Fish0566 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library, 1997
Wanchese’s story
140 years in pictures
The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 1997 and 3 maps from 1953 on.
- 1886Wanchese is settled
WancheseNC
A town of 1,956, settled in 1886.
Photo: Morgan Riley · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,956
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$364K
+0.1% in a year
Household income
$89K
median
Median age
36.3
years
Jobs based here
600
Balanced
Is Wanchese a good place to live?
Wanchese’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Only 6 of North Carolina’s 451 towns score lower on hazard risk. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 78% of U.S. towns. Among 291 North Carolina towns, just 10 have a lower average trip to work than Wanchese. Only 16 of North Carolina’s 451 towns score lower on the outdoors. Wanchese has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Wanchese stand out
Where Wanchese beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
Wanchese$364K
North Carolina$332K
Cost of livingA−
4.1 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 79% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
1 schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Wanchese Christian Academy | K–12 | 49 |
SchoolsB+
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD−
Hurricanes and coastal flooding at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
By the sea
Wanchese lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 9% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
9%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
99thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
136paid flood-insurance claims since 1985
3storm & flood disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
How Wanchese grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Wanchese is from typical.
Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listD−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.5 of 20; 9% of households have no car; 1.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →SchoolsB+Open →Jobs & income$89K median household incomeBOpen →HealthThe Outer Banks Hospital 7.1 miles awayBOpen →
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.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 9 attractions →Cape Hatteras National Seashore and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wanchese. Close and well known come first.
3 mi National SeashoreCape Hatteras National Seashore2.7M visitors a year
12 mi National MemorialWright Brothers National Memorial342K visitors a year
5 mi LighthouseBodie Island Light
7 mi National Historic SiteFort Raleigh National Historic Site267K visitors a year
8 mi State parkJockey's Ridge State Park
20 mi MuseumChicamacomico Life-Saving StationSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Cape Hatteras National Seashore: Vbofficial, Public domain · Wright Brothers National Memorial: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Bodie Island Light: RyanGRodgers, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Raleigh National Historic Site: Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0 · Jockey's Ridge State Park: Zach Rudisin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station: Elizabeth from burlington, CC BY 2.0
Getting set up
Moving to Wanchese: who provides what
Wanchese is unincorporated, so Dare County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDominion Energy12.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDare County Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% 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 code2798127981 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 Wanchese.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Very high risk in Wanchese, with hurricanes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities. Since 1985, 136 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Wanchese.
99risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesCoastal flooding
136
paid flood claims since 1985
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB+
Wanchese’s public schools outperform 74% of North Carolina districts
Its one school is below.
74%of NC districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wanchese Christian Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 49 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
More children than North Carolina overall
Children under 18 are 31% of residents (22% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (23% statewide). At 36.3 years, Wanchese’s median age is against 40.1 years in North Carolina’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. 15% of residents are 65 or older in Wanchese.
36.3median age · NC 39.1
| Wanchese | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.3 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 18% | 18% |
WancheseNorth CarolinaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school42%
Some college13%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate4%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Wanchese | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.5% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.8% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.2% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 18.1% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.5% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.7% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.6% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.4% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 41.9% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.8% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.9% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.9% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,000, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Mild winters and pleasant summers in Wanchese
Wanchese has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. At 87°F, Wanchese’s July high is below North Carolina’s towns (89°F) and close to U.S. towns (85°F).
1″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter37–54°
Spring51–67°
Summer71–85°
Fall58–72°
Dec 6
typical first frost
Mar 15
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
About one in five working residents works right in Wanchese
About one in 5 of Wanchese’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Wanchese grew to 600 in 2023, 122 more than in 2013. 6.3% of Wanchese residents live below the poverty line.
22%work in town
| Wanchese | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Wanchese22%
Nags Head16%
Manteo13%
Kitty Hawk4%
Kill Devil Hills3%
9 mi
median commute distance
600
jobs based in Wanchese
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 22% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A−
A typical Wanchese home is worth about $364K
The typical Wanchese home is worth about $364,000, about the same as a year ago, 10% above the North Carolina typical home.
$364KZillow home value
| Wanchese | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 69% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,073 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Wanchese$364K
North Carolina$332K
+0.1%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB
Wanchese is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns
Wanchese beats the North Carolina average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
57%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Wanchese | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 25% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
1 better30 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Wanchese | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.8% | 12.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 7.9% |
The Outer Banks Hospital
7.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wanchese
16pages on Wanchese
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Wanchese; the nearest are
Elizabeth City State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Elizabeth City44 mi$6,536 in-state tuitionCollege of the AlbemarleCommunity college · Public · Elizabeth City46.5 mi$2,242 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Wanchese residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
About Wanchese
CDP in North Carolina, United States
Wanchese ( WAHN-cheez) is a census-designated place (CDP) on Roanoke Island in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. It was named after Wanchese, the last known ruler of the Roanoke Native American tribe encountered by English colonists in the sixteenth century. As of the 2020 census, Wanchese had a population of 1,522. Today, Wanchese is the center of commercial fishing and boatbuilding on the Outer Banks. The residents of Wanchese are governed by the Dare County Board of Commissioners. Wanchese is part of District 1, along with Manteo, Roanoke Island and Manns Harbor .
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7 ft
- ZIP code
- 27981
- Area code
- 252
Questions about Wanchese
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wanchese, NC expensive?
Not for the 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−.