9.26 sq mi
Water area	6.14 sq mi
Latitude	36.0440
Longitude	-75.6871
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	252

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	32.9%	36.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	38.4%	35.6%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	25.9%	22.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.8%	5.8%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

12,579

Population

1,358

People per sq mi

47.8

Median age

$78,517

Median household income

$42,159

Per capita income

$341,800

Median home value

$1,442

Median monthly rent

76.0%

Home ownership

6.7%

Poverty rate

5.9%

Unemployment

8,780

Housing units

40.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

292

Under 5

304

227

5–9

236

297

10–14

309

280

15–19

291

404

20–24

419

515

25–34

534

757

35–44

787

1,144

45–54

1,188

598

55–59

620

557

60–64

578

760

65–74

790

284

75–84

294

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,964	15.6%
18 and over	10,615	84.4%
65 and over	2,242	17.8%
Median age	47.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 79.3%

Hispanic or Latino 8.6%

Two or more races 6.6%

Other race 3.6%

Black or African American 1%

Asian 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	10,915	79.3%
Hispanic or Latino	1,178	8.6%
Two or more races	913	6.6%
Other race	502	3.6%
Black or African American	138	1%
Asian	88	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	23	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	32.9%	36.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	38.4%	35.6%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	25.9%	22.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.8%	5.8%	6.0%

Under $10k 1.5%

$10k–$15k 3.2%

$15k–$25k 4.1%

$25k–$35k 6.6%

$35k–$50k 9.6%

$50k–$75k 22.8%

$75k–$100k 12.4%

$100k–$150k 23.2%

$150k–$200k 9.7%

$200k+ 6.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.5%
$10k–$15k	3.2%
$15k–$25k	4.1%
$25k–$35k	6.6%
$35k–$50k	9.6%
$50k–$75k	22.8%
$75k–$100k	12.4%
$100k–$150k	23.2%
$150k–$200k	9.7%
$200k+	6.9%
Median income	$78,517

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.9%

$50k–$100k 2.4%

$100k–$150k 1.6%

$150k–$200k 9.2%

$200k–$300k 24.9%

$300k–$500k 40.4%

$500k–$1M 18.9%

$1M+ 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$341,800
Median rent / month	$1,442
Owner occupied	76.0%
Renter occupied	24.0%
Vacant	46.3%
Single-family detached	82.4%
Large apartment buildings	3.7%
Mobile homes	2.0%
Median rooms	4.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.39

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	6.4%
2000–2009	15.9%
1990–1999	12.5%
1980–1989	33.8%
1970–1979	19.2%
1960–1969	6.5%
1950–1959	3.5%
1940–1949	1.1%
1939 or earlier	1.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	2.7%
2 bedrooms	21.4%
3 bedrooms	50.5%
4 bedrooms	20.9%
5+ bedrooms	3.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.0%
1 vehicle	26.9%
2 vehicles	40.5%
3 or more	31.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.5%
Electricity	94.5%
Propane / LP gas	2.1%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,479	45.8%
Cohabiting couple	722	13.3%
Male householder, no spouse	1,050	19.4%
Female householder, no spouse	1,161	21.5%
Households with children under 18	1,139	21.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,845	34.1%
Average household size	2.32

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.6%	25.9%
Married	49.6%	50.1%
Separated	1.2%	2.0%
Widowed	2.1%	6.1%
Divorced	15.5%	16.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.5%

Some HS, no diploma 3.5%

HS graduate 18.0%

Some college, no degree 24.8%

Associate's degree 11.8%

Bachelor's degree 25.7%

Graduate / professional 14.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.9%
Bachelor's or higher	40.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	254	10.8%
Kindergarten	22	0.9%
Elementary school	1,010	43.0%
High school	417	17.7%
College / grad school	648	27.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 17.4%

Professional & management 15.8%

Education & healthcare 14.2%

Construction 13.2%

Retail trade 13.1%

Manufacturing 6.3%

Finance & real estate 6.1%

Other services 4.1%

Public administration 3.7%

Transportation & utilities 3.0%

Agriculture & mining 1.7%

Wholesale trade 1.2%

Information 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	37.2%
Service	16.2%
Sales & office	23.8%
Natural resources & construction	12.1%
Production & transportation	10.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.7%
Government	13.3%
Self-employed	12.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.6%
Carpool	6.1%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.0%
Work from home	10.2%
Other means	1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.0

Poverty

All people 6.7%

Under 18 years 4.6%

18 and over 7.1%

Married-couple families 0.4%

Female-led households 6.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.8%
Retirement income	24.6%
Supplemental Security	1.8%
Cash public assistance	1.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	30.0%
High blood pressure	30.0%
High cholesterol	32.9%
Diabetes	8.2%
Heart disease	5.4%
Stroke	2.4%
Asthma	8.6%
Arthritis	22.3%
Kidney disease	2.4%
Pulmonary disease	5.6%
Cancer	6.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.9%
Binge drinking	18.1%
No physical activity	18.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.1%
Depression	22.8%
Fair or poor health	10.7%
Poor mental health	13.8%
Poor physical health	9.1%
No health insurance	15.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.3%
Visited dentist	70.3%
Cholesterol screening	90.1%
Teeth loss	10.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	763	7.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.6%
Under 18	3.7%
18–64 years	10.2%
65 and over	18.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	73.4%
Public insurance	27.2%
No insurance	14.2%
Uninsured under 19	10.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	11,983	95.3%
Spanish	279	2.3%
Other Indo-European	185	1.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	22	0.2%
Other languages	72	0.6%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	11,991	95.3%
Born in same state	11,647	92.6%
Born in different state	3,491	27.8%
Foreign born	344	2.7%
Naturalized citizen	588	4.7%
Not a US citizen	285	48.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,083	16.6%
Italian	2,038	16.2%
Arab	1,782	14.2%
German	137	1.1%
English	54	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	46	0.4%
Dutch	46	0.4%
Irish	28	0.2%
Norwegian	17	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.0%
Internet access	98.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 27948

What city is ZIP code 27948 in?

ZIP code 27948 is primarily assigned to Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 27948 in?

ZIP code 27948 falls within Dare County, North Carolina.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 27948?

The median home value in ZIP code 27948 is $341,800.

What is the population of ZIP code 27948?

ZIP code 27948 has an estimated population of 12,579 residents, with a density of 1,359 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 27948?

The median household income in ZIP code 27948 is $78,517, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 27948 in?

ZIP code 27948 observes the EST timezone.