The 27909 Market Right Now
The zip code and the city it’s named for are not the same market, and the numbers pull apart in both directions.
| Metric | ZIP 27909 (whole zip) | Elizabeth City (city limits) |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $325,000, 3 mo. ending May 2026, +3.1% YoY | $272,000, March 2026, +2.6% YoY |
| Median days on market | 62 days, up from 29 a year earlier | 102 days, up from 43 a year earlier |
| Homes sold (latest month) | 220, up from 179 a year earlier | 51, up from 44 a year earlier |
| Median household income | $66,732 (ACS 2024 5-yr) | $52,141 (ACS 2024 5-yr) |
| Median home value | $234,600 (ACS 2024 5-yr) | $187,700 (2024) |
Sources: Redfin ZIP 27909, Redfin Elizabeth City, zip-codes.com, Data USA.
The zip carries a higher median price and income than the city limits because it stretches across roughly 227 square miles of Pasquotank County farmland and river shoreline, while the incorporated city occupies under 12 square miles at its center.
27909 Isn’t One Market
A buyer told simply “27909” is being pointed at anywhere from a Depression-era cottage three blocks off the Pasquotank River to a three-acre parcel a twenty-minute drive from downtown.
| Sub-area | Current asking median | Housing type | Flood exposure | Best-fit buyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterfront | $185,000 | Older waterfront cottages | Highest in the zip; direct river frontage | Cash buyer comfortable underwriting flood cost |
| Riverside | $237,000 | Single-family, near-waterfront | High; near-river lots | Boating buyer accepting a flood-insurance line item |
| Hugh Cale | $199,900 | In-town working-class housing stock | Moderate | First-time buyer, rental investor |
| Sawyertown | $217,450 | In-town single-family | Moderate | First-time buyer, rental investor |
| Historic Downtown | $217,500 | Victorian and cottage stock, in-town | Elevated; river-adjacent | Renovator, walkable-lifestyle buyer |
| Northside | $230,000 | Mid-century subdivisions | Lower; set back from river | Family buyer wanting in-town schools without waterfront pricing |
Source: Redfin neighborhood sale-price data, May 2026 snapshot. The zip-wide $325,000 median sits above every named in-town sub-area because it also folds in rural, larger-lot parcels outside the city limits, a segment no source breaks out by name or price; a buyer targeting that acreage tier should ask an agent for active comps instead of relying on any published zip average.
One recent closing shows the range in practice: 306 Nugget Trl, in 27909, listed and sold for $315,000 on May 4, 2026, a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house at 1,404 square feet that spent 41 days on the market (Redfin). That price and timeline land closer to the zip-wide median than to any single named sub-area above: the zip figure is a blend, not a quote for any specific block.
Why do home prices in 27909 vary so much?Because the zip code spans six-plus distinct sub-areas with different distances from the river, different housing ages, and different lot sizes; asking prices across those sub-areas currently range from $185,000 to $237,000 in-town, before rural acreage parcels are added in.
Flood Risk and Insurance in 27909
Eighty-one percent of properties in the 27909 zip code face severe flood risk over the next 30 years, an estimated 11,594 properties, based on First Street’s flood model as aggregated in Redfin’s zip-level housing data for May 2026 (Redfin). Pasquotank County’s current flood maps took effect in December 2018, and the county’s flood page states that more than 20% of all NFIP claims nationally come from properties outside mapped high-risk zones, so a “not in a special flood hazard area” result does not clear a property of exposure (Pasquotank County).
No public source publishes FEMA flood-zone letters or premium figures broken out by 27909 sub-area; that lookup happens per parcel, at the FEMA Map Service Center, using the specific address.
Is all of 27909 at flood risk?No, but most of it carries some exposure: the zip’s severe-risk share is 81% of properties, concentrated in the Waterfront and Riverside sub-areas, while Northside and the inland acreage tracts sit further from the river.
Schools: Why 27909 Isn’t a School Zone
Most of 27909 falls under Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools, but the zip code itself is not a school-attendance boundary. The Camden County Schools district, a separate district across the county line, lists 27909 among the zip codes it serves (ZipDataMaps). Attendance is set by street address, not by zip code, so confirm the assigned elementary, middle, and high school for a specific parcel with the district office before making an offer contingent on a particular school.
