Ocracoke, North Carolina

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Ocracoke is a census-designated place (CDP) and town located at the southern end of Ocracoke Island, in Hyde County, North Carolina. The population was seven hundred and sixty-three at the 2000 census.

1 Geography
2 Economy
3 Political History
4 Demographics
5 External links

[edit] Geography

The island of Ocracoke is a part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It is the last inhabited island, from north to south, of the Outer Banks, and can only be reached by one of three public ferries (two of which are toll ferries), private boat, or private plane. Other than the village of Ocracoke and a few other areas (a campground, a pony pen, a small runway), the entire island is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. A single paved two-lane road, NC 12, runs from the village at the southern end of the island to the ferry dock at the northern tip of the island, where a free ferry connects to Hatteras Island. The second ferry dock, located in the village, has toll connections to Swan Quarter, North Carolina on the mainland and Cedar Island, near Atlantic, North Carolina. Ocracoke Island Airport (FAA Identifier W95) is located slightly south-east of the village, allowing small aircraft to land.

The village of Ocracoke is located around a small sheltered harbor called Silver Lake, with a second smaller residential area built around a series of man-made canals called Oyster Creek. The village is located at the widest point of the island, protected from the Atlantic Ocean by sand dunes and a salt marsh. The average height of the island is less than five feet above sea level, and many of the buildings on the island are built on pilings to lift them off the ground. As a result, flooding is a problem during hurricanes and large storms. The Ocracoke Lighthouse, one of North America's oldest lighthouses, is situated near Silver Lake.

Ocracoke village is located at 35°6′46″N, 75°58′33″W (35.112687, -75.975895)^GR1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 24.9 km² (9.6 mi²). 24.8 km² (9.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.62%) is water.

[edit] Economy

The economy of Ocracoke Island is almost entirely based around tourism. During the winter, the island has a population of fewer than eight hundred, and there are only a few businesses open. During the spring, summer and early fall, there are several thousand tourists living on the island in weekly rental houses, hotels and campgrounds, plus many more that come across the ferry from Hatteras Island for the day or to stay overnight. Several bars, dozens of restaurants, and many shops, stores and other tourist-based businesses open for the tourist season, and every single business on the island is independently owned and operated by residents. There are no chains or franchises, giving the island a unique character that is becoming increasingly rare.

Fishing is also a major part of the economy, including both commercial fishing and chartered sport fishing. With easy access to the Pamlico Sound, the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream, the Outer Banks area has a variety of different fishing options, from small Sound fish all the way up to tuna and drum.

During the winter, the island's only main employers are construction and the businesses that support the small population. Many islanders use the winter as time off, since they tend to work between 60 and 80 hours a week during the tourist season.

[edit] Political History

Fort Ocracoke, a Confederate fortification constructed at the beginning of the American Civil War, was situated on Beacon Island in Ocracoke Inlet, two miles to the west-southwest of Ocracoke village. The Confederates abandoned and partially destroyed the fort in August 1861 after Union victories on nearby Hatteras Island. Union forces razed it a month later. Beacon Island subsided beneath the waves of the inlet in the early 20th century. The remnants of Fort Ocracoke were located and identified in 1998.

Ocracoke Island was also a favorite anchorage of Edward Teach/Thatch/Drummond, et cetera, better known as the pirate Blackbeard. He was killed in November 1718 in battle in Teach's Hole, a channel slightly west of the present location of Ocracoke village.

Ocracoke Island historically had its own distinct dialect of English, often referred to as a brogue. A characteristic phrase is "high tide," pronounced somewhat like "hoi toid." Due to the influx of tourists and greater contact with the mainland in recent years, however, the Ocracoke brogue has been increasingly influenced by outside dialects.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 769 people, 370 households, and 219 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 31.1/km² (80.4/mi²). There were 784 housing units at an average density of 31.7/km² (82.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.10% White, 1.69% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.65% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.95% of the population.

There were 370 households out of which 17.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were composed of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.55.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 13.0% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 34.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $34,315, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $26,667 versus $25,625 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $18,032. About 7.7% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.