Wright Brothers National Memorial · National Register of Historic Places
Kill Devil Hills’s story
Kill Devil Hills in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →
Kill Devil HillsNC
A town of 7,761. Public schools that outperform most of North Carolina.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Yuming Huang · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
7,761
+14.6% since 2010
Typical home
$524K
+1.7% in a year
Household income
$90K
median
Median age
48.5
years
Jobs based here
3,214
Balanced
What makes Kill Devil Hills stand out
The 3 things Kill Devil Hills does most differently from other towns.
BSchool Grade
Schools
#105 for schools in NC
of 252 towns
School Grade B.
Outdoors
#11 most conserved land in NC
3.7 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
29.4% of the town is conserved land.
100 U.S. towns● Kill Devil Hills
Health
Healthier than 87%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than NC on 14 measures, worse on 1.
Get outside
4 miles of trails in Kill Devil Hills
29.4% of the town is conserved land, across 7 parks and preserves.
3
Run Hill State Natural Area0.1 mi of trails · 115 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Kill Devil Hills’s report card
Now in Kill Devil Hills
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Kill Devil Hills is #1 of 297 in NC for “Longest growing season”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Kill Devil Hills’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →80°
Clear
H 81° · L 71°
Local news
All →- Kill Devil Hills residents experience brief power outage Friday morningWAVY.com · Sep 25
- From Kill Devil Hills to Washington DC, M2M riders push 350 milesThe Coastland Times · Sep 16
- Hundreds in the Outer Banks walk to remember 9/11 on 25th AnniversaryWTKR · Sep 11
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Kill Devil Hills. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Kill Devil Hills’s public schools outperform 64% of North Carolina districts
The public schools Kill Devil Hills’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 64% of North Carolina’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
BSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Flight Elementary School | PK–5 | 285 | B |
| First Flight Middle School | 6–8 | 604 | B |
| First Flight High School | 9–12 | 874 | B+ |
| Dare Learning Academy | 9–12 | 39 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Outdoors
Nearly a quarter of Kill Devil Hills is conserved land
3.7 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves.
#48for trails in NC
29.4%
conserved · 1,059 of 3,608 acres
3.7 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
#11
most conserved land in NC
#20
most walkable in NC
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nags Head Woods Preserve | 1.8 mi | 398 |
| 2. Wright Brothers National Memorial | 0.1 mi | 425 |
| 3. Run Hill State Natural Area | 0.1 mi | 115 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 87% of U.S. towns
Kill Devil Hills beats the North Carolina average on 14 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
AHealth Grade
32 measures vs. North Carolina
14 better17 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Kill Devil Hills | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.7% | 15.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5% | 8.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 7.9% |
The Outer Banks Hospital
6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
89th
percentile among NC towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Work & commute
About one in five working residents works right in Kill Devil Hills
About one in 5 of Kill Devil Hills’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Nags Head (13%), Kitty Hawk (11%) and Manteo (5%). Half commute less than 8 miles.
22%work in town
Where working residents work
In Kill Devil Hills22%
Nags Head13%
Kitty Hawk11%
Manteo5%
Duck4%
8 mi
median commute distance
3,214
jobs based in Kill Devil Hills
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Kill Devil Hills home is worth about $524K
The typical Kill Devil Hills home is worth about $524,000, up 1.7% in a year, 57% above the North Carolina typical home.
$524KZillow home value
Typical home value
Kill Devil Hills$524K
North Carolina$335K
Market temperature
57
days on market
96.8%
sale-to-list price
+1.7%
value change, 1 year
22
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Natural hazards
Very high risk, with hurricanes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 97% of U.S. communities.
97risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland flooding
1,308
paid flood claims since 1978
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Mild winters, pleasant summers
Kill Devil Hills has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
1″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter37–53°
Spring50–67°
Summer71–85°
Fall57–72°
Dec 6
typical first frost
Mar 15
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety
Crime reported in Kill Devil Hills
Kill Devil Hills's reported crime rate is below North Carolina's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 17 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Kill Devil Hills2.2
North Carolina3.8
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Kill Devil Hills15
North Carolina20.1
U.S.17.7
17
violent crimes reported in 2024
117
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
A growing town
Kill Devil Hills has grown 14.6% since 2010
6,683 people in 2010; 7,761 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Landmarks
2 places in Kill Devil Hills on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Kill Devil Hills
Town in North Carolina, United States
Kill Devil Hills is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,633 at the 2020 census. It is the most populous settlement in both Dare County and on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The Kill Devil Hills micropolitan statistical area, consisting of all of Dare County, is part of the larger Virginia Beach–Norfolk combined statistical area. The town was founded and developed on the site of the Wright brothers' first controlled, powered airplane flights on December 17, 1903, chosen for its good winds. It was commemorated by the Wright Brothers National Memorial, which was dedicated in 1932. At the time of the Wright Flyer flights, the town of Kill Devil Hills d…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 7,656
- Area
- 5.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7 ft
- ZIP code
- 27948
- Area code
- 252
Kill Devil Hills’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Kill Devil Hills.
Nags HeadKitty HawkKill Devil Hills
More about Kill Devil Hills
Still missing for Kill Devil Hills:archive photosupcoming events