City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Sunset Beach, NC

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

4,326
Residents
$84,934
Median income
$354,300
Median home
$1,426
Median rent (state)

Sunset Beach - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Sunset Beach places in the 66th percentile for household income and the 61st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

66th
percentile, household income
72nd
percentile, home value
56th
percentile, median rent
61st
percentile, safety
📝 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: Sunset Beach, NC

North Carolina's Sunset Beach is a small town, with 4,326 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Sunset Beach households earn a median of $84,934 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.5%. Home values in Sunset Beach run a median of $354,300, and the median resident age is 68.3 years. Educational attainment runs 39.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 34.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 251 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 71% from five years earlier. Sunset Beach reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1073.0 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,426 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in North Carolina run around $215, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 95.8 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

4,326 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$84,934 /yr

Poverty 3.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Sunset Beach compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 66% higher than other cities
Home value 72% pricier than other cities
Median rent 56% pricier than other cities
Safety 61% safer than other cities

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

Zoom in to just North Carolina and the picture shifts: Sunset Beach ranks #20 of 195 North Carolina cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

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 Sunset Beach'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.

66thIncome percentile
61stSafety percentile

66th percentile nationally for median household income · 61st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Sunset Beach's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Sunset Beach's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 54 Avg. percentile National median
Sunset Beach's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Sunset Beach's home value compares nationally

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

$354,300 28th percentile more affordable than 28% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $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. Sunset Beach $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 - Sunset Beach, NC Sunset Beach, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Sunset Beach, 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 Sunset Beach, NC median $84,934/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%
Sunset Beach, 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 Sunset Beach, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 39.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 34.9%

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

Population
4,326
Median Income
$84,934
Median Home Value
$354,300
Median Age
68.3
Poverty Rate
3.5%
Labor force participation
34.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
39.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1073.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
107.3
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
965.7
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
4,000 residents4,200 residents4,400 residents4,600 residents4,800 residents 202020212022202320242025 4,153 residents 4,642 residents ▲ +11.8%
Sunset Beach's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
251
housing units authorized
Single-Family
143
detached homes
Multifamily
108
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
58
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 147
2020 65
2021 153
2022 233
2023 167
2024 251

Permit volume increased 71% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
77.5%
Carpool
1.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.1%
Work from Home
19.7%

Based on 1,423 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 Sunset Beach 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

North Wilkesboro
4,348 people
Spindale
4,244 people
Canton
4,417 people
Newport
4,428 people
Franklin
4,221 people
Mount Olive
4,204 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Sunset Beach's 4,326 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Mount Hermon, VA
4,326 people
Kimberly, AL
4,327 people
Middleville, MI
4,327 people
Indian River Shores, FL
4,324 people
Hebbronville, TX
4,324 people
Pantops, VA
4,328 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Sunset Beach's $84,934 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Shrewsbury, MO
$84,942 median income
West Des Moines, IA
$84,925 median income
LaGrange, OH
$84,943 median income
Arlington, WA
$84,919 median income
Anna, OH
$84,917 median income
Parkesburg, PA
$84,952 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Sunset Beach, 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 Sunset Beach, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 95.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.8% White 95.4% Black or African American 1.5% Asian 0.6% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.8% Two or more races 1.7% 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 Sunset Beach 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
Sunset Beach (this city) 4,326 $84,934
North Wilkesboro 4,348 $39,288
Spindale 4,244 $38,509
Canton 4,417 $64,034
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC FBI UCR Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Sunset Beach, NC?

What is the population of Sunset Beach, NC? +

Sunset Beach, NC counts 4,326 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Sunset Beach, NC? +

In Sunset Beach, the typical household earns $84,934 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Sunset Beach? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Sunset Beach; 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.

Is Sunset Beach, NC safe? +

Sunset Beach has a total crime rate of 1073.0 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Sunset Beach, NC? +

Homes in Sunset Beach carry a median value of $354,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.