Carteret County, NC

County

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2023 Population

68,652

0.437% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

50.1

0.401% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

10%

3.9% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$70,235

4.88% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$304,200

9.66% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

30,470

1.47% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Carteret County, NC had a population of 68.7k people with a median age of 50.1 and a median household income of $70,235. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Carteret County, NC grew from 68,353 to 68,652, a 0.437% increase and its median household income grew from $66,965 to $70,235, a 4.88% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Carteret County, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (85.5%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (4.19%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (3.48%), Other (Hispanic) (1.75%), and White (Hispanic) (1.26%).

None of the households in Carteret County, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.6% of the residents in Carteret County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Carteret County, NC are Carteret Community College (575 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2023, the median property value in Carteret County, NC was $304,200, and the homeownership rate was 73.5%.

Most people in Carteret County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Carteret County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Carteret County, NC borders Craven County, NC, Hyde County, NC, Jones County, NC, Onslow County, NC, and Pamlico County, NC.

United States North Carolina Morehead City, NC

Population & Diversity

Carteret County, NC is home to a population of 68.7k people, from which 98.6% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.25% of Carteret County, NC residents were born outside of the country (2.23k people).

In 2023, there were 20.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (58.7k people) in Carteret County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.88k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.39k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.6%

2023 Citizenship

98.6%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.6% of Carteret County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Carteret County, NC was 98.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Carteret County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Carteret County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
58.7k ± 255
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.88k ± 254
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
2.39k ± 317

4.7%

Hispanic Population

3.23k people

4.7% of the people in Carteret County, NC are hispanic (3.23k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Carteret County, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
Honduras
48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

Foreign-Born Population

3.25%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.23k people

2022 Foreign-Born Population

2.05k people

As of 2023, 3.25% of Carteret County, NC residents (2.23k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Carteret County, NC was 3%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Carteret County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,561 ± 238
Gulf War (2001-)
1,782 ± 252
Gulf War (1990s)
1,007 ± 189

Carteret County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.44 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Carteret County, NC employs 30.5k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Carteret County, NC were Retail Trade (3,988 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,682 people), and Public Administration (2,550 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($108,500), Transportation & Warehousing ($72,049), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($69,926).

Employment

Occupations

30.5k

2023 Value

± 1,181

1.47%

1 Year growth

± 5.26%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Carteret County, NC grew at a rate of 1.47%, from 30k employees to 30.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Carteret County, NC, are Management Occupations (3,772 people), Sales & Related Occupations (3,485 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,653 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Carteret County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

30.5k

2023 Value

± 1,181

1.47%

1 Year growth

± 5.26%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Carteret County, NC grew at a rate of 1.47%, from 30k employees to 30.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Carteret County, NC, are Retail Trade (3,988 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,682 people), and Public Administration (2,550 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Carteret County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Carteret County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,933

Median earning men ± $2,225

$36,051

Median earning women ± $1,628

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($71,250), Public Administration ($68,750), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($66,299).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($61,000), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($51,946), and Wholesale Trade ($48,393).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

216
Construction
155
Other Services (except Public Administration)
141
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$190k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$144k
Retail Trade
$104k
Accommodation and Food Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Carteret County, NC awarded 575 degrees. The student population of Carteret County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 540 male students and 1,039 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Carteret County, NC are White (426 and 74.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (48 and 8.39%), Black or African American (46 and 8.04%), and Two or More Races (27 and 4.72%).

The largest universities in Carteret County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Carteret Community College (575 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Carteret County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (122 and 21.2%), Other Mental, Social Health Services, & Allied Professions (48 and 8.35%), and General Business Administration & Management (44 and 7.65%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,579 students enrolled in Carteret County, NC, 34.2% men and 65.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,211 records, of which 64.9% were women and 35.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
32 degrees awarded
Information Technology
25 degrees awarded
Other Mental, Social Health Services, & Allied Professions
23 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Carteret County, NC was General Business Administration & Management with 32 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Carteret County, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Carteret Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

575 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Carteret Community College with 575 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 208 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Carteret County, NC, which is 0.567 times less than the 367 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 426 degrees mean that there were 8.88 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 48 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($2,128) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($182) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,250) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Measure

In 2023, 0.995% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.855% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (2.18M), Some college (1.81M), and Bachelors Degree (1.69M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Carteret County, NC was $304,200 in 2023, which is 1 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $277,400 to $304,200, a 9.66% increase. The homeownership rate in Carteret County, NC is 73.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Carteret County, NC have an average commute time of 23.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Carteret County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Carteret County, NC is $70,235. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Carteret County, NC was Census Tract 9706.02, Carteret County, NC with a value of $112,344, followed by Census Tract 9705.04, Carteret County, NC and Census Tract 9708.04, Carteret County, NC, with respective values of $108,684 and $97,727.

In 2024, 11.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Carteret County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 3.97%.

Housing

Property

$304,200

Median Property Value 2023

±$11,253

$22,932

Median Property Taxes

±$883

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Carteret County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Carteret County, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

73.5%

Homeownership

2023

71.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 73.5% of the housing units in Carteret County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 72.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Carteret County, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9706.02, Carteret County, NC
Census Tract 9705.04, Carteret County, NC
Census Tract 9708.04, Carteret County, NC

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Carteret County, NC was Census Tract 9706.02, Carteret County, NC with a value of $112,344, followed by Census Tract 9705.04, Carteret County, NC and Census Tract 9708.04, Carteret County, NC, with respective values of $108,684 and $97,727.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Carteret County, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$70,235

Median Household Income

± $2,152

31.2k

Number of Households

± 1,205

In 2023, the median household income of the 31.2k households in Carteret County, NC grew to $70,235 from the previous year's value of $66,965.

The following chart displays the households in Carteret County, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Carteret County, NC is from North Carolina.

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (80.7%)
Worked At Home (10.3%)
Carpooled (6.18%)

In 2023, 80.7% of workers in Carteret County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.3%) and those who carpooled to work (6.18%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

23.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Carteret County, NC have a shorter commute time (23.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.45% of the workforce in Carteret County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Carteret County, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Carteret County, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Carteret County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 11.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Carteret County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 3.97%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

10% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Carteret County, NC (6.78k out of 67.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Carteret County, NC is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2024, 17% of the children was living in poverty in Carteret County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 9.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2018, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 289 in Carteret County, NC. From 2014 to 2018, the indicator declined 6.59 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

90.7% of the population of Carteret County, NC has health coverage, with 35% on employee plans, 10.3% on Medicaid, 17.1% on Medicare, 23.4% on non-group plans, and 4.87% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Carteret County, NC see 1,632 patients per year on average, which represents a 12.6% increase from the previous year (1,449 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1196 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 534 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,632 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Carteret County, NC

Primary care physicians in Carteret County, NC see an average of 1,632 patients per year. This represents a 12.6% increase from the previous year (1,449 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Carteret County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.8% under 18 years, 14.1% between 18 and 34 years, 40.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 26.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.27%

Uninsured

35%

Employer Coverage

10.3%

Medicaid

17.1%

Medicare

23.4%

Non-Group

4.87%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Carteret County, NC declined by 8.51% from 10.1% to 9.27%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Carteret County, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 55.3 in Carteret County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Carteret County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 32.5% in Carteret County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Carteret County, NC.