Salvo
Neighborhood in Nags Head, North Carolina
Dare County 27959
Modern beach houses and classic island cottages
With around 300 permanent residents, most homes in Salvo are rented out seasonally. Whether it's a full-time move or an investment in a coastal property, Salvo presents plenty of options. “We’ve had three new developments come up recently,” says Pete Conley, a Tri-villages resident and Realtor with Realty One Group OBX. “They’ve been putting up new homes in the past few years right on the Pamlico Sound.” These new builds tend to have a more modern look while incorporating classic beach features such as wooden piling and multi-level balconies. They typically list between $1.8 million and $2.5 million. On the opposite end, a tiny two-bedroom cottage can be priced as low as $375,000. Most homes, however, fall somewhere in between, generally priced from $500,000 to $1.5 million, featuring saltbox styles and colorful siding.Surf on the beach or cruise around the Sound
Salvo’s beaches are secluded, wide-open and uncrowded. They are protected by wide dunes dotted with shrubbery, meaning the nearest beachfront homes are a couple minutes’ walk away from the water. The surf here can get rough, and there are no lifeguards on duty, but that’s precisely what draws in surfers and fishermen. “If you have a four-wheel drive, you can go just below the village to the off-road vehicles ramp and drive on the beach. You can also make campfires on the beach if you have a permit, which is easy to get,” Gillikin says. “If you don’t want to go to the beach, there’s the Salvo Day Use Area on the Pamlico Sound to the south. They’ve got a parking lot, bathrooms and outdoor showers.” The neighboring village of Waves has made a name for itself as a kiteboarding destination, and the strong winds and gentle waters of the Sound in Salvo make for the perfect conditions to cruise atop the surface.Dare County Schools serve year-round students
Year-round residents enroll their kids in the public Dare County Schools system. Cape Hatteras Elementary and Cape Hatteras Secondary School are located on the southern end of the island in Buxton, about 20 miles away, or a half-hour drive. The Elementary earns a B-minus from Niche, and the Secondary School scores a B. In true island fashion, Cape Hatteras Secondary School has its own surf club that participates in competitions and beach clean-ups.Shop and spend time in other OBX villages
North Carolina Highway 12 serves as the Outer Banks’ main thoroughfare, connecting the villages on Hatteras Islands to the more populous Northern Beaches and beyond. Salvo sits right along this well-trafficked road, putting it roughly 15 miles north of Avon, about a 20-minute drive where residents go for grocery shopping at Food Lion or regular checkups at Outer Banks Family Medicine Avon. More shopping can be found farther north in Nags Head or Kill Devil Hills, the largest of the barrier island towns. A trip to Kill Devil Hills is an approximately 40-mile trip, or a 50-minute drive.Living on the ocean comes with costs
Flooding is a concern for homeowners in Salvo, though homes are slightly more protected by the dunes here than in some other areas. Still, this area is a flood zone and is also susceptible to damage from hurricanes and nor’easters. Homes on the coast can also have higher maintenance costs due to the salty sea air. “It’s a mild price to pay to live in paradise,” Gillikin says.Locally owned and seasonally operated businesses
Salvo shares its amenities with the rest of the Tri-village area, though most residents have to travel to Avon or Nags Head for their grocery shopping. Everyday goods such as snacks and other beachgoing necessities are close to home at Blue Whale, a well-stocked convenience store and local market. Salvo has relatively few restaurants, and many residents and visitors head into Waves or Rodanthe for a bite to eat. Alex’s Shrimp Shack is the village’s only seafood market, packing fresh catches to cook at home or on a beachside grill. After dinner, folks from across the Tri-villages flock to Village Conery to cool down with a scoop of ice cream. While eateries might not be Salvo’s specialty, there’s a fair share of art galleries, gift shops and fishing supply stores to make up for it, although some are operated seasonally. “Very few people actually live here. We bring in summer help for restaurants, and the rental houses get cleaned by people who don’t live on the island,” Conley says. “Plus, out of the people who do live on the island, about a quarter of them are retirees.”


Agents Specializing in this Area
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Vivian McPherson
Village Realty Holdings, LLC - NH
(252) 475-7470
23 Total Sales
1 in Salvo
$526,000 Price
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Rebecca Conley
ROG OBX, Inc
(252) 475-7284
27 Total Sales
4 in Salvo
$100K - $515K Price Range
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Lynn Bulman
Howard Hanna Outer Banks Realty
(252) 404-8028
311 Total Sales
1 in Salvo
$515,000 Price
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Haley Winslow
Responds QuicklyColdwell Banker Seaside Realty KH
(828) 268-3712
69 Total Sales
1 in Salvo
$1,175,000 Price
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Janice Scarborough
Howard Hanna Outer Banks Realty
(252) 429-5968
103 Total Sales
1 in Salvo
$375,000 Price
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Trisha Midgett
Responds QuicklyMidgett Realty - Rodanthe
(252) 650-8051
1,304 Total Sales
161 in Salvo
$58K - $2.2M Price Range
Schools
Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to
, an experienced agent in this neighborhood.Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime | Salvo | US |
---|---|---|
Homicide | 2 | 4 |
Sexual Assault | 1 | 4 |
Assault with Weapon | 2 | 4 |
Robbery | 2 | 4 |
Burglary | 3 | 4 |
Motor Vehicle Theft | 2 | 4 |
Larceny | 3 | 4 |
Crime Score | 2 | 4 |
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Salvo Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Salvo, Nags Head sell after 139 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Salvo, Nags Head over the last 12 months is $700,000, up 14% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Housing Trends
Neighborhood Facts
Distribution of Home Values
Homes for Sale
Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to
, an experienced agent in this neighborhood.Average Home Value
Property Mix - Square Feet
Weather
Area Factors
Somewhat Bikeable
Bike Score®
Car-Dependent
Walk Score®
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Nearby Neighborhoods

An aptly named beach town known for kiteboarding and surfing

Idyllic shores in the northernmost of Hatteras Island’s Tri-villages

A small beach village featuring some of Hatteras Island’s most happening spots

The center of infrastructure on Hatteras Island has more year-round residents

Beyond Cape Hatteras, this village has a small beachfront and a quiet feel

Fishing village of locally owned businesses and homes passed down for generations