Your Guide to Dare County Tourism
Did You Know ...
- Tourism provides 12,564 jobs in Dare County, employing 1-in-3 county residents.
- Annual Dare County tourism generates more than $148.3 million ($70.4 State, $77.9 Local) in state and local tax revenue.
- Because tourism generates this revenue, each Dare County resident enjoys tax relief of $3,891.20 annually, which ranks #1 in North Carolina.
- Visitor spending in Dare County surpassed $2.15 billion in 2023.
- Dare is #4 among North Carolina’s 100 counties in terms of visitor spending.
- A 6% Dare County Occupancy tax (collected when visitors rent short-term lodging) is shared between Dare County and the six municipalities, the Beach Nourishment Fund, and the Dare County Tourism Board.
- Dare County and the municipalities receive half (3% of the 6% Occupancy tax) to be used “only for tourist-related purposes, including construction and maintenance of public facilities and buildings, garbage, refuse, and solid waste collection and disposal, police protection, and emergency services.”
- Of the Occupancy tax net proceeds received by Dare County and the towns, Dare receives 32% and the municipalities split the remaining 68%.
- Beach Nourishment receives 2% of the Occupancy tax net proceeds.
- The Tourism Board receives the remaining 1% of Occupancy tax, and 1% of a Prepared Food and Beverage tax. By law, 75% of these dollars are to be used to promote tourism and for the cost of administration. The remaining 25% are for programs or services needed due to the impact of tourism.
- Occupancy tax dollars reduce your ad valorem property taxes significantly regardless of where you own property in Dare County.
- During the 22/23 fiscal year, Occupancy tax contributed the following to Dare County, the municipalities, Beach Nourishment and the Dare County Tourism Board:
Occupancy Tax Distribution
Beach Nourishment - $16,325,384
Dare County Tourism Board - $8,162,692
Dare County - $7,833,051
Nags Head - $4,673,981
Dare County Tourism Board - $8,162,692
Dare County - $7,833,051
Nags Head - $4,673,981
Kill Devil Hills - $4,527,503
Duck - $2,265,416
Kitty Hawk - $2,245,442
Kitty Hawk - $2,245,442
Southern Shores – $1,894,227
Manteo - $1,038,663
