Emerald Isle vs Morehead City
A side-by-side comparison of Emerald Isle and Morehead City: population, income, housing, and more.
Emerald Isle and Morehead City are places in North Carolina. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Morehead City has the higher population (9,696 vs 3,915 in Emerald Isle). Emerald Isle has the higher median household income ($89,432 vs $53,718 in Morehead City). Emerald Isle has the higher median home value ($563,600 vs $330,900 in Morehead City).
Population, income & housing
| Emerald Isle | Morehead City | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,915 | 9,696 |
| Median age | 58.7 yrs | 44.1 yrs |
| Median household income | $89,432 | $53,718 |
| Median home value | $563,600 | $330,900 |
| Median gross rent | $1,688 | $1,122 |
| Housing units | 6,802 | 6,254 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.1% | 47.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.0% | 34.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.4% | 3.6% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Emerald Isle | Morehead City | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,703 → 3,915 (+5.7%) | 9,413 → 9,696 (+3.0%) |
| Median household income | $78,194 → $89,432 (+14.4%) | $42,985 → $53,718 (+25.0%) |
| Median home value | $378,500 → $563,600 (+48.9%) | $225,200 → $330,900 (+46.9%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,408 → $1,688 (+19.9%) | $863 → $1,122 (+30.0%) |
Emerald Isle
3,7033,915
$78,194$89,432
$378,500$563,600
$1,408$1,688
Morehead City
9,4139,696
$42,985$53,718
$225,200$330,900
$863$1,122
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Emerald Isle | Morehead City | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 2.7% | 5.0% |
| 5 to 17 | 12.1% | 13.1% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.8% | 9.3% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.7% | 14.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.9% | 10.5% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.8% | 12.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 24.1% | 13.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 23.3% | 10.4% |
| 75 and over | 9.5% | 11.6% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Emerald Isle | Morehead City | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.2% | 77.6% |
| Black or African American | 0.3% | 5.5% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 6.2% | 5.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.2% | 9.9% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Emerald Isle | Morehead City | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 1.6% | 9.7% |
| High school graduate | 15.6% | 21.3% |
| Some college or associate's | 30.8% | 34.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 29.0% | 23.1% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 22.9% | 11.5% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Emerald Isle | Morehead City | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 70.8% | 82.9% |
| Carpooled | 2.9% | 5.0% |
| Public transit | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Walked | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Worked from home | 22.8% | 9.4% |
| Other means | 1.2% | 0.9% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Emerald Isle | Morehead City | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 60.1% | 50.2% |
| 1-unit, attached | 13.1% | 8.5% |
| 2 to 4 units | 3.3% | 11.8% |
| 5 to 19 units | 4.1% | 12.2% |
| 20 or more units | 6.2% | 12.7% |
| Mobile home & other | 13.1% | 4.6% |
Poverty & households
| Emerald Isle | Morehead City | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 3.9% | 17.4% |
| Average household size | 2.15 | 1.89 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 27 | 18 |
| Median year structure built | 1989 | 1984 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
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- Highest median household income — cities in North Carolina
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