Hyde County, North Carolina Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Hyde County is located in North Carolina with a total population of 4,625. It is the 99th most populous county out of 100 in North Carolina. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Hyde County is 48.5 years. This is 24% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Hyde County is $47,338. This is 32% lower than the state median of $69,904. It is also 40% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 22.4%. This is 70% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 3.0%. This is 39% lower than the state rate of 4.8%. The median home value is $119,600. Housing costs are 54% lower than the state median of $259,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, Hyde County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 71.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 8% higher than the state average of 66.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Hyde County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 60.6% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 24.8%.

Education

13.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 60% lower than the state rate of 34.7%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 86.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Hyde County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against North Carolina and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.