| ||||||||||||||
| Dare County, North Carolina | |||||
 Dare County Administration Building in Manteo
| |||||
| |||||
| Motto: "Land of Beginnings" | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location in the state of North Carolina | |||||
 North Carolina's location in the U.S. | |||||
| Founded | 1870 | ||||
| Named for | Virginia Dare | ||||
| Seat | Manteo | ||||
| Largest town | Kill Devil Hills | ||||
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,563 sq mi (4,048 km²) 383 sq mi (992 km²) 1,179 sq mi (3,054 km²), 75 | ||||
| Population - (2020) - Density |
36,915 98.8/sq mi (38/km²) | ||||
| Congressional district | 3rd | ||||
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | ||||
| Website | www.darenc.com | ||||
Dare County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 36,915.[1] Its county seat is Manteo.[2] Dare County is named after Virginia Dare, the first child born in the Americas to English parents, who was born within the county's current borders.[3] Founded in 1870 from parts of Tyrrell, Currituck and Hyde counties, it consists of a large segment of the Outer Banks of North Carolina,[4] along with Roanoke Island and a peninsula of land attached to the mainland. Most of the county consists of a string of resort communities along the Outer Banks. While lightly populated by year-round residents, the population swells during the summer with vacationers.[5]
Dare County is included in the Kill Devil Hills, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC Combined Statistical Area.
At one time, the now-abandoned town of Buffalo City was the largest community in the county.[6] Because it includes much of Pamlico Sound, Dare County is the largest county in North Carolina by total area, although if one were to consider land area only, it drops down to 68th in size among the state's 100 counties.[7]
Geography[]
Dare County welcome center
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,563 square miles (4,050 km2), of which 383 square miles (990 km2) is land and 1,179 square miles (3,050 km2) (75%) is water.[8] It is the largest county in North Carolina by area.[7]
Dare County includes the middle part of the Outer Banks and contains Roanoke Island.
National protected areas[]
- Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore (part)
- Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
- Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
- Wright Brothers National Memorial
State and local protected areas/sites[]
- Bodie Island Lighthouse
- Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve Dedicated Nature Preserve
- Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
- Dare Game Lands (part)
- Hatteras Inlet Crab Spawning Sanctuary (part)
- Jockey's Ridge State Park
- Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve
- Kitty Hawk Woods Reserve
- Nags Head Woods Preserve Dedicated Nature Preserve
- Oregon Inlet Crab Spawning Sanctuary
- Pamlico Sound Mechanical Harvesting of Oysters Prohibited Area
- Roanoke Island Festival Park
- Roanoke Island Marshes Dedicated Nature Preserve
- Run Hill State Natural Area
- Run Hill State Natural Area Dedicated Nature Preserve
- Sandy Run Park
Adjacent counties[]
- Currituck County – north
- Hyde County – southwest
- Tyrrell County – west
Major water-bodies[]
- Albemarle Sound
- Alligator River
- Atlantic Ocean
- Broad Creek
- Croatan Sound
- Currituck Sound
- East lake
- Intracoastal Waterway
- Long Shoal River
- Pamlico Sound
- Roanoke Sound
- Shallowbag Bay
- South Lake
Major highways[]
US 64- US 64 Byp.
- US 158
- US 264
- NC 12
- NC 345
- NC 400
Other Major Infrastructure[]
- Dare County Bombing Range, within Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.
- Dare County Regional Airport, a general aviation airport, is located in Dare County.
- First Flight Airport, inside Wright Brothers National Memorial
- Hatteras - Ocracoke Ferry, to Hyde County
- Stumpy Point - Rodanthe Ferry, emergency route to the mainland during evacuations.
Demographics[]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 2,778 | ||
| 1880 | 3,243 | 16.7% | |
| 1890 | 3,768 | 16.2% | |
| 1900 | 4,757 | 26.2% | |
| 1910 | 4,841 | 1.8% | |
| 1920 | 5,115 | 5.7% | |
| 1930 | 5,202 | 1.7% | |
| 1940 | 6,401 | 23.0% | |
| 1950 | 5,405 | −15.6% | |
| 1960 | 5,935 | 9.8% | |
| 1970 | 6,995 | 17.9% | |
| 1980 | 13,377 | 91.2% | |
| 1990 | 22,746 | 70.0% | |
| 2000 | 29,959 | 31.7% | |
| 2010 | 33,920 | 13.2% | |
| Est. 2021 | 37,826 | [9] | 26.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790–1960[11] 1900–1990[12] 1990–2000[13] 2010–2020[14] | |||
2020 census[]
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 31,921 | 86.47% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 678 | 1.84% |
| Native American | 99 | 0.27% |
| Asian | 260 | 0.7% |
| Pacific Islander | 10 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,393 | 3.77% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,554 | 6.92% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 36,915 people, 15,529 households, and 10,281 families residing in the county.
