Cape Hatteras Light Station · National Register of Historic Places
Buxton’s story
144 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1882Buxton is settled
BuxtonNC
A town of 1,267, settled in 1882.
1 bordering townMap →
Cape Hatteras Light Station · Photo: Henryhartley · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,267
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$469K
+0.4% in a year
Median age
46.2
years
Jobs based here
480
Balanced
Is Buxton a good place to live?
The best of Buxton’s subject grades are an A− for walkability and cost of living and an A+ for the outdoors; the weakest is a D− for hazard risk. On hazard risk, just 1 of North Carolina’s 451 towns do worse. 67% of the land in Buxton is conserved, against 3.4% in North Carolina’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Only 3 of North Carolina’s 451 towns score higher on the outdoors. Cape Hatteras National Seashore, at 2,944 acres with 10.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Buxton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Buxton stand out
Where Buxton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
OutdoorsA+
66.5% conserved land
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 85% of U.S. towns
13.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD−
Riskier than 99% of U.S. communities
Hurricanes and coastal flooding at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
By the sea
Buxton lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 11% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
11%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
100thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
5,690paid flood-insurance claims since 1978
3storm & flood disasters paid out here
On the water
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
How Buxton grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Buxton is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 100% of U.S. communities; hurricanes tops the listD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 6.2% of households have no carA−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →HealthThe Outer Banks Hospital 48.5 miles awayB+Open →SchoolsB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 46.2; 26% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 8 attractions →Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Buxton. Close and well known come first.
in town LighthouseCape Hatteras Lighthouse
in town National SeashoreCape Hatteras National Seashore2.7M visitors a year
40 mi LighthouseBodie Island Light
30 mi National SeashoreCape Lookout National Seashore513K visitors a year
25 mi MuseumChicamacomico Life-Saving StationSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse: Henryhartley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cape Hatteras National Seashore: Vbofficial, Public domain · Bodie Island Light: RyanGRodgers, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cape Lookout National Seashore: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 3.0 · Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station: Elizabeth from burlington, CC BY 2.0
Getting set up
Moving to Buxton: who provides what
Buxton is unincorporated, so Dare County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDominion Energy12.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDare Co-Cape Hatteras WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDare CountyDare County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDare County Board of ElectionsDare County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code2792027920 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Buxton.
OutdoorsA+
Protected land: nearly a third of Buxton
The density of trails for Buxton comes to 1.3 miles per square mile, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 0.2 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Across 2 parks and preserves: 12 miles of trail. Parks and preserves here: 2, covering 3,627 acres.
66.5%conserved
66.5%
conserved · 3,726 of 5,603 acres
12 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cape Hatteras National Seashore | 10.1 mi | 2,944 |
| 2. Buxton Woods Coastal Preserve | 0.3 mi | 683 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB+
Buxton’s schools rank ahead of 74% of North Carolina districts
Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Cape Hatteras Secondary School, with 364 students. Public schools: the Dare County Schools.
74%of NC districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Hatteras Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 284 | C |
| Cape Hatteras Secondary SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 364 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Buxton stands out in North Carolina and nationally, with the FEMA risk score higher than most
FEMA puts just over four fifths of Buxton’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 11% to coastal flooding. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 1978: 5,690. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2016.
100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesCoastal flooding
5,690
paid flood claims since 1978
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A−
The typical home in Buxton is valued at about $469K
Among households in Buxton, 74% live in a home they own.
$469KZillow home value
Typical home value
Buxton$469K
North Carolina$332K
+0.4%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB+
Residents of Buxton are healthier than three in four U.S. towns
In Buxton, 27% of adults sleep under 7 hours. This North Carolina town does better than the North Carolina average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 3. Among adults here, 29% feel lonely and 14% report frequent mental distress.
74%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Buxton | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 34% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
11 better18 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Buxton | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.5% | 12.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11% | 7.9% |
The Outer Banks Hospital
48.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Buxton’s year
In Buxton, the midsummer high is 86°F.
86°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–56°
Spring54–68°
Summer73–85°
Fall61–73°
Dec 20
typical first frost
Mar 1
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
86°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Compared with most of North Carolina and the rest of the country, the average trip to work in Buxton is shorter
The median commute is under 23 miles. For working residents in Buxton, the share who work locally is 15%. The top destinations are Avon (16%), Frisco (7%) and Raleigh (6%).
15%work in town
| Buxton | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 13% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Buxton15%
Avon16%
Frisco7%
Raleigh6%
Hatteras5%
23 mi
median commute distance
480
jobs based in Buxton
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 85% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Buxton
16pages on Buxton
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Buxton; the nearest are
Pamlico Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Grantsboro73.8 mi$1,867 in-state tuitionElizabeth City State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Elizabeth City80.8 mi$6,536 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Buxton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
Small town
1,267 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
FriscoBuxton
Questions about Buxton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Buxton, NC expensive?
Not for the area. That is 5.3 years of the area's median household income ($88,994 across the Kill Devil Hills, NC area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.