ZIP Code 27981 — Wanchese CDP, NC Demographics & Data

ZIP code 27981 covers Wanchese, NC in Dare County with a population of about 1,802.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 37.6 (near the U.S. median).

It sits in telephone area code 252; U.S. House district NC-3; the NORFOLK - PORTSMTH - NEWPT NWS media market.

Median household income in ZIP 27981 is about $73,542 — about even with the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 5.4%; unemployment rate near 1.9%; 29.2% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 4.5 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Agriculture, Other services, and Education; about 4.2% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 11.0 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $257,100 — about 26% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $762 (about 34% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 73.3% (about 7.9 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 27981 in Wanchese, NC, a household would need roughly $71,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,652. That is roughly in line with the local median household income ($73,542). Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Wanchese CDP, NC as Relatively Moderate (composite score 89.6), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (97.7) and wildfire (82.7). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Wanchese CDP, NC show little to no average snow and around 46.5 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 75 for ZIP 27981 (Wanchese CDP, NC) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.