Auto · County · North Carolina
Gas stations in Dare County, NC
The gas stations in Dare County, NC, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 47 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,314 of 2,358 scored counties
#80 of 94 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 29
- 24 chain locations (83%)
- Official establishments
- 44
- +18.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $54.4M
- On gasoline and other fuels · $3,234 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.9M
- 21% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 17.2
- 58% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 38,245
- +3.3% since 2020
See the gas stations around any address in Dare County
The site report maps the gas stations on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Dare County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
At $3,234 per household (25% above the U.S. average), households in Dare County spend about $54.4M a year on gasoline and other fuels. That is about $1.9M of household spending for each station on map listings, 21% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M.
There are 29 gas stations on map listings in Dare County as of September 2026. Of those, 24 are chain locations, or 83%, against 84% across the U.S. That is 17.2 per 10,000 households, 58% above the U.S. rate of 10.9.
In 2023, official counts showed 44 businesses with payroll in Dare County classed as gasoline stations, up 18.9% from 2019. That is one for every 383 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S.
Population estimates show Dare County grew 3.3% from 2020 to 2025, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). For gas stations, Dare County has a Groundwork market score of 47 (lower middle): #1,314 of 2,358 scored counties and #80 of 94 scored counties in North Carolina.
How Dare County compares
The same measures for North Carolina and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all gasoline and other fuels by the gas stations counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Dare County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 17.2 | 12.2 | 10.9 |
| Spending per listing | $1.9M | $2.5M | $2.4M |
| Households per official establishment | 383 | 1,006 | 1,184 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +18.9% | −5.6% | −3.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.3% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on gasoline and other fuels | $3,234 | $3,002 | $2,595 |
| Median household income | $88,994 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 47 | 66 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 37 → 44+18.9% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 269
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $10.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 0Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 2924 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 23The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as gasoline stations in Dare County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Dare County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 38,245+3.3% since 2020
- Households
- 16,836
- Median age
- 49.2
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 78%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 383 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 99
- Median household income
- $88,994+49.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $129,955
- Median home value
- $460,400
- Jobs located here
- 17,198
- Daytime population
- 38,549Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Dare County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the gas stations on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Dare County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardGas stations across North Carolina
Every North Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in North Carolina for gas stations, numbered among those based in North Carolina, with Dare County marked.
Top counties in North Carolina
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Pender County, NC | 91 | 24 | 9.5 | $3.5M | +19.0% | #22 of 2,358 |
| 2Clay County, NC | 89 | 5 | 9.8 | $3.3M | +9.9% | #39 of 2,358 |
| 3Franklin County, NC | 86 | 28 | 9.8 | $3.4M | +18.8% | #64 of 2,358 |
| 4Madison County, NC | 86 | 9 | 10.8 | $3M | +5.9% | #65 of 2,358 |
| 5Brunswick County, NC | 85 | 67 | 9.7 | $3.2M | +26.5% | #75 of 2,358 |
| 6Union County, NC | 85 | 114 | 13.5 | $2.6M | +11.7% | #79 of 2,358 |
| 7Wake County, NC | 83 | 381 | 8.3 | $3.5M | +11.2% | #94 of 2,358 |
| 8Alleghany County, NC | 81 | 5 | 9.7 | $3.3M | +5.4% | #133 of 2,358 |
| 9Cabarrus County, NC | 81 | 95 | 11.3 | $2.8M | +9.9% | #138 of 2,358 |
| 10Pamlico County, NC | 81 | 6 | 11.0 | $2.8M | +3.7% | #139 of 2,358 |
| 80Dare County, NC | 47 | 29 | 17.2 | $1.9M | +3.3% | #1,314 of 2,358 |
Other business types in Dare County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gas stations are in Dare County, NC?
As of September 2026, map listings count 29 gas stations in Dare County. 24 of them (83%) are chain locations. The listings count gas stations. Official counts show 44 businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in 2023, up 18.9% from 2019.
How much do households in Dare County, NC spend on gasoline and other fuels?
About $54.4M a year, or $3,234 per household. That is 25% above the U.S. average (an index of 125, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 29 gas stations on map listings, it comes to $1.9M per station. It is estimated from the incomes of the 16,836 households in Dare County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Dare County, NC compare with the U.S. for gas stations?
Dare County has 17.2 gas stations per 10,000 households, 58% above the U.S. rate of 10.9. Spending per station is $1.9M, 21% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M. At the U.S. ratio of gas stations to household spending, Dare County would have about 23, against 29 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 383 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. The official count rose 18.9% from 2019 to 2023, against −3.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Dare County, NC growing?
Population estimates put Dare County at 38,245 people in 2025, up 3.3% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 16,836 households. Median household income in Dare County is $88,994, 10% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 49.9%, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Dare County scores 47 for gas stations (lower middle), #1,314 of 2,358 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Dare County. It maps the gas stations on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for gas stations · All 56 business types in Dare County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Dare County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Dare County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.