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Cost of living, pay and housing

35.59° N · 75.47° W · GEOID 3757580

Rodanthe

Dare County, North Carolina · part of the Kill Devil Hills, NC metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_household_income, median_gross_rent, median_home_value

North CarolinaRodanthe, NCRodantheRodanthe

The short answer

Rodanthe is home to 781 people. Median household income is $88,994 a year and median rent is $1,345 a month, 18.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $460,400, about 5.2x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,345
1% below the median place
Median household income
$88,994
11% above the median place
Median home value
$460,400
44% above the median place
Unemployment
5.9%
21% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Rodanthe

  • Household income has grown -12.9% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 161 North Carolina places.
  • 0% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 142 North Carolina places.
  • 59% of homes stand vacant, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 134 North Carolina places.
  • Renters occupy 56% of homes, more than in 95% of places its size.
  • Half the homes were built after 1996, newer housing than in 85% of places its size.
01

Moving to Rodanthe

Dare County gains about 3.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in2,088
Moved out1,979
Net+109

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within North Carolina, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within North CarolinaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$93K
Leavers$83K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Dare County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
16.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 16.6% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Dare County report $92,900 a year in income on average; those leaving, $82,900, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$53,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,345 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,051 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $460,400.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 14.2% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Saco, ME matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
16.6%
above the median place (median 2.0%)
Moved here in the past year1
16.6%
190% above the median place
Income of households moving in6
$92,935
32% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureRodantheAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year116.6%190% above
Moved from another state116.6%above (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure3.3above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$92,93532% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$82,86818% above
02

What it costs to live here

Vacant homes is 58.5%, above the median place (median 7.1%).

Rodanthe18.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$53,800
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
18.1%
11% below the median place
Home price to income
5.2x
36% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
18%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$72,900
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Rodanthe, $1,345 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Rodanthe.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Rodanthe? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
58.5%
above the median place (median 7.1%)
Homeownership1
44.0%
34% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.5%
43% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureRodantheAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,3451% below
Rent to income118.1%11% below
Property tax rate10.5%43% below
Home price to income15.2x36% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,5107% below
HUD area median income3County figure$116,9009% above
Property tax paid (median)1County figure$2,39127% below
Median home value1County figure$460,40044% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure3.7%17% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure73.6%43% above
Homeownership144.0%34% below
Renters paying 30%+1County figure48.0%5% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1County figure$2,05110% above
Vacant homes158.5%above (median 7.1%)
Median year built119961% above
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $295,144, above the median place (median $40,071).

Income per person1
$295,144
above the median place (median $40,071)
Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Average annual pay5
$48,717
26% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureRodantheAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1County figure$88,99411% above
Income per person1$295,144above (median $40,071)
Unemployment1County figure5.9%21% above
Average annual pay5County figure$48,71726% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure4.8%30% above
Jobs5County figure20,72886% below
Poverty rate1County figure6.6%39% below
Mean commute1County figure22 min10% below
Works from home1County figure14.2%14% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Born abroad is 0.0%, below the median place (median 8.8%).

Born abroad1
0.0%
below the median place (median 8.8%)
Homes with broadband1
80.2%
13% below the median place
Median age1
45.9
18% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureRodantheAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17816646th largest
Median age145.918% above
Bachelor's or higher1County figure43.2%35% above
High school or higher1County figure94.7%3% above
Household size12.65% above
Born abroad10.0%below (median 8.8%)
No health insurance1County figure8.6%34% above
Homes with broadband180.2%13% below
05

Life in Rodanthe

2 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks.

  • Oregon Inlet Station listed 1975
  • Chicamacomico Life Saving Station listed 1976

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars71.6 3.4×
Shops118.0 3.9×
Arts, recreation and fitness17.7 4.3×
Doctors' offices and clinics21.9 +8%
Child care centers1.3 −43%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Shops per 10k7
118.0
289% above the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k7
71.6
244% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7
17.7
332% above the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureRodantheAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools9County figure1122% above
Public school students9County figure4,9681% above
Students per teacher9County figure14.65% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure71.6244% above
Shops per 10k7County figure118.0289% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure17.7332% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure21.98% above
Child care centers per 10k7County figure1.343% below
National Register listings8285% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 97.7, 38% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Rodanthe. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk11
97.7
38% above the median place
Heat wave risk11
51.2
43% below the median place
Annual precipitation10
51.8 in
18% above the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureRodantheAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high10County figure87°F0% above
January average low10County figure36°F41% above
Average temperature10County figure62°F13% above
Annual precipitation10County figure51.8 in18% above
Natural hazard risk11County figure89.63% below
Hurricane risk11County figure97.738% above
Tornado risk11County figure47.042% below
Wildfire risk11County figure82.735% above
Heat wave risk11County figure51.243% below
08

Rodanthe in 2030: where the trends point

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$34,066 (2023)$40,500$33,500 to $48,500+2.5%
Median home value$431,300 (2023)$644,000$455,000 to $910,000+5.9%

The median home would be worth 15.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 12.7 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Rodanthe

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Saco, ME$1,249$92,241Compare
Hudson, MA$1,397$90,524Compare
Redlands, CO$1,488$92,391Compare
Orland Park, IL$1,440$98,910Compare
Orland Park, ILRedlands, COHudson, MASaco, MERodanthe, NCRodantheSacoHudsonRedlandsOrland ParkRodantheSacoHudsonRedlandsOrland Park

Common questions

Is Rodanthe a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Household income has grown -12.9% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 161 North Carolina places. 0% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 142 North Carolina places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Rodanthe expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 18.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $460,400.

What salary do you need to live in Rodanthe?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $53,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Rodanthe?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Saco, ME, Hudson, MA, Redlands, CO and Orland Park, IL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  9. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  10. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  11. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Rodanthe with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Rodanthe itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/rodanthe-north-carolina

Citytistics. “Rodanthe, North Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/rodanthe-north-carolina/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.