Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
With 781 residents, it is a town in North Carolina.
Of the 291 North Carolina towns we compare, none has a higher January low than Rodanthe. Rodanthe’s density of trails is 2.7 miles per square mile, against 0.2 in North Carolina’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Chicamacomico Life Saving Station is on the National Register of Historic Places. Rodanthe has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Coastal flooding makes up 11% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1861.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Rodanthe. Close and well known come first.
in town National SeashoreCape Hatteras National Seashore2.7M visitors a year
24 mi LighthouseCape Hatteras Lighthouse
31 mi National MemorialWright Brothers National Memorial342K visitors a year
17 mi LighthouseBodie Island Light
in town MuseumChicamacomico Life-Saving Station
27 mi National Historic SiteFort Raleigh National Historic Site267K visitors a yearCape Hatteras National Seashore: Vbofficial, Public domain · Cape Hatteras Lighthouse: Henryhartley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wright Brothers National Memorial: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Bodie Island Light: RyanGRodgers, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station: Elizabeth from burlington, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Raleigh National Historic Site: Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0
Rodanthe is unincorporated, so Dare County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Rodanthe.
For households in Rodanthe, the share who live in a home they own is 44%. Values fell 3.4% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Households in Rodanthe have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2016. FEMA puts just over four fifths of the town’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 11% to coastal flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 100% of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Children under 18 are 2% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 53% of residents (38% statewide). Rodanthe’s midpoint age is 45.9 years. 28% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 36% across North Carolina.
| Rodanthe | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.9 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 29% | 29% |
Somewhere between 12% and 77% women
The Census survey reached too few of Rodanthe’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±32.5 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Rodanthe | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 32% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 2.3% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 0% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 53.3% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 0% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 4.7% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.6% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.5% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.4% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 33.4% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.5% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28.2% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 0% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
One park or preserve covers 18 acres in Rodanthe.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cape Hatteras National Seashore | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
July afternoons reach 86° and January nights drop to 37°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among 291 North Carolina towns, just 10 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Rodanthe. The top destinations are Avon (19%), Buxton (14%) and Hatteras (7%). Half of commuters travel less than 28 miles.
| Rodanthe | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.3% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Rodanthe, 29% of adults feel lonely, and 15% report frequent mental distress. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Rodanthe is ahead of North Carolina on 9 and behind on 1. Rodanthe: 21% of adults get no exercise outside work.
| Rodanthe | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 34% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 9% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Rodanthe | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.5% | 13.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9% | 15.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Rodanthe; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Rodanthe residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census-designated place in North Carolina, United States
Rodanthe ( roh-DAN-thee) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, on Hatteras Island, part of North Carolina's Outer Banks. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 213. Rodanthe, along with Waves and Salvo, are part of the settlement of Chicamacomico. Rodanthe includes the original Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station, decommissioned in 1954, but now a museum. Rodanthe is served by North Carolina Highway 12, which runs north–south through town. The Chicamacomico area is bordered to the north by Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and to the south by Cape Hatteras National Seashore, a situation which limits pote…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Rodanthe has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