2010 census[]
As of the census[16] of 2010, there were 33,920 people, 12,690 households, and 8,450 families residing in the county. The population density was 78 people per square mile (30/km2). There were 26,671 housing units at an average density of 70 per square mile (27/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.3% White, 2.5% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 2.4% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 6.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 12,690 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.4% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,411, and the median income for a family was $49,302. Males had a median income of $31,240 versus $24,318 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,614. About 5.5% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Ancestry[]
As of 2010, the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Dare County were:[17]
| Largest ancestries (2010) | Percent |
|---|---|
| English | 22.0% |
| German | 18.4% |
| Irish | 15.3% |
| "American" | 8.7% |
| Italian | 6.2% |
| Scottish | 4.8% |
| Scots-Irish | 4.0% |
| Polish | 3.0% |
| Dutch | 1.8% |
| Welsh | 1.2% |
Communities[]
Clickable map of the county. interactive map
Towns[]
- Duck
- Kill Devil Hills (Largest town)
- Kitty Hawk
- Manteo (county seat)
- Nags Head
- Southern Shores
Townships[]
- Atlantic Township
- Croatan Township
- East Lake Township
- Hatteras Township
- Kinnekeet Township
- Nags Head Township
Census-designated places[]
- Avon
- Buxton
- Frisco
- Hatteras
- Manns Harbor
- Rodanthe
- Salvo
- Wanchese
- Waves
Unincorporated communities[]
- Buffalo City (Abandoned)
- Colington
- East Lake
- Little Kinnekeet
- Martins Point
- Sanderling
- Scarborotown
- Stumpy Point
Ghost Towns[]
- Burptoe Village (Est: 1892)(Abandoned: 1950) Highest population: 616 (1942)
- Port Frenz (Est: 1862 as Fort Frent)(Abandoned: 1932) Highest population: 602 (1924)(Named as Fort Frent till 1865)
Politics[]
Dare County is presently a Republican county, having voted Republican since the 1980 election, though the Republican margins of victory are significantly smaller than most Southern largely-white counties. No Democratic presidential nominee has carried Dare County since Jimmy Carter did so in 1976. Before the 1950s, it was mostly a typical “Solid South” Democratic county, that did not vote Republican between 1900 and 1952, albeit by significantly smaller margins than much of the rest of the Solid South.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 13,938 | 57.52% | 9,936 | 41.00% | 358 | 1.48% |
| 2016 | 11,460 | 58.44% | 7,222 | 36.83% | 927 | 4.73% |
| 2012 | 10,248 | 57.02% | 7,393 | 41.13% | 333 | 1.85% |
| 2008 | 9,745 | 53.99% | 8,074 | 44.74% | 229 | 1.27% |
| 2004 | 9,345 | 60.10% | 6,136 | 39.46% | 67 | 0.43% |
| 2000 | 7,301 | 56.15% | 5,589 | 42.99% | 112 | 0.86% |
| 1996 | 4,977 | 46.00% | 4,522 | 41.79% | 1,321 | 12.21% |
| 1992 | 4,357 | 40.73% | 3,925 | 36.70% | 2,414 | 22.57% |
| 1988 | 5,234 | 64.85% | 2,806 | 34.77% | 31 | 0.38% |
| 1984 | 4,738 | 71.83% | 1,839 | 27.88% | 19 | 0.29% |
| 1980 | 2,794 | 49.76% | 2,497 | 44.47% | 324 | 5.77% |
| 1976 | 1,680 | 43.18% | 2,191 | 56.31% | 20 | 0.51% |
| 1972 | 1,986 | 75.20% | 634 | 24.01% | 21 | 0.80% |
| 1968 | 1,035 | 40.13% | 700 | 27.14% | 844 | 32.73% |
| 1964 | 867 | 37.00% | 1,476 | 63.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 1,058 | 45.90% | 1,247 | 54.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 1,028 | 55.06% | 839 | 44.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 767 | 44.44% | 959 | 55.56% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 373 | 30.72% | 802 | 66.06% | 39 | 3.21% |
| 1944 | 259 | 21.14% | 966 | 78.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 315 | 20.60% | 1,214 | 79.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 542 | 28.07% | 1,389 | 71.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 497 | 28.50% | 1,241 | 71.16% | 6 | 0.34% |
| 1928 | 814 | 47.97% | 883 | 52.03% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 629 | 43.17% | 826 | 56.69% | 2 | 0.14% |
| 1920 | 632 | 43.38% | 825 | 56.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 363 | 43.58% | 470 | 56.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1912 | 238 | 33.29% | 397 | 55.52% | 80 | 11.19% |
