Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety46#503/924
Economy85#138/925
Housing48#484/925
Health86#129/925
Healthcare53#430/923
Environment97#30/917
Education95#46/925
Infrastructure76#224/925
Community89#99/925
Leisure & amenities100#3/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Grocery stores · high5.0 /10k
100/100North Carolina 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · high3.7 /10k
100/100North Carolina 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Voter turnout · high84.3%
100/100North Carolina 72.9%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · high33.5 /10k
100/100North Carolina 8.8 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Poverty rate · low6.6%
99/100North Carolina 12.6%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Lack of reliable transportation · low5.9%
99/100North Carolina 8.8%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Public transit commuters · low0.0%
3/100North Carolina 0.6%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Average weekly wage · low$937
9/100North Carolina $1,376United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.491
9/100North Carolina 0.477United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Home price to income ratio · high5.2×
12/100North Carolina 4.0×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Homicide rate · high8.2 /100k
13/100North Carolina 6.9 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · high26.2 /100k
15/100North Carolina 20.6 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
21% (2021) → 55% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+34 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
1 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Median household incomeImproving
$59,381 (2015-2019) → $88,994 (2020-2024)
+50%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
New business applicationsImproving
11.8 /1k (2020) → 17.6 /1k (2025)
+50%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
34.7% (2015-2019) → 43.2% (2020-2024)
+8.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
New homes permittedWorsening
15.0 /1k (2021) → 9.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−40%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan area improved on 12 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 6 moved within the margin of error and 6 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Bachelor's++8.5 points34.7% → 43.2%
Uninsured−5.1 points16.6% → 11.5%
Household income+50%$59,381 → $88,994
Unemployment−6 points10.3% → 4.3%
Grocery stores+23%4.1 /10k → 5.0 /10k

Declined5

Inequality+0.0600.432 → 0.492
Firearm deaths+33%11.5 /100k → 15.3 /100k
Restaurants−10%37.3 /10k → 33.5 /10k
Gyms−14%2.4 /10k → 2.1 /10k
Traffic deaths+21%10.5 /100k → 12.7 /100k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	18.6 /10k2020	18.6 /10k2025	−0.4%	Little change	28%
Average commute time	21.1 min2015-2019	22.4 min2020-2024	+1.3 min	Within the margin of error	25%
Bachelor's degree or higher	34.7%2015-2019	43.2%2020-2024	+8.5 points	Improved	100%
Broadband subscriptions	90.7%2015-2019	91.7%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	1%
Child poverty rate	14.8%2015-2019	8.6%2020-2024	−6.2 points	Improved	85%
Distance to an airport	73 mi2020	73 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	40.5 /100k2020	26.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−35%	Improved	64%
Effective property tax rate	0.64%2015-2019	0.51%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	53%
Firearm deaths	11.5 /100k2020	15.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+33%	Declined	17%
Grocery stores	4.1 /10k2020	5.0 /10k2025	+23%	Improved	91%
Gyms and fitness centers	2.4 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	−14%	Declined	22%
High school diploma or higher	94.2%2015-2019	94.7%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Home price to income ratio	4.9×2015-2019	5.2×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	68%
Income adjusted for local prices	$68,8252019	$94,5742024	+37%	Improved	82%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4322015-2019	0.4922020-2024	+0.060	Declined	1%
Median household income	$59,3812015-2019	$88,9942020-2024	+50%	Improved	99%
New business applications	11.8 /1k2020	17.6 /1k2025	+50%	Improved	56%
Pharmacies	3.2 /10k2020	3.7 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	91%
Poverty rate	9.0%2015-2019	6.6%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Improved	79%
Property crime rate	2,137 /100k2020	1,324 /100k2025	−38%	Improved	60%
Public libraries	0.8 /10k2019	0.8 /10k2024	−3%	Little change	38%
Rent as share of income	30.8%2015-2019	28.9%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Rent-burdened households	51.1%2015-2019	48.0%2020-2024	−3 points	Within the margin of error	79%
Restaurants and bars	37.3 /10k2020	33.5 /10k2025	−10%	Declined	12%
Suicide rate	13.5 /100k2020	13.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+2.2%	Little change	56%
Traffic deaths	10.5 /100k2015-2019	12.7 /100k2020-2024	+21%	Declined	27%
Unemployment rate	10.3%2020	4.3%2025	−6 points	Improved	97%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	16.6%2015-2019	11.5%2020-2024	−5.1 points	Improved	98%
Violent crime rate	163 /100k2020	159 /100k2025	−2.4%	Little change	29%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan area itself moved −1.1 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

37,875 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

16,836 households (±642)

Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k9.3%1,572
$25k–50k17%2,797
$50k–75k16%2,655

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

16,836 households (±642)

Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Own78%13,202
Rent22%3,634

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

19,066 workers (±556)

Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone73%13,859
Carpool8.5%1,621
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Kill Devil Hills, NC has 2,079 employer establishments, 545 for every 10,000 residents (2.19× the US rate of 248), with 16,320 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,351. The Census Bureau also counts 6,123 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,079; 6,123 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 545; US 248
Paid employees: 16,320
Average annual pay: $45,351; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Kill Devil Hills, NC by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	261	68.4	3.73×More than typical	3,636	$35,425	26
Lessors of real estate	156	40.9	3.32×More than typical	1,636	$52,948	1,077
Specialty trade contractors	156	40.9	2.64×More than typical	791	$52,997	617
Full-service restaurants	135	35.4	4.61×More than typical	2,376	$39,770	13
Construction of buildings	113	29.6	3.92×More than typical	355	$57,854	410
Services to buildings and dwellings	89	23.3	3.46×More than typical	365	$52,260	612
Ambulatory health care services	83	21.8	1.04×About typical	380	$99,605	149
Real estate agents and brokers	80	21	4.31×More than typical	458	$63,924	311
Building equipment contractors	76	19.9	3.31×More than typical	418	$54,024	86
Clothing and accessories stores	73	19.1	5.27×More than typical	469	$28,642	34
Limited-service restaurants	71	18.6	2.32×More than typical	737	$28,798	6
Traveler accommodation	62	16.3	9.00×More than typical	1,077	$32,273	56

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 38,150 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $41.9M on contracts performed in Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan area: $1,097 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $41.9M; −0% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,097; US $1,994
Sole-source: 53%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.3%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$23.4M56%
National Park Service$13.2M31%
Department of the Navy$2.7M6.3%
U.S. Coast Guard$2.3M5.5%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$498.7K1.2%
Federal Acquisition Service$38.3K0.1%
Department of the Air Force$31K0.1%
Departmental Offices$28.2K0.1%

Top recipients

EASTERN SHAWNEE - BAY WEST JV, LLC$21.9M52%
STONE & LIME IMPORTS, INC$11M26%
SYNCON LLC$1.9M4.5%
HDR ENVIRONMENTAL, OPERATIONS AND CONSTRUCTION, INC.$1.6M3.7%
NICKLAUS ENSAFE JV LLC$1.2M2.8%

Spending by fiscal year

10.9MFY2017
7.9MFY2018
16.5MFY2019
11.8MFY2020
10MFY2021
9.7MFY2022
33.8MFY2023
23.7M

Top industries (NAICS)

Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$24.3M58%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$13.2M31%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$1.8M4.2%
Other amusement and recreation industries · 7139$430.5K1.0%
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors · 2381$375.3K0.9%

Largest awards

THIS REQUIREMENT IS FOR FOLLOW-ON ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION ACTIVITIES FOR FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITE (FUDS) IN BUXTON, NORTH CAROLINA (NC).$36.3M
EASTERN SHAWNEE - BAY WEST JV, LLC· Dare County, NC· Facilities & utilities· Sep 12, 2025 – Apr 9, 2026· W912HN25CA016
CAHA 213068 LIGHTHOUSE CONSTRUCTION$30.5M
STONE & LIME IMPORTS, INC· Dare County, NC· Construction & real property· Sep 25, 2023 – Jun 3, 2026· 140P2023C0058
THIS PROJECT INCLUDES THE SITE-ADAPTED DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, DEMOLITION, AND SUPERVISION TO REPLACE EXISTING MODULAR HOUSING UNITS AT THE CAPE HATTERAS ISLAND DISTRICT HOUSING AREA WITH COMMERCIAL OFF-THE-SHELF MODULAR HOUSING UNITS OR AN EQUIVALENT$8.5M
TERRA SITE CONSTRUCTORS LLC· Dare County, NC· Construction & real property· May 24, 2024 – Mar 16, 2026· 140P2024C0014

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $488.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan area: $12,776 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $488.6M; +57% vs FY2025
Per resident: $12,776; US $12,955
Loan face value: $19.5M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$236M48%
20.263 · Bridge Formula Program$121.2M25%
20.937 · National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega Projects)$50.2M10%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$21.6M4.4%
20.284 · Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (Protect)$14.5M3.0%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$13.5M2.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$12.6M2.6%
97.022 · Flood Insurance$8.5M1.7%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT$188.7M39%
RALEIGH, NC
TORRENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.$5.2M1.1%
KALISPELL, MT
SOUTHERN FARM BUREAU CASUALTY INSURANCE CO.$997.3K0.2%
RIDGELAND, MS
SELECTIVE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA$803K0.2%
BRANCHVILLE, NJ
WRIGHT NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE COMPANY

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$264.2M54%
Federal Highway Administration$188.7M39%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$25.3M5.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Emergency Management Agency$8.5M1.7%
Department of Homeland Security
Railroad Retirement Board

Assistance by fiscal year

287.5MFY2021
305.5MFY2022
262.5MFY2023
275.2MFY2024
311MFY2025
488.6MFY2026

County aggregates

59%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Kill Devil Hills, NC

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Dare CountyCentral county8638,245

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Kill Devil HillsPrincipal city7,761

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in North Carolina

Areas based in North Carolina, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC69

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M28620

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Kill Devil Hills, NC

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in North Carolina

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought