City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Oak Island, NC

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

8,888
Residents
$83,483
Median income
$407,400
Median home
$1,426
Median rent (state)

Oak Island - the verdict

Oak Island ranks in the 65th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

65th
percentile, household income
78th
percentile, home value
56th
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: Oak Island, NC

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 8,888 residents in Oak Island, a small town within North Carolina. The typical household in Oak Island brings in $83,483 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.7%. Home values in Oak Island run a median of $407,400, and the median resident age is 61.5 years. Educational attainment runs 43.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 45.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 184 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 52% from five years earlier.

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: the state registers 94.3 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,426 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $215 across North Carolina, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 95.8 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

8,888 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$83,483 /yr

Poverty 6.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Oak Island compare to other US cities?

Oak Island measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 65% higher than other cities
Home value 78% pricier than other cities
Median rent 56% 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

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Oak Island's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in North Carolina, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

65thIncome percentile

65th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Oak Island's home value compares nationally

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

$407,400 22nd percentile more affordable than 22% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $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. Oak Island $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 - Oak Island, NC Oak Island, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Oak Island, 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 Oak Island, NC median $83,483/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%
Oak Island, 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 Oak Island, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 43.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 45.7%

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

Population
8,888
Median Income
$83,483
Median Home Value
$407,400
Median Age
61.5
Poverty Rate
6.7%
Labor force participation
45.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
43.0%

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
8,000 residents8,500 residents9,000 residents9,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 8,386 residents 9,337 residents ▲ +11.3%
Oak Island's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
184
housing units authorized
Single-Family
184
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
20.7
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 384
2020 457
2021 545
2022 304
2023 213
2024 184

Permit volume decreased 52% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
71.3%
Carpool
3.5%
Public Transit
2.0%
Walk
1.0%
Work from Home
21.4%
Other
0.8%

Based on 3,689 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 Oak Island sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,426/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
95.8 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Oxford
8,897 people
Wesley Chapel
8,923 people
Aberdeen
8,969 people
Kings Grant
9,061 people
Rockingham
9,094 people
Hampstead
9,129 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Oak Island's 8,888 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Bennington, VT
8,888 people
Beaver Falls, PA
8,885 people
Summit, WA
8,885 people
Bainbridge, OH
8,882 people
Village St. George, LA
8,880 people
Lansdowne, MD
8,879 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Oak Island's $83,483 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Desert Aire, WA
$83,482 median income
Louisville, TN
$83,485 median income
Franklin, AL
$83,480 median income
Tioga, WV
$83,486 median income
Keenesburg, CO
$83,490 median income
West Point, VA
$83,475 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Oak Island, 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 Oak Island, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 94.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1.3% White 94.2% Black or African American 0.9% Asian 0.7% American Indian 0.4% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.2% Two or more races 3.6% 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 Oak Island 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
Oak Island (this city) 8,888 $83,483
Oxford 8,897 $48,135
Wesley Chapel 8,923 $129,962
Aberdeen 8,969 $72,955
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Oak Island, NC?

What is the population of Oak Island, NC? +

The population of Oak Island, NC stands at 8,888 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Oak Island, NC? +

Oak Island households earn a median of $83,483 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Oak Island? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Oak Island; 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 Oak Island, NC? +

A typical home in Oak Island is worth $407,400, 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 Editorial

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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.