United States › Morehead City MICROPOLITAN AREA · 2020 ACS
Morehead City Micro Morehead City, NC · 1 counties · 67,686 residents · 508 sq mi
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The short version
Morehead City is a metro area of 67,686 people. At a median age of 50.6, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 74% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 3%. 8,303 more people live here than in 2000. 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 50.6
US median: 38.8
Average education
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 42%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth 133 / sq mi
+14%since 2000
from 117 / sq mi in 2000
from 42.3 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
51K 56K 61K 66K 71K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Morehead City Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $57,871
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,344 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $21,260 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 26.8% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 10.7% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Professional, scientific, technical 4.5%
Public administration 2.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 2%
Transportation & warehousing 1.8%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.2%
Education & health services 1.1%
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$226,700
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $106,400 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$921
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $511 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 76.6% in 2000
26.1% rent
2.27 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.28 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 4.2 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 89.3%(53,041)
Hispanic / Latino 1.7%(1,035)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 85%(57,538)
Hispanic / Latino 4.6%(3,119)
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
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 31 more ancestry groups with data from 19.8% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 82.1% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 6.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 77.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 9.4% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 61.5% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 32.0% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 16.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 25.4%(7,390)
Women 15+
Never married 18.2%(5,567)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 16.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 21.7%(1,705)
Gulf War (1990s) 28.3%(2,219)
Share of the 7,844 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.
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In this metro
Largest cities Morehead CityCENTRAL 10,434 Beaufort 4,912 Newport 4,500 Emerald Isle 3,970 Cape Carteret 2,273 Broad Creek 1,836 Cedar Point 1,825 Pine Knoll Shores 1,423 Atlantic Beach 1,408 Brandywine Bay 1,313 Harkers Island 1,060 Peletier 803 Bogue 706 Atlantic 522 Marshallberg 398 Gloucester 385 Davis 261 Indian Beach 231 What's inside
1 component county Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Morehead City, NC? Morehead City, NC has about 67,686 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Morehead City, NC? The typical household in Morehead City, NC earns about $57,871 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 $226,700, and the typical rent is about $921 a month.
How educated are people in Morehead City, NC? About 28.5% 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 9.2% 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 15,130 residents, a change of about 29 percent over that period.
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