COUNTY
Carteret County
North Carolina · 70,469 residents (2025 est.) · 508 sq mi
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Part of the Morehead City micropolitan area
The short version
Carteret County is a county of 69,148 people in North Carolina. The median age is 50.5, about 12 years above the US median. Few US counties rank higher on income. The foreign-born share is 3%. 75% of homes are owner-occupied. Growth has run 16% since 2000, or 9,765 more people.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $72,322, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 50.5
US median: 38.9
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 72%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Carteret County
What changed most since 1990
- Median age36.0 → 50.5 (+14.5 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
- White share90.2% → 85.3% (−5.0 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
- Hispanic share0.7% → 4.9% (+4.2 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Among the 100 counties in North Carolina
- 21st in household income$72,322
- 19th in share with a bachelor's degree34.5%
- 18th in home value$333,300
- 81st in diversity score33.3
Section 01
Population & growth
69,148
+16%since 2000
from 59,383 in 2000
70,469 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
508 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202469K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 53.7%(2,542)
5 to 94.5%(3,137)
10 to 145.3%(3,683)
15 to 195.2%(3,581)
20 to 244.3%(2,951)
25 to 349.4%(6,480)
35 to 4411.6%(8,038)
45 to 5412%(8,330)
55 to 6417%(11,741)
65 to 7416.4%(11,355)
75 to 847.9%(5,482)
85 and over2.6%(1,828)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$72,322
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,344 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
47.8%
+21.0 ptssince 2009
from 26.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.7%
Other services7.4%
Wholesale trade6.9%
Retail trade6.4%
Finance & insurance5.8%
Professional, scientific, technical4%
Public administration3.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.9%
Education & health services1.8%
Construction1.7%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
Manufacturing0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$333,300
+72%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $106,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.6
+9%since 2009
from 4.2 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
63
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic89.3%(53,041)
Black6.9%(4,121)
Hispanic / Latino1.7%(1,035)
Asian0.5%(307)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic85.3%(58,952)
Black4.1%(2,841)
Hispanic / Latino4.9%(3,401)
Asian1%(692)
Other4.7%(3,262)
33
+21%since 2009
from 28 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
29
+3%since 2020
from 28 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican1.8%(1,274)
Puerto Rican1%(666)
Central American1%(657)
South American0.4%(286)
Honduran0.3%(229)
Salvadoran0.3%(187)
Dominican0.2%(159)
Guatemalan0.2%(150)
Cuban0.2%(130)
Colombian0.2%(123)
Peruvian0.1%(97)
Spaniard0.1%(72)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.3%(225)
Asian Indian0.2%(108)
Filipino0.1%(94)
Chinese0.1%(50)
Japanese0.1%(49)
Laotian0.1%(37)
Korean0%(17)
Taiwanese0%(6)
Burmese0%(2)
Ancestry
English24.4%(16,903)
German13.8%(9,510)
Irish12.9%(8,935)
American7.5%(5,220)
Italian4.9%(3,356)
Scottish2.7%(1,883)
Scotch-Irish2.4%(1,666)
Polish2.4%(1,631)
French2.2%(1,551)
Dutch0.9%(624)
Norwegian0.7%(475)
Welsh0.6%(408)
+ 34 more ancestry groups with data
British0.6%(402)
Czech0.5%(329)
Russian0.5%(323)
Swedish0.4%(299)
French Canadian0.4%(258)
Ukrainian0.3%(213)
Hungarian0.3%(204)
West Indian0.2%(157)
Portuguese0.2%(150)
Lithuanian0.2%(106)
Greek0.2%(104)
Slovak0.1%(101)
Jamaican0.1%(99)
Arab0.1%(97)
Danish0.1%(92)
Subsaharan African0.1%(87)
Austrian0.1%(83)
Armenian0.1%(75)
Canadian0.1%(66)
Australian0.1%(52)
Romanian0.1%(47)
Finnish0.1%(46)
Lebanese0.1%(44)
Swiss0.1%(41)
Haitian0%(26)
Iranian0%(16)
Croatian0%(15)
Belgian0%(9)
Guyanese0%(9)
Serbian0%(9)
Moroccan0%(7)
Palestinian0%(3)
Nigerian0%(3)
Slovene0%(1)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
93.7%
+11.7 ptssince 2000
from 82.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
69.7%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 70.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
97.3%
+4.5 ptssince 2020
from 92.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married25.4%(7,390)
Married59.8%(17,417)
Widowed4.5%(1,318)
Divorced10.3%(3,008)
Women 15+
Never married18.2%(5,567)
Married58.9%(18,063)
Widowed10.9%(3,343)
Divorced12%(3,680)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
21.9%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 20.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
4.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 5.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
73.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 71.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
42.4%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 40.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)30.6%(2,078)
Gulf War (1990s)31.3%(2,125)
Vietnam era38.4%(2,610)
Korean War5.6%(378)
World War II0.1%(7)
Share of the 6,799 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Carteret County, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 52,556 | $61,948 | $174,245 | 16.2% | 22.4 |
| 2000 | 59,383 | $69,850 | $193,824 | 19.8% | 24.6 |
| 2010 | 66,469 | $66,397 | $298,503 | 23.8% | 28.8 |
| 2020 | 67,686 | $70,142 | $274,769 | 28.5% | 34.0 |
| 2024 | 69,148 | $72,322 | $333,300 | 34.5% | 33.3 |
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
Drill deeper
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Compare Carteret County to nearby counties
CARTERET COUNTY VS
Pamlico County
Income$59,717−17%
Home value$216,800−35%
Population12,758−82%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CARTERET COUNTY VS
Craven County
Income$65,873−9%
Home value$231,600−31%
Population105,025+49%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CARTERET COUNTY VS
Hyde County
Income$53,713−26%
Home value$124,000−63%
Population4,554−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CARTERET COUNTY VS
Beaufort County
Income$58,357−19%
Home value$192,700−42%
Population44,670−37%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Carteret County, North Carolina?
Carteret County, North Carolina has about 69,148 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Carteret County, North Carolina?
The typical household in Carteret County, North Carolina earns about $72,322 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Carteret County, North Carolina expensive?
In Carteret County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $333,300, and the typical rent is about $1,108 a month.
How educated are people in Carteret County, North Carolina?
About 34.5% of adults age 25 and over in Carteret County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Carteret County, North Carolina?
About 10.1% of people in Carteret County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.
Has Carteret County, North Carolina grown since 1990?
Yes, Carteret County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 16,592 residents, a change of about 32 percent over that period.
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Explore from here
33 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 9708.04Census Tract 9707.03Census Tract 9707.02Census Tract 9703.01Census Tract 9708.06Census Tract 9706.06Census Tract 9708.01Census Tract 9709.04Census Tract 9703.04Census Tract 9705.01Census Tract 9701.03Census Tract 9707.04Census Tract 9705.03Census Tract 9705.02Census Tract 9701.02Census Tract 9705.04Census Tract 9708.05Census Tract 9711.03Census Tract 9710.03Census Tract 9703.0517 ZIP codes
ZIP 28570ZIP 28557ZIP 28584ZIP 28516ZIP 28594ZIP 28512ZIP 28531ZIP 28511ZIP 28553ZIP 28528ZIP 28579ZIP 28577ZIP 28524ZIP 28575ZIP 28581ZIP 28520ZIP 28589Up the hierarchy
All counties in North CarolinaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024