Chowan County and Its Homes
Chowan County grew 3 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 14,082 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 7,200 housing units.
Its one incorporated town, Edenton, has a page here. About 35 percent of Chowan County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.
Chowan County at a Glance
- Population: 14,082 (2025), 13,702 (2020)
- Housing units: about 7,200
- Median year built: 1980 (North Carolina: 1991)
- Detached houses: 71%
- Mobile homes: 17%
- Owner-occupied: 71%
- Heated with electricity: 57% (statewide: 65%)
- Climate zone: 3 on both maps
- Towns with pages here: 1
Census Bureau estimates for Chowan County (housing: 2020 to 2024).
Towns and Communities in Chowan County
Edenton
4,546 people · its own electric system
Unincorporated communities the Census Bureau maps in Chowan County: Arrowhead Beach (median year built 1985), Cape Colony (median year built 1987) and Chowan Beach.
What We Do in Chowan County
Attic Insulation in Chowan County
Joists showing above the insulation in a Chowan County attic mean more blown-in fiberglass is due, R-49 from bare.
Attic Insulation Removal in Chowan County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of Chowan County attics, and a mouse-soiled Chowan County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 23 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in Chowan County
Some 57 percent of Chowan County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.
Homes in Chowan County
Half of Chowan County's 7,200 housing units were built before 1980: 29 percent before 1970 and 4 percent in 2010 or later. The largest share went up in the 1970s; fiberglass from those years may have settled, so check its depth against the joists.
Chowan County by type: 71 percent detached houses, 11 percent in buildings of two or more homes and 17 percent mobile homes. In Chowan County, 57 percent of homes heat with electricity, 13 percent with piped gas and 26 percent with tank gas (6 percent statewide).
Chowan County Homes by Year Built
- Before 1940: about 810 units, 11% (±3)
- 1940s: about 500 units, 7% (±3)
- 1950s: about 350 units, 5% (±3)
- 1960s: about 400 units, 5% (±2)
- 1970s: about 1,590 units, 22% (±4)
- 1980s: about 1,090 units, 15% (±4)
- 1990s: about 1,250 units, 17% (±4)
- 2000s: about 880 units, 12% (±3)
- 2010s: about 260 units, 4% (±2)
- 2020 or later: about 60 units, 1% (±1)
Climate Across Chowan County
NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Chowan County towns, by station: Edenton station (Edenton): about 2,870 heating and 1,840 cooling degree days. NOAA's Plymouth 5 E station, 13 miles from Edenton, has about 2,840 heating and 1,800 cooling degree days.
Power and Gas in Chowan County
The card lists Chowan County's town utilities by the territory maps; a power bill confirms the one at an address.
Piedmont Natural Gas holds the Chowan County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 13 percent of Chowan County homes heat with piped gas.
Who Supplies Power in Chowan County
- Edenton's own electric system: Edenton
- Dominion Energy North Carolina: homes near Edenton
- Albemarle EMC: homes near Edenton
Energy Programs for Chowan County Homes
Check each program's current terms for a Chowan County home; some pay only through the utility's contractor network.
Programs for Chowan County
- Home Energy Evaluation (Dominion Energy rebate; near Edenton).
- ElectriCities energy audits (ElectriCities member towns; Edenton).
- Energy audit (Albemarle EMC; near Edenton): a home energy audit on request for members.
- Income and Age Qualifying Home Improvements (Dominion Energy income-qualified; near Edenton).
- Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any Chowan County address).
- Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any Chowan County address).
- Piedmont Natural Gas lists rebates for high-efficiency gas furnaces, and none for insulation or air sealing (program page).
Chowan County Insulation FAQs
Do you serve all of Chowan County?
Yes: Edenton and every unincorporated Chowan County address.
Which utilities offer insulation rebates in Chowan County?
Dominion Energy's Home Energy Evaluation (homes near Edenton).
Does attic insulation in Chowan County need a permit?
Ask Chowan County Building & Planning before work starts. For an address in Edenton, the town or city hall can tell you whether Chowan County's office handles its permits.
Counties Near Chowan County
Perquimans County · Washington County · Bertie County · Pasquotank County · Gates County · All service areas
Chowan County, NC
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Insulation Pros in Chowan County
An insulation contractor serving North Carolina, Chowan County included.
Send the square footage of your Chowan County attic, or call (336) 870-3893.