Morehead City, NC

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population

69,148

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

50.5

0.798% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

10.1%

0.213% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$72,322

2.97% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$333,300

9.57% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

30,594

0.407% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Morehead City, 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.

98.8% of the residents in Morehead City, NC are U.S. citizens.

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

In 2024, the median property value in Morehead City, NC was $333,300, and the homeownership rate was 74.7%.

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

Morehead City, NC borders Jacksonville, NC and New Bern, NC.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Morehead City, NC is home to a population of 69.1k people, from which 98.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.94% of Morehead City, NC residents were born outside of the country (2.03k people).

In 2024, there were 20.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (59k people) in Morehead City, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.84k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.35k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.8%

2024 Citizenship

98.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.8% of Morehead City, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Morehead City, NC was 98.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Morehead City, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
59k ± 275
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.84k ± 247
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
2.35k ± 290

4.92%

Hispanic Population

3.4k people

4.92% of the people in Morehead City, NC are hispanic (3.4k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA 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

2.94%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.03k people

3.25%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.23k people

As of 2024, 2.94% of Morehead City, NC residents (2.03k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Morehead City, NC was 3.25%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,286 ± 234
Gulf War (2001-)
2,078 ± 301
Gulf War (1990s)
939 ± 193

Morehead City, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.1 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Morehead City, NC.

Economy

The economy of Morehead City, NC employs 30.6k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Morehead City, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (4,066 people), Retail Trade (3,894 people), and Public Administration (2,720 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($110,905), Transportation & Warehousing ($76,422), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($74,055).

Employment

Occupations

30.6k

2024 Value

± 1,173

0.407%

1 Year growth

± 5.43%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Morehead City, NC grew at a rate of 0.407%, from 30.5k employees to 30.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Morehead City, NC, are Management Occupations (3,813 people), Sales & Related Occupations (3,558 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,764 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Morehead City, 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

30.6k

2024 Value

± 1,173

0.407%

1 Year growth

± 5.43%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Morehead City, NC grew at a rate of 0.407%, from 30.5k employees to 30.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Morehead City, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (4,066 people), Retail Trade (3,894 people), and Public Administration (2,720 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Morehead City, NC, though some of these residents may live in Morehead City, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,525

Median earning men ± $2,395

$38,583

Median earning women ± $2,606

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($76,118), Public Administration ($74,583), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,500).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($66,056), Public Administration ($63,558), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,622).

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

Most students graduating from Universities in Morehead City, NC are White (426 and 74.5%), 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 Morehead City, NC by number of degrees awarded are Carteret Community College (575 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Morehead City, 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 Morehead City, 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 Morehead City, 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 Morehead City, 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 Morehead City, 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Morehead City, NC was $333,300 in 2024, which is 1 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $304,200 to $333,300, a 9.57% increase. The homeownership rate in Morehead City, NC is 74.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

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

Housing

Property

$333,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,275

$23,885

Median Property Taxes

±$935

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 Morehead City, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

74.7%

Homeownership

2024

71%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 74.7% of the housing units in Morehead City, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 73.5%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$72,322

Median Household Income

± $2,766

32k

Number of Households

± 1,214

In 2024, the median household income of the 32k households in Morehead City, NC grew to $72,322 from the previous year's value of $70,235.

The following chart displays the households in Morehead City, 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 Morehead City, 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 2024

Drove Alone (78.3%)
Worked At Home (12.6%)
Carpooled (6.39%)

In 2024, 78.3% of workers in Morehead City, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.6%) and those who carpooled to work (6.39%).

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 Morehead City, NC have a shorter commute time (23.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.28% of the workforce in Morehead City, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

10.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Morehead City, NC (6.85k out of 68k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Morehead City, 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.

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.

Health

91.9% of the population of Morehead City, NC has health coverage, with 34.7% on employee plans, 10.8% on Medicaid, 17% on Medicare, 24.1% on non-group plans, and 5.29% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 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

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

1,413 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in North Carolina

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see an average of 1,413 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.4% under 18 years, 14.1% between 18 and 34 years, 40.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 27.2% 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

8.13%

Uninsured

34.7%

Employer Coverage

10.8%

Medicaid

17%

Medicare

24.1%

Non-Group

5.29%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Morehead City, NC declined by 12.4% from 9.27% to 8.13%.

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

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