| 1908 | 370 | 47.07% | 416 | 52.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1904 | 350 | 45.75% | 415 | 54.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1900 | 331 | 45.03% | 404 | 54.97% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1896 | 471 | 53.58% | 408 | 46.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1892 | 356 | 51.52% | 335 | 48.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1888 | 337 | 51.22% | 321 | 48.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1884 | 291 | 53.30% | 255 | 46.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1880 | 274 | 48.75% | 288 | 51.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
Law and government[]
Dare County is governed by the Dare County Board of Commissioners. Dare County is a part of the Albemarle Commission regional council of governments.
Lighthouses[]
Dare County is home to two popular lighthouses: The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the Bodie Island Lighthouse. There is also a beacon atop the Wright Brothers Memorial. A third lighthouse was built by the Town of Manteo and dedicated on September 25, 2004. The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is an exterior recreation of the 1877 screwpile lighthouse of the same name and is located on the Manteo waterfront. It serves as exhibit space for the N.C. Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island.[19]
Education[]
Public education is run by Dare County Schools. There are three public high schools/secondary schools with high school components:
- Cape Hatteras Secondary School
- First Flight High School
- Manteo High School
College of The Albemarle is the local community college, with a Dare campus in Manteo.[20]
Dare County Library has branches in Manteo, Kill Devil Hills, and Hatteras.[21]
See also[]
- List of counties in North Carolina
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Dare County, North Carolina
- North Carolina Ferry System
- Hurricane Isabel, worst hurricane to hit Dare county to date causing widespread damage.
- Roanoke Colony, infamous first colony in the Americas.
- List of ghost towns in North CarolinaCoordinates:
- North Carolina State Parks
- National Park Service
References[]
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Dare County, North Carolina" (in en). https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/darecountynorthcarolina/PST045221.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx.
- ^ "About Dare County". Dare County. http://www.darenc.com/general/mainabout.asp.
- ^ "Dare County | NCpedia". https://www.ncpedia.org/geography/dare.
- ^ "Tourists flock to Outer Banks in record numbers" (in en). https://www.pilotonline.com/news/article_8168ed68-e37f-5449-b4fe-6a80d12f7014.html.
- ^ Degregory, Lane (1994-10-02). "Buffalo City". The Virginian-Pilot. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1994/vp941002/09300159.htm.
- ^ a b "North Carolina Land Area County Rank". http://www.usa.com/rank/north-carolina-state--land-area--county-rank.htm.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_37.txt.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Dare County, North Carolina.". www.census.gov.. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/darecountynorthcarolina/PST045221.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu.
- ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/nc190090.txt.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37/37055.html.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US37055&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov.
- ^ Bureau, U.S. Census. "American FactFinder - Results" (in en). https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US37055.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS.
- ^ "Wright Brothers Monument (U.S. National Park Service)" (in en). https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/wright-brothers-monument.htm.
- ^ "Home". College of The Albemarle. https://www.albemarle.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-12. "COA – Dare 132 Russell Twiford Rd Manteo, NC 27954"
- ^ "Home". Dare County Library. https://www.darenc.com/departments/libraries. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
|
Currituck County |
| ||
| Tyrrell County | 
|
Atlantic Ocean | ||
   Dare County, North Carolina | ||||
| ||||
| Hyde County | Atlantic Ocean |
| ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Dare County, North Carolina. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |