Town · North Carolina
Southern Shores, North Carolina
Southern Shores, town, in Dare County, North Carolina. Southern Shores had 3,110 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,090 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,139 (±15). GEOID 3763130.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
3,110
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,090 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,139 ±15
Median household income
$131,429
±$23,323 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$712,300
±$63,478 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
not published
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Southern Shores and what county is it in?
Southern Shores is a town in Dare County, North Carolina. It covers 3.9 square miles of land, 783 residents per square mile in 2020.
Southern Shores is in the Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Southern Shores, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,110 people lived in Southern Shores on July 1, 2025, up 0.6% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 3,090 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,139 (±15).
| Measure | Southern Shores | Dare County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,139 ±15 | 37,875 | +240 |
| Households | 1,306 ±117 | 16,836 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.40 ±0.21 | 2.24 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,544 ±216 | 35,278 | no clear change |
Southern Shores's population since 2000
From 2,201 in 2000 to 3,110 in 2025: up 41.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Southern Shores as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Southern Shores?
The median resident of Southern Shores is 58.7 years old; 12.0% are under 18 and 31.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 96.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 3.1%.
| Measure | Southern Shores | Dare County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 58.7 ±2.6 | 49.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 12.0% ±4.4 pts | 17.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 31.7% ±5.7 pts | 25.2% | – |
| Male | 48.0% ±3.8 pts | 49.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 7.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 96.4% ±1.7 pts | 85.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.1% ±1.7 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.6% ±2.8 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.2% ±2.9 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.4% ±3.3 pts | 8.1% | – |
| With a disability | 15.3% ±4.8 pts | 10.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.7% ±5.3 pts | 8.6% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 99.0% ±1.1 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 59.1% ±7.8 pts | 43.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 23.5% ±6.2 pts | 13.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.3% ±2.9 pts | 90.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.1% ±2.3 pts | 4.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Southern Shores earn?
Half of Southern Shores's 1,306 households earn less than $131,429 a year (±$23,323), against $88,994 in Dare County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $118,827 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Southern Shores | Dare County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $131,429 ±$23,323 | $88,994 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $154,208 ±$17,561 | $129,955 | – |
| Per capita income | $64,777 ±$7,327 | $56,589 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±10.7 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 3.9% ±3.7 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.5% ±2.3 pts | 97.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 98.5% ±2.3 pts | 91.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Southern Shores?
Owners occupy 91.3% of Southern Shores's occupied homes and renters 8.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $712,300 by its owner (±$63,478).
| Measure | Southern Shores | Dare County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $712,300 ±$63,478 | $460,400 | +$139,781 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 60.3% ±37.6 pts | 39.8% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,884 ±$295 | $2,051 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 91.3% ±4.4 pts | 78.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 8.7% ±4.4 pts | 21.6% | – |
| Housing units | 2,544 ±216 | 35,278 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.1% ±1.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 66.0% ±18.1 pts | 65.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 98.9% ±1.3 pts | 79.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.8% ±1.2 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.0% ±2.9 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.3% ±1.9 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.6% ±3.5 pts | 2.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Southern Shores building?
Builders took permits for 8 new housing units in Southern Shores in 2025 (8 in single-family houses), 2.6 per 1,000 residents against 7.7 across North Carolina.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Southern Shores work and get to work?
70.5% of Southern Shores's workers drive alone and 23.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.6 minutes.
| Measure | Southern Shores | Dare County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.2% ±5.8 pts | 64.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 13.2% ±9.7 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 70.5% ±9.6 pts | 72.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.1% ±4.6 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 23.9% ±8.0 pts | 14.2% | +10.2 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.6 min ±4.5 | 22.4 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Southern Shores?
No census tract lies mostly in Southern Shores; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9701.01Dare County | 4,541 | $149,114 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Southern Shores) · Census block assignment files
How does Southern Shores compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Southern Shores is the 6,223rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 213th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Southern Shores ranks 20th of 434 places in North Carolina with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 213th | 549 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 269th | 331 |
| Residents per square mile | 266th | 443 |
| Median household income | 20th | 434 |
| Per capita income | 25th | 443 |
| Median home value | 8th | 438 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36th | 421 |
| Median age | 24th | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 35th | 443 |
| Work from home | 53rd | 279 |
| Travel time to work | 207th | 439 |
Southern Shores's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Southern Shores with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Southern Shores?
22 of the 56 figures for Southern Shores on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Southern Shores are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Southern Shores.