Dare County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Normal · 39.3 | 38,110 people · 91st most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Dare County, NC falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 39.3 — 2390th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within North Carolina, it ranks 91st of 100 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Dare County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 69.6 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 69.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 88
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 85
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 90
Homeownership Rate 30
Rent-to-Income Ratio 54
Employment & Wages 55.9
Unemployment Rate 64
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 94
Business Formation Rate 11
Community Vulnerability 32.2
Uninsured Rate 57
Disability Rate 7
Debt & Delinquency 22.8
Debt in Collections 21
Medical Debt 44
Student Loan Delinquency 17
Auto Loan Delinquency 6
Credit Card Delinquency 35
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 14
Income & Poverty 16.0
Poverty Rate 12
Income vs. State Median 10
Child Poverty Rate 26

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Dare County compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Dare County
Dare County, NC 39.3 Normal —
Hyde County, NC 73.7 Serious +34.4
Tyrrell County, NC 65.8 Serious +26.5
Currituck County, NC 32.6 Healthy -6.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Dare County
Menard County, IL 39.3 Normal -0.0
Warren County, IL 39.4 Normal +0.1
Becker County, MN 39.4 Normal +0.1
Mineral County, WV 39.2 Normal -0.1
Polk County, MN 39.5 Normal +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Dare County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Dare County

Find an Attorney

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-662-7407

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Dare County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of North Carolina 1-866-219-5262
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy 704-376-1600
NC Equal Access to Justice Commission
Duke Law School Community Enterprise Clinic

Self-Help Resources

NC Courts Self-Help Resources — Foreclosure Official NC court system resources for foreclosure proceedings and borrower rights
NCHFA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs, counselor referrals, and HAF information

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in North Carolina →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Dare County, North Carolina?

    Dare County has a County Distress Index score of 39.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,390th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 91st in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Dare County?

    The primary driver of distress in Dare County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 69.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Dare County compare to neighboring counties?

    Dare County (39.3) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Hyde County, NC (73.7); Tyrrell County, NC (65.8); Currituck County, NC (32.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Dare County?

    Dare County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 38,110 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.