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MICROPOLITAN AREA

Morehead City Micro

Morehead City, NC · 1 counties · 70,469 residents (2025 est.) · 508 sq mi
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The short version

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
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
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
69,148
+16%since 2000
from 59,383 in 2000
70,469 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
136 / sq mi
+16%since 2000
from 117 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
50.5
+19%since 2000
from 42.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
508 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
51K56K61K66K71K19902000201020202024Morehead City
202469K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 53.7%(2,542)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.5%(3,137)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.3%(3,683)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.2%(3,581)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244.3%(2,951)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 349.4%(6,480)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.6%(8,038)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412%(8,330)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6417%(11,741)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7416.4%(11,355)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 847.9%(5,482)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.6%(1,828)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$72,322
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,344 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$45,736
+115%since 2000
from $21,260 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
47.8%
+21.0 ptssince 2009
from 26.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.1%
−0.6 ptssince 2000
from 10.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.472
+9%since 2010
from 0.433 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services7.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade6.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade6.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance5.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.9%
US avg: 1.6%
Education & health services1.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Construction1.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$333,300
+72%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $106,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,108
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $511 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
74.7%
−1.9 ptssince 2000
from 76.6% in 2000
25.3% rent
Vacancy rate
38.7%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 40.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.13 people
−7%since 2009
from 2.28 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
21.0%
−4.9 ptssince 2009
from 25.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
49.0%
+9.0 ptssince 2009
from 40.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.6
+9%since 2009
from 4.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
65
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)
Diversity Score
33
+21%since 2009
from 28 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
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)
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
Panamanian0.1%(46)
Costa Rican0.1%(45)
Argentine0.1%(38)
Chilean0%(18)
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.3%(225)
Asian Indian0.2%(108)
Filipino0.1%(94)
Chinese0.1%(50)
Japanese0.1%(49)
Laotian0.1%(37)
Korean0%(17)
Burmese0%(2)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(95)
Samoan0%(28)
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)
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)
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)
Serbian0%(9)
Slovene0%(1)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
34.5%
+14.7 ptssince 2000
from 19.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.7%
+11.7 ptssince 2000
from 82.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
12.9%
+6.2 ptssince 2000
from 6.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.2 min
+48%since 2000
from 15.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
78.3%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 77.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.4%
−7.1 ptssince 2009
from 13.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.6%
+8.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.0%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.7%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.0%
−5.3 ptssince 2011
from 9.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
55.0%
−6.5 ptssince 2011
from 61.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
69.7%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 70.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.8%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 13.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
41.1%
+9.1 ptssince 2009
from 32.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.2% in 2009
Female
51.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.8% in 2009
Foreign born
2.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
12.0%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 16.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
17.5%
−0.5 ptssince 2012
from 18.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.1%
−8.0 ptssince 2013
from 16.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.4%
+14.0 ptssince 2017
from 79.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.3%
+4.5 ptssince 2020
from 92.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.3%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 85.9% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
94.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2016
from 94.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.5%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 3.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
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

Uninsured
8.1%
−8.0 ptssince 2013
from 16.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
49.8%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 48.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
21.9%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 20.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
28.8%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 27.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
15.8%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 13.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
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
In this metro

Largest cities

Morehead CityCENTRAL10,434Beaufort4,912Newport4,500Emerald Isle3,970Cape Carteret2,273Broad Creek1,836Cedar Point1,825Pine Knoll Shores1,423Atlantic Beach1,408Brandywine Bay1,313Harkers Island1,060Peletier803Bogue706Atlantic522Marshallberg398Gloucester385Davis261Indian Beach231
What's inside

1 component county

Carteret CountyCENTRAL70,469
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Morehead City

Greenfield
Pop 70,698
Lewiston
Pop 65,450
Findlay
Pop 75,034
Casper
Pop 80,526
Places similar to Morehead City
Head to head

Compare Morehead City side by side

MOREHEAD CITY VS
Greenfield
Income$74,907+4%
Home value$329,000−1%
Population70,698same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MOREHEAD CITY VS
Lewiston
Income$72,490same
Home value$331,563−1%
Population65,450−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MOREHEAD CITY VS
Findlay
Income$73,141+1%
Home value$204,700−39%
Population75,034+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MOREHEAD CITY VS
Casper
Income$72,156same
Home value$273,000−18%
Population80,526+14%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Morehead City, NC?

Morehead City, NC has about 69,148 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Morehead City, NC?

The typical household in Morehead City, NC earns about $72,322 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Morehead City, NC expensive?

In Morehead City, NC, the median home is worth about $333,300, and the typical rent is about $1,108 a month.

How educated are people in Morehead City, NC?

About 34.5% of adults age 25 and over in Morehead City, NC hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Morehead City, NC?

About 10.1% of people in Morehead City, NC live below the federal poverty line.

Has Morehead City, NC grown since 1990?

Yes, Morehead City, NC 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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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →