Nags Head is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, home to about 3,160 people across 6.6 square miles. Its ZIP code is 27959.
Homes sold for a median of $424 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Nags Head. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Nags Head’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Norfolk International Airport (ORF)77 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Virginia Beach, VA66 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA286 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Nags Head; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Nags Head had 3,168 residents in the 2020 census, up 17% since 2000.
It’s the 253rd largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Dare County grew from 4,757 residents in 1900 to 36,915 in 2020.
Dare County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 36°F. About 46.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 1 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Manteo Ap, NC weather station (6 miles away).
16,320 jobs at 2,079 businesses in Dare County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
126 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Nags Head.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 16 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 20 |
| Dentists | 6 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 31 |
| Mental health providers | 38 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 10 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 4 |
| Pharmacies | 3 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (2 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Dare County Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nags Head Elementary SchoolNags Head | Pre-K–5 | 484 | Public | 6.5 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.