Junction of U.S 264 and U.S. 64, 2014
Manns Harbor’s story
150 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2014 and 3 maps from 1953 on.
- 1876Manns Harbor is settled
Manns HarborNC
With 926 residents, this town was settled in 1876.
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
926
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$338K
−0.7% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
45.2
years
Jobs based here
61
A commuter town
Settled
1876
150 years ago
Is Manns Harbor a good place to live?
25% of residents live below the poverty line in Manns Harbor, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Among 291 North Carolina towns, just 9 have a lower mean commuting time than Manns Harbor. 35% of the land in Manns Harbor is conserved, above both the North Carolina town median (3.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, at 681 acres. Manns Harbor has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
By the sea
Manns Harbor lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 28% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
28%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
100thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
3storm & flood disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Manns Harbor.
Natural hazards
Manns Harbor stands out in North Carolina and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
100risk score of 100
FEMA puts 56% of Manns Harbor’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 28% to coastal flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Manns Harbor after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2016. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 100% of U.S. communities.
FEMA risk score
HurricanesCoastal floodingInland flooding
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Conservation land takes up nearly a third of Manns Harbor
35.4%conserved
Walkers can cover 0.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. In Manns Harbor, the trail network density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
35.4%
conserved · 904 of 2,554 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge | — | 681 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commute
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Manns Harbor’s workers commute out
7%work in town
In Manns Harbor, the median household income is $52,000. Just 7% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. The top destinations are Manteo (15%), Nags Head (10%) and Wanchese (6%).
| Manns Harbor | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.2% | 6.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Manns Harbor7%
Manteo15%
Nags Head10%
Wanchese6%
Kill Devil Hills6%
10 mi
median commute distance
61
jobs based in Manns Harbor
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Expect mild winters and pleasant summers in Manns Harbor
1″snow a winter
Manns Harbor’s July high comes in at 87°F.
Typical low → high °F
Winter37–54°
Spring51–68°
Summer71–85°
Fall57–72°
Dec 6
typical first frost
Mar 15
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Manns Harbor than in most of North Carolina or the rest of the country
Manns Harbor: 21% of adults worry about having enough food. Only 10 of the 290 North Carolina towns we compare have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Manns Harbor.
| Manns Harbor | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 25% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
0 better14 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Manns Harbor | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26.5% | 13.9% |
| More smokers | 21.1% | 13.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 11% | 7.1% |
The Outer Banks Hospital
9.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Homes in Manns Harbor are worth about $338K, by Zillow’s estimate
$338KZillow home value
For households here, the share who are owner-occupiers is 78%. Manns Harbor’s going rate for rent stands at $1,294 a month.
| Manns Harbor | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 78% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,294 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Manns Harbor$338K
North Carolina$332K
−0.7%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Manns Harbor
16pages on Manns Harbor
The big questions
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All 9 attractions →Wright Brothers National Memorial and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Manns Harbor. Close and well known come first.
10 mi National MemorialWright Brothers National Memorial342K visitors a year
4 mi National Historic SiteFort Raleigh National Historic Site267K visitors a year
10 mi National SeashoreCape Hatteras National Seashore2.7M visitors a year
13 mi LighthouseBodie Island Light
27 mi MuseumChicamacomico Life-Saving StationSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Wright Brothers National Memorial: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Fort Raleigh National Historic Site: Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0 · Cape Hatteras National Seashore: Vbofficial, Public domain · Bodie Island Light: RyanGRodgers, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station: Elizabeth from burlington, CC BY 2.0
Getting set up
Moving to Manns Harbor: who provides what
Manns Harbor is unincorporated, so Dare County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerTideland Electric Member16.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDare County Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers95% 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 code2795327953 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.
Small town
926 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Manns Harbor; the nearest are
Elizabeth City State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Elizabeth City35.7 mi$6,536 in-state tuitionCollege of the AlbemarleCommunity college · Public · Elizabeth City38.3 mi$2,242 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Manns Harbor residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
About Manns Harbor
Census-designated place in North Carolina, United States
Manns Harbor is a census-designated place (CDP) in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Manns Harbor had a population of 790.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7 ft
- ZIP code
- 27953
- Area code
- 252
Questions about Manns Harbor
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Manns Harbor, NC a good place to live?
Manns Harbor has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Manns Harbor is in here
Say something about Manns Harbor.
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