Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,585, settled in 1870.
The best of Manteo’s subject grades are an A for walkability and the outdoors; the weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Only 18 of North Carolina’s 450 towns score higher on walkability. 36% of the land in Manteo is conserved, above both North Carolina’s towns (3.4%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Only 11 of North Carolina’s 451 towns score higher on the outdoors. Manteo has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and George Washington Creef House. Manteo has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Manteo beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
1,434 counted in 2010 and 1,600 in 2020; an estimated 1,585 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Manteo is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1908.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Manteo. Close and well known come first.
8 mi National MemorialWright Brothers National Memorial342K visitors a year
2 mi National SeashoreCape Hatteras National Seashore2.7M visitors a year
4 mi National Historic SiteFort Raleigh National Historic Site267K visitors a year
7 mi LighthouseBodie Island Light
5 mi State parkJockey's Ridge State Park
23 mi MuseumChicamacomico Life-Saving StationWright Brothers National Memorial: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Cape Hatteras National Seashore: Vbofficial, Public domain · Fort Raleigh National Historic Site: Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0 · Bodie Island Light: RyanGRodgers, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jockey's Ridge State Park: Zach Rudisin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station: Elizabeth from burlington, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Manteo, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Manteo.
About one in 4 of Manteo’s working residents works in town. 19% of residents live below the poverty line in Manteo, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Since 2013, Manteo has added 129 jobs, to 1,883 in 2023.
| Manteo | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $84,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Dare County Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Manteo High School, with 528 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manteo Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 636 | C |
| Manteo High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 528 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 98% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 266 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Manteo.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Manteo home is worth about $511,000, about the same as a year ago, 54% above the North Carolina typical home. 63% of Manteo households own their home.
| Manteo | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,204 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1.3 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The trail density in Manteo is 0.7 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Roanoke Island Festival Park, at 23 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Roanoke Island Festival Park | 0.4 mi | 23 |
| 2. George Washington Creef Memorial Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
| 3. Cartwright Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Manteo beats the North Carolina average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 27% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Manteo.
| Manteo | 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) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 80% | 79% |
| What stands out | Manteo | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10% | 15.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.1% | 12.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.9% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
People 65 and older are 29% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (23% statewide). Manteo’s median age is 43.8 years. 45% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across North Carolina.
| Manteo | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 45% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 43.8 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
55% women, 45% men
About 83 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.7 points). Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Manteo | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 16.4% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.9% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.5% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.2% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.8% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.6% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.4% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.9% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.9% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 17% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.6% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.9% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.5% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.1% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,600, single groups can be off by several points
Manteo has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 35° and about 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Manteo's reported crime rate is close to North Carolina's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2022.
| Manteo | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 1.9 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 25.5 per 1,000 residents | 24.7 | 14.1 |
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Manteo; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Manteo residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Where Manteo’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 places in Manteo on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Manteo ( MAN-ee-oh) is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, located on Roanoke Island. The population was 1,602 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Dare County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 5.7 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 C.
2 notable people were born here, including Marc Basnight and Emanuel Davis.
