Morehead City is a metro area of 69,148 people. At a median age of 50.5, this is an older place than the country as a whole. That puts it in the top 8% of US metro areas for household income. 3% of people across the metro were born outside the United States. Owners hold 75% of the housing stock. 9,765 more people live here than in 2000.
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 Morehead City
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 38 metro and micro areas based in North Carolina
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)31.3%(2,125)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.4%(2,610)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.6%(378)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.1%(7)
US avg: 1%
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
Morehead City, decade by decade
Morehead City population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
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.
