Ocean Isle Beach, NC housing market
The typical Ocean Isle Beach home is worth about $533,000, up 2.3% in a year, 59% above the North Carolina typical home. Homes typically sell in 79 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Ocean Isle Beach compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Ocean Isle Beach at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 3.8 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Ocean Isle Beach | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $275,000 | $179,000 |
| 2018 | $283,000 | $190,000 |
| 2019 | $298,000 | $203,000 |
| 2020 | $313,000 | $215,000 |
| 2021 | $343,000 | $242,000 |
| 2022 | $432,000 | $287,000 |
| 2023 | $489,000 | $320,000 |
| 2024 | $508,000 | $332,000 |
| 2025 | $517,000 | $338,000 |
| 2026 | $528,000 | $336,000 |
| August 2026 | $533,000 | $335,000 |
45 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 45 new homes in Ocean Isle Beach in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $37.2 million to build. Over the past 10 years, Ocean Isle Beach has permitted 1,012 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Ocean Isle Beach gained 317 residents while 651 new homes were permitted: about 0.5 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. 60% of Ocean Isle Beach's homes are seasonal or vacation homes, which adds housing without adding residents. Across North Carolina: 1.7 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 44 | 44 | 0 | $151.4 million |
| 2025 | 45 | 45 | 0 | $37.2 million |
| 2024 | 44 | 44 | 0 | $34.5 million |
| 2023 | 75 | 75 | 0 | $44.5 million |
| 2022 | 115 | 113 | 2 | $63 million |
| 2021 | 182 | 182 | 0 | $68.9 million |
| 2020 | 125 | 125 | 0 | $37.5 million |
| 2019 | 128 | 128 | 0 | $34.7 million |
| 2018 | 95 | 95 | 0 | $31.7 million |
| 2017 | 101 | 101 | 0 | $31.7 million |
| 2016 | 102 | 102 | 0 | $32 million |
| 2015 | 70 | 70 | 0 | $21.4 million |
| 2014 | 53 | 53 | 0 | $15.9 million |
| 2013 | 38 | 38 | 0 | $13 million |
| 2012 | 25 | 25 | 0 | $8.7 million |
| 2011 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $3.7 million |
| 2010 | 24 | 24 | 0 | $5.7 million |
| 2009 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2.7 million |
| 2008 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $5.6 million |
| 2007 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $4.6 million |
| 2006 | 49 | 49 | 0 | $11.8 million |
| 2005 | 135 | 91 | 44 | $26.2 million |
| 2004 | 144 | 84 | 60 | $24.2 million |
| 2003 | 132 | 118 | 14 | $23.3 million |
| 2002 | 109 | 85 | 24 | $17.7 million |
| 2001 | 75 | 73 | 2 | $10.3 million |
| 2000 | 97 | 97 | 0 | $11.8 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 · figures for a place this size carry wide margins of error.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,190
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Ocean Isle Beach is $1,190 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs.
Studio $1,040 · 4 bedrooms $2,000
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (28469, 28470; Brunswick County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.