Ocracoke Light Station · National Register of Historic Places
Ocracoke’s story
186 years in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1840Ocracoke is settled
OcracokeNC
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Portsmouth Village · Photo: National Park Service · Public domain
Population
723
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$549K
+3.6% in a year
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
49.8
years
Jobs based here
406
Balanced
Is Ocracoke a good place to live?
85% of the land in Ocracoke is conserved, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 3.4% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest place to walk is Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 4,511 acres with 13.6 miles of trail. Ocracoke has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Ocracoke stand out
Where Ocracoke beats most towns.
Small town
723 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby attractions
All 12 attractions →Cape Hatteras National Seashore and 2 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ocracoke. Close and well known come first.
in town National SeashoreCape Hatteras National Seashore2.7M visitors a year
29 mi LighthouseCape Hatteras Lighthouse
2 mi National SeashoreCape Lookout National Seashore513K visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Cape Hatteras National Seashore: Vbofficial, Public domain · Cape Hatteras Lighthouse: Henryhartley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cape Lookout National Seashore: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Ocracoke: who provides what
Ocracoke is unincorporated, so Hyde County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerTideland Electric Member16.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOcracoke Sanitary DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers1% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesHyde CountyHyde 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 hereHyde County Board of ElectionsHyde County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019
ZIP code2796027960 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 Ocracoke.
Outdoors
In Ocracoke, nearly a third of the land is conserved
Count the trails in 2 parks and preserves and they come to 16 miles. Ocracoke’s concentration of trails is 1.7 miles per square mile, against 0.2 in North Carolina’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns.
84.5%conserved
84.5%
conserved · 5,177 of 6,126 acres
16 mi
of trails · 1.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cape Hatteras National Seashore | 13.6 mi | 4,511 |
| 2. Ocracoke Light Station | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Schools
The schools Ocracoke’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the Hyde County Schools. Enrollment at Ocracoke’s public school: 139 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocracoke SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 139 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
A typical Ocracoke home is worth about $549K
For Ocracoke, the median rent is $1,408 a month. Home values are up 3.6% over the year to September 2026. 77% of Ocracoke households live in a home they own.
$549KZillow home value
| Ocracoke | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,408 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 67% | 73% |
Typical home value
Ocracoke$549K
North Carolina$332K
+3.6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than North Carolina overall
A bachelor’s degree or higher: 40% of adults 25 and older, vs 36% across North Carolina. Adults 18 to 34 are 5% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 56% of residents (38% statewide). For Ocracoke, the age of the median resident is 49.8 years.
49.8median age · NC 39.1
| Ocracoke | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.8 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 29% | 29% |
OcracokeNorth CarolinaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
25%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school24%
Some college30%
Associate’s0%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate14%
Women and men · all residents
41% women, 59% men
About 144 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±8.2 points). Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Ocracoke | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.2% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 2.6% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.5% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 21.3% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 24.9% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 0% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.2% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 30% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 0% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.4% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.3% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
The climate in Ocracoke brings mild winters and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 2 inches of snow, with January nights at 39° and July afternoons at 88°.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–57°
Spring54–70°
Summer73–86°
Fall60–74°
Dec 20
typical first frost
Mar 1
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
In Ocracoke, the average trip to work runs shorter than in the typical North Carolina or U.S. town
For residents in Ocracoke, the share who live below the poverty line is 17%. Roughly one working resident in five has a job in Ocracoke itself. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in the town rose by 136, to 406. The top destinations are Engelhard (4%), Greenville (3%) and Raleigh (3%).
22%work in town
| Ocracoke | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 13% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Ocracoke22%
Engelhard4%
Greenville3%
Raleigh3%
Swan Quarter3%
51 mi
median commute distance
406
jobs based in Ocracoke
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
Ocracoke stands out in North Carolina and nationally, with more of its adults who report frequent physical distress
In Ocracoke, 82% of adults had a checkup this year. Against the North Carolina average, Ocracoke comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 17.
| Ocracoke | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Ocracoke | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82% | 76.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 32.6% | 13.9% |
Carteret General Hospital
49.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ocracoke
16pages on Ocracoke
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ocracoke; the nearest are
Pamlico Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Grantsboro47.2 mi$1,867 in-state tuitionElizabeth City State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Elizabeth City84.1 mi$6,536 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Ocracoke residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
Landmarks
2 places in Ocracoke on the National Register of Historic Places.
Questions about Ocracoke
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ocracoke, NC a good place to live?
Ocracoke has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.