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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEThriving

Nags Head, NC

Thriving overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while gdp / output needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score79out of 100
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57
81
89
81
100

Population

3,160

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+2.6% YoY

57

$3.1B

Output changed +2.6% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth6.2%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

81

3.0%

Unemployment is 3.0% for June 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.6%
U.S. avg5.2%

Population

+6.6% 5-year

89

3,160

Population moved +6.6% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population10,730,404
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

81

13.2%

Median rent consumes 13.2% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.2K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$9.6K per resident

100

$353.0M

$353.0M in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$129.5B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$353.0M

$9.6K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$272.4M
2. Department of Defense$32.6M
3. Department of Veterans Affairs$23.7M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. EASTERN SHAWNEE - BAY WEST JV, LLC$14.4M
2. TRANSPORTATION NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT$11.0M
3. BAY WEST LLC$7.6M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

13.2%

of median income

1BR estimate$824
2BR estimate$1,085
Median income$91,264
Median home value$490,800

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

3,160

Median age

58.4

Bachelor's degree+

50.9%

Poverty rate

2.4%

Labor force participation

56.7%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

June 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-31

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+1.3%

GDP CAGR

+6.0%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
20202,965
20213,096
20223,153
20233,164
20243,160
GDP (5 years)
2020$2.3B
2021$2.7B
2022$2.9B
2023$3.0B
2024$3.1B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

20243,160
20253,245 *
20263,291 *

R² = 73.7% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$3.1B
2025$3.4B *
2026$3.5B *

R² = 88.8% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$91,264/yr
Median rent$1,005/mo
Rent share of income13.2%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$29,781/yr
Mortgage share of income32.6%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate3.0%
State avg3.6%
U.S. avg5.2%
Labor force participation56.7%
Poverty rate2.4%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. June 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$490,800
Median monthly rent$1,005
Price-to-rent ratio40.7x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score75/100
Economic growth57/100
Labor market81/100
Population momentum89/100
Overall stability79/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Nags Head town, North Carolina

City/Town

Part of

Kill Devil Hills, NC

Nearby locations

Manteo, NCKill Devil Hills, NCWanchese, NCManns Harbor, NCKitty Hawk, NC