City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Duck, NC

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Duck - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

662
Residents
$118,750
Median income
$705,700
Median home
$1,713
Median rent (state)

Duck - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Duck lands in the 87th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

87th
percentile, household income
93rd
percentile, home value
69th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Duck, NC

North Carolina's Duck is a small town, with 662 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $118,750 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.9%. Home values in Duck run a median of $705,700, and the median resident age is 61.1 years. 64.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 46.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 10 residential building permits were authorized in Duck (Slowing), down 17% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts North Carolina at 94.3 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,713 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts North Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $215 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 18.1 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

662 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$118,750 /yr

Poverty 2.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Duck compare to other US cities?

Where Duck sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 87% higher than other cities
Home value 93% pricier than other cities
Median rent 69% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Duck against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to North Carolina only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

North Carolina-relative analysis

Median Home Value is Duck's strongest outlier among North Carolina cities

Among the 708 North Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Duck ranks #9 - the 99th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Duck only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#32 of 700
95th percentile in North Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#28 of 746
96th percentile in North Carolina
Median Home Value
#9 of 708
99th percentile in North Carolina
Poverty Rate
#587 of 746
21st percentile in North Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#34 of 746
95th percentile in North Carolina

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within North Carolina only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

87thIncome percentile

87th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Duck's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$705,700 7th percentile more affordable than 7% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Duck $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Duck, NC Duck, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Duck, NC-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Duck, NC median $118,750/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Duck, NC's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Duck, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 64.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 46.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
662
Median Income
$118,750
Median Home Value
$705,700
Median Age
61.1
Poverty Rate
2.9%
Labor force participation
46.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
64.5%

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
730 residents740 residents750 residents760 residents 202020212022202320242025 743 residents 736 residents ▼ -0.9%
Duck's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
10
housing units authorized
Single-Family
10
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
15.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 12
2020 19
2021 19
2022 21
2023 17
2024 10

Permit volume decreased 17% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
40.8%
Carpool
2.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.5%
Work from Home
50.2%
Other
3.6%

Based on 277 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for North Carolina - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$215
estimated/month

Estimates reflect North Carolina state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a North Carolina state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Duck sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,713/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
18.1 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Greenevers
657 people
Ingold
667 people
Columbia
674 people
Ossipee
650 people
Bell Arthur
649 people
Saluda
676 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Duck's 662 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Holiday Hills, IL
662 people
Elizabethtown, NY
662 people
Glen Ullin, ND
662 people
Kiowa, OK
662 people
South Coffeyville, OK
662 people
Gouglersville, PA
662 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Duck's $118,750 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Redstone Arsenal, AL
$118,750 median income
Fernan Lake, ID
$118,750 median income
Beverly Shores, IN
$118,750 median income
Solway, MN
$118,750 median income
Rutgers University-Busch Campus, NJ
$118,750 median income
Yardley, PA
$118,750 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Duck, NC Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Duck, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 96.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.0% White 96.2% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.3% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.4% Two or more races 2.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Duck compares to nearby North Carolina cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Duck (this city) 662 $118,750
Greenevers 657 $14,394
Ingold 667 $37,195
Columbia 674 $21,118
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Duck, NC?

What is the population of Duck, NC? +

Duck, NC counts 662 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Duck, NC? +

Duck households earn a median of $118,750 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Duck? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Duck; the closest available measure is the North Carolina state average, a cost of living index of 94.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within North Carolina vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Duck, NC? +

Homes in Duck carry a median value of $705,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.