Oak Island, NC
Census place 3748345 · pop 9,030
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
97/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$456,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.47 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
23 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$85,872 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
8.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
31.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
11.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.69% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
43.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.7% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
20.0% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
5.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+15.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
12.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
89.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
Not measured for Oak Island: Crime, Air, Bad air, Property crime, Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Oak Island, NC a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Oak Island scores 59/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 17 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is homeownership and its weakest is natural disaster risk. North Carolina overall ranks #16 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Oak Island, NC expensive to live in?
- Oak Island has a median home value of $456,500 — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Oak Island, NC?
- Its weakest measured area is natural disaster risk (97/100) — 22/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Oak Island, NC best at?
- Its strongest measured area is homeownership (89.7%) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.