Does living in 27909 guarantee a specific school?No. The zip overlaps two districts, so the same “27909” label can mean two different school assignments depending on the exact address; verify by parcel, not by zip.
For Investors: Rent and Rough Yield
Average rent across Elizabeth City ran $1,700 a month as of July 2025, per Rentcast data (prop-metrics), while the zip’s median gross rent from the 2023 American Community Survey was lower, at $1,228 (city-data.com); the gap reflects newer, larger units pulling the Rentcast average up.
| Unit type | Median monthly rent | Annualized | Rough gross yield vs. $325,000 zip median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom | $1,280 | $15,360 | 4.7% |
| 2-bedroom | $1,360 | $16,320 | 5.0% |
| 3-bedroom | $1,890 | $22,680 | 7.0% |
| 4-bedroom | $2,010 | $24,120 | 7.4% |
Rent figures from prop-metrics/Rentcast, July 2025; yield is a simple calculation against the Redfin zip-wide median sale price and does not net out taxes, insurance, or vacancy. Three- and four-bedroom units clear a gross yield near 7%, about two points above the one- and two-bedroom segments, because rents step up faster than the zip’s blended sale price as bedroom count rises.
What’s a realistic rental yield in 27909 right now?Between 4.7% and 7.4% gross, before expenses, depending on unit size, using current Rentcast rent averages against the zip’s median sale price; net yield after taxes, insurance, and flood coverage will run lower, especially in the higher-flood-exposure sub-areas.
Population, Reconciled
Three population figures circulate for this area, and they measure three different boundaries. The 2020 Decennial Census counted 18,631 residents inside Elizabeth City’s incorporated limits (2020 Census Redistricting Data). The Census Bureau’s 2024 five-year estimate puts the city at 18,871 (Census Reporter). The 2020 ZCTA count for the 27909 postal boundary, an area more than twenty times the city’s land area, was 40,606 (zip-codes.com).
A buyer comparing “population of 27909” figures across sites is often comparing a city of under 12 square miles to a rural postal territory of 227 square miles.
How 27909 Compares to Camden and South Mills
A buyer widening the search a few miles into neighboring Camden County pays substantially more for comparable acreage.
| Area | Current asking median | County | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27909 (Elizabeth City) | $329,900 (city) / $325,000 (zip-wide) | Pasquotank, edge of Camden | Reference point |
| Camden | $427,500 | Camden | About $100,000 above the 27909 city median |
| South Mills | $443,999 | Camden | About $119,000 above the 27909 city median |
| Hertford | $265,000 | Perquimans | About $65,000 below the 27909 city median |
| Winfall | $299,900 | Perquimans | Close to the 27909 city median |
Source: Redfin nearby-areas pricing module, May 2026. Buyers who widen their search into Camden or South Mills should expect to pay $100,000 to $120,000 more for comparable acreage, while Hertford, across the Sound in Perquimans County, runs about $65,000 below 27909’s city-level median.
How does 27909 compare to nearby Camden or South Mills?It’s cheaper: Camden and South Mills both run $100,000 to $120,000 above the 27909 city median for comparable lot sizes, while Hertford, in the opposite direction, runs below it.
Common Mistakes When Buying in 27909
- Treating the zip-wide price as a quote for a specific block. An offer strategy built on the $325,000 zip median will misprice every named sub-area above by $88,000 to $140,000.
- Assuming an unmapped flood zone means no risk. Budget for a flood policy even outside a mapped high-risk area, and get the parcel-level FEMA lookup before waiving a flood contingency.
- Skipping the school-zone check. Ask the district office which specific schools serve the parcel before making an offer contingent on school assignment, not after closing.
- Comparing population or income figures across sites without checking the boundary. Ask any source whether its number describes the city, the zip, or the metro before using it in a pitch to a client.
- Ignoring the days-on-market swing. A listing priced against last year’s 29-day pace will look overpriced against this year’s 62-day reality; renegotiate timeline expectations accordingly.
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