Ocracoke has become a delightful tourist destination. Visitors will find restaurants to suit many tastes, a variety of hotels and inns, gift shops and a handful of bars.

Ocracoke can no longer properly be called a quaint fishing village. Though plenty of fishing happens in local waters, the economy now centers around tourism. Summers bustle with people and activity. Travelling by foot or bike is the way to get the most out of island life, though boats, of course, play a prominent role.

In spite of its remote location, Ocracoke island has services and amenities similar to other small American towns. There is a gas station, garage, several grocers, a liquor store, hardware store, bank, health clinic, volunteer fire department, public K-12 school, two Protestant churches, a Catholic congregation and a Quaker meeting, a day care facility, a monthly newspaper and a library.

Work for most islanders relates to tourism. Many people own and operate small businesses; others work on the ferries or as servers, clerks, cleaners, cooks, boat captains, Realtors, plumbers, electricians, landscapers, carpenters, hunting guides, house painters, massage therapists, fishermen, web designers, waste disposers, teachers and nurses. It is not uncommon for an islander to have two or more jobs in the summer, and locals are disinclined to attach status to employment. The person who cleaned your cottage may teach high school during the winter, and a classically trained musician may be bagging your groceries.

The year-round population is around 770. People choose to live here for the homemade music and pot-luck suppers, the natural beauty, the thrum of summertime, the quiet of winter and because it’s home and always has been. Islanders feel strongly connected to their history, their people, the land and water. Living well on Ocracoke means sharing fish and fish stories, helping a neighbor prepare for a hurricane, gossip in the grocery aisle, grieving together when a community member dies, dressing up for the Fourth of July parade, starry cold winter nights and knowing how to fix your own plumbing.

Visitors who don’t mind a few bugs and appreciate solitude and self-sufficiency will find much to enjoy on Ocracoke. The pace of island life has quickened in the past few decades, but the ethos of independence and humor that served earlier generations remains.

OTHER OUTER BANKS GUIDES:  Corolla l Duck l Hatteras l Nags Head I Ocracoke l Roanoke Island