Harkers Island is a very small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of North Carolina. With a population of 1,127 people and just one neighborhood, Harkers Island is the 390th largest community in North Carolina.
Unlike some towns where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Harkers Island is neither predominantly one nor the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Harkers Island is a town of professionals, sales and office workers, and construction workers and builders. There are especially a lot of people living in Harkers Island who work in art, media, and design (19.35%), sales jobs (14.29%), and office and administrative support (5.76%).
Of important note, Harkers Island is also a town of artists. Harkers Island has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Harkers Island’s character.
Also of interest is that Harkers Island has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.
Another notable thing is that Harkers Island is a major vacation destination. Much of the town’s population is seasonal: many people own second homes and only live there part-time, during the vacation season. The effect on the local economy is that many of the businesses are dependent on tourist dollars, and may operate only during the high season. As the vacation season ends, Harkers Island’s population drops significantly, such that year-round residents will notice that the city is a much quieter place to live.
The town is relatively quiet, having a combination of lower population density and few of those groups of people who have a tendency to be noisy. For example, Harkers Island has relatively fewer families with younger children, and/or college students. Combined, this makes Harkers Island a pretty quiet place to live overall. If you like quiet, you will probably enjoy it here.
Harkers Island is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.
One downside of living in Harkers Island, however, is that residents on average have to contend with a long commute, spending on average 30.22 minutes every day commuting to work.
The citizens of Harkers Island are slightly better educated than the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns, with 21.81% of adults in Harkers Island having a bachelor's degree or advanced degree.
The per capita income in Harkers Island in 2022 was $31,649, which is upper middle income relative to North Carolina, and middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $126,596 for a family of four. However, Harkers Island contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
The people who call Harkers Island home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Harkers Island residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Harkers Island include English, Irish, German, Scottish, and Italian.
The most common language spoken in Harkers Island is English. Other important languages spoken here include Italian and Polish.
Many things matter about a neighborhood, but the first thing most people notice is the way a neighborhood looks and its particular character. For example, one might notice whether the buildings all date from a certain time period or whether shop signs are in multiple languages. This particular neighborhood in Harkers Island, the neighborhood, has some outstanding things about the way it looks and its way of life that are worth highlighting.
is a neighborhood that is on the ocean, a bay, or inlet. Many times, such places have amenities that bring locals and visitors to the waterfront for recreational activities or to check out the scenery. In some densely populated areas that are less financially well-off, the neighborhood waterfront can be relatively industrial and less open to recreation. In addition to being coastal, is a very nautical neighborhood, meaning that it is somewhat historic, walkable, densely populated and on the water. This gives the neighborhood a very nautical feel, with some seaside and shipping feel, which some may really enjoy the sights and sounds of.
In addition, vacant homes and apartments are a significant characteristic of this neighborhood. In fact, with 62.1% of the residential real estate vacant, the neighborhood claims the distinction of having a higher vacancy rate than 99.4% of the neighborhoods in America. This can either be because much of the property is seasonally occupied, like in many vacation areas, or that much of the real estate is more permanently abandoned.
Furthermore, the real estate in this neighborhood consists of more mobile homes than 97.0% of all neighborhoods in America, with 36.5% of the occupied housing here being classified as mobile homes. So if you are looking for a mobile home, or you like the look and feel of mobile home parks, this neighborhood might have the setting you desire.
Of note is NeighborhoodScout's research finding that the neighborhood has some of the lowest rates of children living in poverty of any neighborhood in the United States. In a nation where approximately 1 in 4 children are living in poverty, the community truly stands out from the rest in this regard.
In addition, has the amazing distinction of housing more same sex couples living together than 97.0% of neighborhoods in the U.S. If you are seeking such a neighborhood, NeighborhoodScout's analysis shows that this is one place that you should consider.
Also, if you're nearing retirement age, or in retirement, the is an excellent choice for you to consider for top-quality retirement living. This neighborhood is rated by NeighborhoodScout as among the top 9.5% of retiree-friendly neighborhoods in North Carolina, combining peace and quiet, safety from crime, and offering diverse housing options from which retirees can choose. Maybe it's because of these amenities that a large proportion of the residents here are college educated seniors, mixed with other age groups. For these and other reasons, NeighborhoodScout identifies this neighborhood as a top-notch place to consider if you are thinking of or planning to retire in North Carolina.
If you like to ride a ferry to work, this neighborhood may be for you. NeighborhoodScout's research revealed that 1.2% of the neighborhood's commuters ride a ferry to and from work each day, which is more than we found in 99.1% of America's neighborhoods.
Also, our research reveals that 90.9% of commuters who live in the neighborhood get to work each day by driving alone in their automobiles, which is a higher proportion than 97.3% of U.S. neighborhoods.
Did you know that the neighborhood has more Scots-Irish ancestry people living in it than nearly any neighborhood in America? It's true! In fact, 3.3% of this neighborhood's residents have Scots-Irish ancestry.
How wealthy a neighborhood is, from very wealthy, to middle income, to low income is very formative with regard to the personality and character of a neighborhood. Equally important is the rate of people, particularly children, who live below the federal poverty line. In some wealthy gated communities, the areas immediately surrounding can have high rates of childhood poverty, which indicates other social issues. NeighborhoodScout's analysis reveals both aspects of income and poverty for this neighborhood.
The neighbors in the neighborhood in Harkers Island are middle-income, making it a moderate income neighborhood. NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis reveals that this neighborhood has a higher income than 44.4% of the neighborhoods in America. In addition, 0.0% of the children seventeen and under living in this neighborhood are living below the federal poverty line, which is a lower rate of childhood poverty than is found in 100.0% of America's neighborhoods.
A neighborhood is far different if it is dominated by enlisted military personnel rather than people who earn their living by farming. It is also different if most of the neighbors are clerical support or managers. What is wonderful is the sheer diversity of neighborhoods, allowing you to find the type that fits your lifestyle and aspirations.
In the neighborhood, 38.5% of the working population is employed in executive, management, and professional occupations. The second most important occupational group in this neighborhood is manufacturing and laborer occupations, with 32.7% of the residents employed. Other residents here are employed in sales and service jobs, from major sales accounts, to working in fast food restaurants (18.9%), and 9.9% in clerical, assistant, and tech support occupations.
The most common language spoken in the neighborhood is English, spoken by 100.0% of households. Some people also speak Italian (2.1%).
Culture is the shared learned behavior of peoples. Undeniably, different ethnicities and ancestries have different cultural traditions, and as a result, neighborhoods with concentrations of residents of one or another ethnicities or ancestries will express those cultures. It is what makes the North End in Boston so fun to visit for the Italian restaurants, bakeries, culture, and charm, and similarly, why people enjoy visiting Chinatown in San Francisco.
In the neighborhood in Harkers Island, NC, residents most commonly identify their ethnicity or ancestry as English (19.7%). There are also a number of people of Irish ancestry (13.2%), and residents who report German roots (6.5%), and some of the residents are also of Scottish ancestry (4.6%), along with some Italian ancestry residents (3.8%), among others.
Even if your neighborhood is walkable, you may still have to drive to your place of work. Some neighborhoods are located where many can get to work in just a few minutes, while others are located such that most residents have a long and arduous commute. The greatest number of commuters in neighborhood spend under 15 minutes commuting one-way to work (35.4% of working residents), one of the shortest commutes across America.
Here most residents (90.9%) drive alone in a private automobile to get to work. In a neighborhood like this, as in most of the nation, many residents find owning a car useful for getting to work.