City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Surf City, NC

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

4,160
Residents
$84,833
Median income
$478,600
Median home
$1,173
Median rent (state)

Surf City - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Surf City lands in the 66th percentile for household income and the 30th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

66th
percentile, household income
84th
percentile, home value
34th
percentile, median rent
30th
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: Surf City, NC

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 4,160 residents in Surf City, a small town within North Carolina. Surf City households earn a median of $84,833 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.1%. Surf City's housing stock carries a median value of $478,600, and the median resident age is 39.8 years. 50.8% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 58.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 185 residential building permits were authorized in Surf City (Building Boom), up 131% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2070.3 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, near the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 62.1°F.

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. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,173 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts North Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $215 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 95.0 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

4,160 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$84,833 /yr

Poverty 5.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Surf City compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 66% higher than other cities
Home value 84% pricier than other cities
Median rent 34% pricier than other cities
Safety 30% 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: Surf City ranks #77 of 195 North Carolina cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Surf City 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 Surf City's strongest outlier among North Carolina cities

Among the 708 North Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Surf City ranks #44 - the 94th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Surf City only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#130 of 700
81st percentile in North Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#340 of 746
53rd percentile in North Carolina
Median Home Value
#44 of 708
94th percentile in North Carolina
Poverty Rate
#504 of 746
32nd percentile in North Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#86 of 746
88th 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.

66thIncome percentile
30thSafety percentile

66th percentile nationally for median household income · 30th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Surf City's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Surf City'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 46 Avg. percentile National median
Surf City'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 Surf City's home value compares nationally

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

$478,600 16th percentile more affordable than 16% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Surf City $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 - Surf City, NC Surf City, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Surf City, 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 Surf City, NC median $84,833/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%
Surf City, 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 Surf City, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 50.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 58.0%

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

Population
4,160
Median Income
$84,833
Median Home Value
$478,600
Median Age
39.8
Poverty Rate
5.1%
Labor force participation
58.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
50.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2070.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
293.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1777.3
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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
62.1°F
Annual Precipitation
N/A
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
3,500 residents4,000 residents4,500 residents5,000 residents5,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 3,898 residents 5,142 residents ▲ +31.9%
Surf City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
185
housing units authorized
Single-Family
179
detached homes
Multifamily
6
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
44.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 80
2020 173
2021 350
2022 263
2023 219
2024 185

Permit volume increased 131% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
66.1%
Carpool
6.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.7%
Work from Home
25.0%

Based on 1,958 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 Surf City sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,173/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
95.0 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Wingate
4,169 people
Benson
4,144 people
Southport
4,143 people
Mount Olive
4,204 people
Franklin
4,221 people
Forest Oaks
4,095 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Surf City's 4,160 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Sebring, OH
4,160 people
Capitol View, SC
4,161 people
Shrewsbury, NJ
4,162 people
Amity Gardens, PA
4,158 people
Montesano, WA
4,157 people
Jefferson, IA
4,164 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Surf City's $84,833 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Madison Lake, MN
$84,833 median income
North Enid, OK
$84,844 median income
North Logan, UT
$84,821 median income
Mountain View, CA
$84,818 median income
Dutchtown, MO
$84,853 median income
La Puente, CA
$84,811 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Surf City, 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 Surf City, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 90.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.7% White 90.2% Black or African American 4.4% Asian 0.6% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.2% Two or more races 4.6% 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 Surf City 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
Surf City (this city) 4,160 $84,833
Wingate 4,169 $65,208
Benson 4,144 $65,614
Southport 4,143 $82,792
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC FBI UCR NOAA Normals Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Surf City, NC?

What is the population of Surf City, NC? +

Surf City, NC counts 4,160 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Surf City, NC? +

In Surf City, the typical household earns $84,833 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Surf City? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Surf City; 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 Surf City, NC safe? +

Surf City has a total crime rate of 2070.3 per 100,000 residents, which is near 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 Surf City, NC? +

The median home value in Surf City is $478,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Surf City? +

Surf City has an average annual temperature of 62.1°F. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

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