27959 ZIP Code — Nags Head, NC

Dare County, North Carolina

ZIP code 27959 is located in Nags Head, North Carolina, within Dare County. It covers approximately 14.69 square miles and serves a population of 3,158 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 27959

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 $427,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $87,560. 55% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 53% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 27959 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,158

population

14.69

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

27959 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 27959

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 27959. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Nags Head	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

27954 Manteo (3.8 mi) 27981 Wanchese (3.8 mi) 27948 Kill Devil Hills (11.9 mi) 27953 Manns Harbor (16.4 mi) 27964 Point Harbor (17.7 mi) 27949 Kitty Hawk (18.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,158
Population density	215 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	055

Geography
Land area	14.69 sq mi
Water area	14.29 sq mi
Latitude	35.8859
Longitude	-75.6035
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	30.6%	36.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	37.8%	35.6%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	24.4%	22.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	7.2%	5.8%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

3,158

Population

215

People per sq mi

59.7

Median age

$87,560

Median household income

$55,717

Per capita income

$427,300

Median home value

$920

Median monthly rent

80.7%

Home ownership

1.3%

Poverty rate

1.8%

Unemployment

4,866

Housing units

52.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

115

35–44

101

189

45–54

167

153

55–59

136

103

60–64

513

65–74

454

162

75–84

143

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	374	11.8%
18 and over	2,784	88.2%
65 and over	1,374	43.5%
Median age	59.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.4%

Hispanic or Latino 3.5%

Two or more races 3.2%

Black or African American 1.4%

Other race 0.9%

Asian 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	2,960	90.4%
Hispanic or Latino	116	3.5%
Two or more races	105	3.2%
Black or African American	46	1.4%
Other race	29	0.9%
Asian	18	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	30.6%	36.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	37.8%	35.6%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	24.4%	22.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	7.2%	5.8%	6.0%

Under $10k 0.6%

$10k–$15k 0.6%

$15k–$25k 7.9%

$25k–$35k 6.0%

$35k–$50k 12.0%

$50k–$75k 15.8%

$75k–$100k 14.3%

$100k–$150k 18.6%

$150k–$200k 10.6%

$200k+ 13.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	0.6%
$10k–$15k	0.6%
$15k–$25k	7.9%
$25k–$35k	6.0%
$35k–$50k	12.0%
$50k–$75k	15.8%
$75k–$100k	14.3%
$100k–$150k	18.6%
$150k–$200k	10.6%
$200k+	13.8%
Median income	$87,560

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.9%

$100k–$150k 3.3%

$150k–$200k 3.3%

$200k–$300k 19.7%

$300k–$500k 36.1%

$500k–$1M 27.9%

$1M+ 5.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$427,300
Median rent / month	$920
Owner occupied	80.7%
Renter occupied	19.3%
Vacant	69.2%
Single-family detached	79.8%
Large apartment buildings	2.3%
Mobile homes	0.8%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.03

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.4%
2000–2009	13.0%
1990–1999	23.4%
1980–1989	31.2%
1970–1979	21.2%
1960–1969	1.9%
1950–1959	3.3%
1940–1949	0.9%
1939 or earlier	2.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.7%
1 bedroom	0.7%
2 bedrooms	12.4%
3 bedrooms	34.5%
4 bedrooms	38.2%
5+ bedrooms	12.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.3%
1 vehicle	36.9%
2 vehicles	50.1%
3 or more	10.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.6%
Electricity	95.2%
Propane / LP gas	1.2%
Fuel oil	0.5%
Solar	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	858	53.8%
Cohabiting couple	113	7.1%
Male householder, no spouse	312	19.6%
Female householder, no spouse	312	19.6%
Households with children under 18	218	13.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	880	55.2%
Average household size	1.93

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	19.4%	13.6%
Married	63.0%	63.3%
Separated	5.2%	0.6%
Widowed	2.9%	12.7%
Divorced	9.6%	9.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.3%

Some HS, no diploma 3.7%

HS graduate 15.7%

Some college, no degree 19.8%

Associate's degree 7.9%

Bachelor's degree 35.0%

Graduate / professional 17.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.0%
Bachelor's or higher	52.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	36	9.7%
Kindergarten	40	10.8%
Elementary school	204	55.0%
High school	54	14.6%
College / grad school	37	10.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 19.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 13.8%

Finance & real estate 13.0%

Public administration 11.7%

Manufacturing 9.5%

Education & healthcare 8.6%

Wholesale trade 6.2%

Professional & management 5.0%

Construction 4.9%

Agriculture & mining 3.6%

Other services 2.3%

Transportation & utilities 0.8%

Information 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.3%
Service	11.8%
Sales & office	39.4%
Natural resources & construction	4.0%
Production & transportation	9.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.7%
Government	14.5%
Self-employed	2.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.9%
Carpool	4.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.2%
Work from home	14.2%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.7

Poverty

All people 1.3%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 1.5%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	55.3%
Retirement income	47.9%
Supplemental Security	5.3%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	0.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	28.5%
High blood pressure	32.8%
High cholesterol	36.0%
Diabetes	8.8%
Heart disease	6.2%
Stroke	2.7%
Asthma	8.2%
Arthritis	25.1%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	5.7%
Cancer	7.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.1%
Binge drinking	16.6%
No physical activity	17.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.4%
Depression	21.3%
Fair or poor health	10.0%
Poor mental health	12.2%
Poor physical health	8.8%
No health insurance	12.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.5%
Visited dentist	74.3%
Cholesterol screening	92.7%
Teeth loss	8.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	289	10.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	6.2%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	4.8%
65 and over	9.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	82.7%
Public insurance	48.3%
No insurance	3.9%
Uninsured under 19	6.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,118	98.7%
Spanish	21	0.7%
Other Indo-European	13	0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	8	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,114	98.6%
Born in same state	3,073	97.3%
Born in different state	838	26.5%
Foreign born	41	1.3%
Naturalized citizen	44	1.4%
Not a US citizen	26	59.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	659	20.9%
Italian	587	18.6%
Arab	349	11.1%
Norwegian	32	1%
English	26	0.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	19	0.6%
German	10	0.3%
Irish	9	0.3%
Polish	5	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	50.5%
Internet access	92.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 27959

What city is ZIP code 27959 in?

ZIP code 27959 is primarily assigned to Nags Head, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 27959 in?

ZIP code 27959 falls within Dare County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 27959 have an older population?

44% of residents in ZIP code 27959 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 27959 have a large retiree population?

55% of households in ZIP code 27959 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 27959?

53% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 27959 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 27959 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 27959 in?

ZIP code 27959 observes the EST timezone.