Dare County, North Carolina
40,483 parcels. Parcel data edition 2026-11-02.
Who owns the land
| Measure | County | Of what | North Carolina | Rank in state (highest first) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-state owners | 40.7% | 15,942 of 39,181 parcels with a known mailing state | 9.8% | 1 of 96 |
| Absentee owners | 65.8% | Estimated from 14,318 in-state parcels whose addresses could be compared, plus out-of-state owners | 39.6% | 4 of 78 |
| Vacant lots | 15.7% | 6,363 of 40,483 parcels in all | 22.8% | 83 of 91 |
| Inherited (estate or heirs) | 0.4% | 164 of 40,061 parcels with an owner name | 1.3% | 82 of 99 |
| Owned by individuals | 82.8% | 33,153 of 40,061 parcels with an owner name | 80.2% | 54 of 99 |
| Publicly owned | 1.6% | 638 of 40,061 parcels with an owner name | 1.5% | 35 of 99 |
Where out-of-state owners live
By the owner's mailing address, for the 15,942 out-of-state parcels.
| Mailing state | Parcels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 9,300 | 58.3% |
| Maryland | 1,343 | 8.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,239 | 7.8% |
| New Jersey | 625 | 3.9% |
| Florida | 452 | 2.8% |
| New York | 442 | 2.8% |
| Ohio | 250 | 1.6% |
| Delaware | 213 | 1.3% |
| Texas | 187 | 1.2% |
| West Virginia | 171 | 1.1% |
| 42 other states and territories | 1,688 | 10.6% |
| US military mail (APO/FPO) | 7 | under 0.1% |
| Outside the US, or an unrecognized code | 25 | 0.2% |
Housing context
| Measure | County | North Carolina | Rank in state (highest first) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms | $1,430/month | $1,095/month (median county) | 17 of 99 |
| Fair market rent, change over 5 years | +46.5% | +35.5% (median county) | 30 of 99 |
| Median home value (owners' estimate) | $460,400 | $220,100 (median county) | 2 of 99 |
| Price-to-rent (home value / a year of rent) | 26.8 | 16.3 (median county) | 1 of 99 |
| Housing units, 2020 to 2025 | +6.4% | +9.3% | 38 of 99 |
Rent: HUD FMR (FY26); HUD sets one rent for a whole metro area. Rent change: HUD FMR, FY2021 to FY2026. Home value: Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average; price-to-rent divides it by twelve months of the HUD rent above. Housing units: Census Housing Unit Estimates (vintage 2025).
Compared with neighboring counties
| County | Out-of-state owners | Absentee owners | Vacant lots | Inherited (estate or heirs) | Owned by individuals | Publicly owned | 2BR rent | Rent change, 5 yrs | Price-to-rent | Housing units 2020-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dare County | 40.7% | 65.8% | 15.7% | 0.4% | 82.8% | 1.6% | $1,430 | +46.5% | 26.8 | +6.4% |
| Currituck County | 34.6% | 56.2% | 27.3% | 1.1% | 77.5% | 1.1% | $1,713 | +49.3% | 18.4 | +14.0% |
| Hyde County | no data | no data | 54.7% | 3.2% | 83.5% | 1.5% | $940 | +27.5% | 11.0 | +2.5% |
| Tyrrell County | 17.6% | no data | 45.9% | 3.1% | 81.4% | 4.6% | $925 | +25.9% | 14.8 | +2.6% |