Population
147 residents
Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina
City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023
Waves, NC
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Waves - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 147
- Residents
- $1,430
- Median rent (state)
Waves - the verdict
147 people call Waves, North Carolina home. Source: Census ACS.
- 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: Waves, NC
Waves is a small town in North Carolina, home to 147 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The median resident age is 63.4 years. 0.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 0.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
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 $1,430 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in North Carolina run around $215, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 89.6 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).
Median Household Income
N/A /yr
Poverty 0.0%
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.3 (US=100)
Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average
How does Waves compare to other US cities?
Where Waves sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
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 Waves'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.
Income distribution context
Median household income is not available for Waves in the current Census ACS release (common for very small places).
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 0.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 0.0%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
147
Median Income
N/A
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
63.4
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
0.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
0.0%
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 Waves sits in
Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,430/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
89.6 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in North Carolina
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Waves's 147 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Waves 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Waves (this city) | 147 | N/A |
| Milwaukee | 147 | $47,596 |
| Bald Head Island | 149 | $205,000 |
| Hallsboro | 145 | $82,292 |
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Waves, NC?
What is the population of Waves, NC? +
Waves, NC counts 147 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the cost of living in Waves? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Waves; 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.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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 EditorialEvery 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.