Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety47#493/924
Economy81#180/925
Housing25#693/925
Health61#358/925
Healthcare55#412/923
Environment99#13/917
Education87#119/925
Infrastructure82#169/925
Community97#31/925
Leisure & amenities96#37/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Morehead City, NC micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Voter turnout · high81.7%
99/100North Carolina 72.9%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · high18.9 /10k
98/100North Carolina 8.8 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · low19.2%
97/100North Carolina 25.1%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high9.4 /10k
94/100North Carolina 4.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Broadband subscriptions · high93.4%
94/100North Carolina 90.1%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Comfortable days · high33.3%
94/100North Carolina 30.0%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Rent as share of income · high35.5%
2/100North Carolina 29.5%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Average weekly wage · low$918
6/100North Carolina $1,376United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Rent-burdened households · high57.0%
7/100North Carolina 48.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Home price to income ratio · high4.6×
17/100North Carolina 4.0×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Distance to an Amtrak station · high92 mi
19/100North Carolina 23 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · high23.0 /100k
19/100North Carolina 14.7 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
17% (2021) → 43% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+26 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
43.9% (2015-2019) → 57.0% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Suicide rateWorsening
14.5 /100k (2021) → 23.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+59%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
48.0 /100k (2021) → 21.5 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−55%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Property crime rateImproving
2,099 /100k (2020) → 1,133 /100k (2025)
−46%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Traffic deathsWorsening
11.0 /100k (2015-2019) → 15.9 /100k (2020-2024)
+45%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Morehead City, NC micropolitan area improved on 12 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 5 moved within the margin of error and 7 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Uninsured−2.6 points13.8% → 11.2%
Bachelor's++5.4 points29.1% → 34.5%
Real income+37%$61,074 → $83,901
Property crime−46%2,099 /100k → 1,133 /100k
Overdose deaths−44%38.4 /100k → 21.5 /100k

Declined6

Rent / income+8.9 points26.6% → 35.5%
Rent burden+13 points43.9% → 57.0%
Traffic deaths+45%11.0 /100k → 15.9 /100k
Price / income+0.9×3.7× → 4.6×
Pharmacies−14%2.8 /10k → 2.4 /10k

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Morehead City, NC micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	8.3 /10k2020	9.4 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	61%
Average commute time	23.4 min2015-2019	23.2 min2020-2024	−0.3 min	Within the margin of error	72%
Average weekly wage	$7382020	$9182025	+24%	Improved	60%
Bachelor's degree or higher	29.1%2015-2019	34.5%2020-2024	+5.4 points	Improved	94%
Broadband subscriptions	84.6%2015-2019	93.4%2020-2024	+8.8 points	Improved	49%
Child poverty rate	14.2%2015-2019	11.5%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Distance to an airport	70 mi2020	70 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	38.4 /100k2020	21.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−44%	Improved	73%
Effective property tax rate	0.55%2015-2019	0.44%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	44%
Firearm deaths	15.8 /100k2020	17.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+8.9%	Declined	36%
Grocery stores	2.1 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	+2.9%	Little change	62%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.3 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−3.9%	Little change	31%
High school diploma or higher	91.6%2015-2019	93.7%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Home price to income ratio	3.7×2015-2019	4.6×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	17%
Income adjusted for local prices	$61,0742019	$83,9012024	+37%	Improved	82%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4622015-2019	0.4722020-2024	+0.010	Within the margin of error	28%
Median household income	$57,1942015-2019	$72,3222020-2024	+26%	Improved	48%
New business applications	9.4 /1k2020	12.6 /1k2025	+35%	Improved	34%
Pharmacies	2.8 /10k2020	2.4 /10k2025	−14%	Declined	35%
Poverty rate	10.7%2015-2019	10.1%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Property crime rate	2,099 /100k2020	1,133 /100k2025	−46%	Improved	79%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.7 /10k2024	−1%	Little change	55%
Rent as share of income	26.6%2015-2019	35.5%2020-2024	+8.9 points	Declined	0%
Rent-burdened households	43.9%2015-2019	57.0%2020-2024	+13 points	Declined	1%
Restaurants and bars	18.2 /10k2020	18.9 /10k2025	+3.9%	Little change	62%
Suicide rate	22.1 /100k2020	23.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+4.1%	Little change	52%
Traffic deaths	11.0 /100k2015-2019	15.9 /100k2020-2024	+45%	Declined	8%
Unemployment rate	6.3%2020	3.5%2025	−2.8 points	Improved	44%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.8%2015-2019	11.2%2020-2024	−2.6 points	Improved	91%
Violent crime rate	219 /100k2020	186 /100k2025	−15%	Improved	48%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Morehead City, NC micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Morehead City, NC micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Morehead City, NC micropolitan area itself moved −3.9 points in standing on average over the same 29 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

69,148 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

31,977 households (±549)

Morehead City, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k16%5,148
$25k–50k19%6,088
$50k–75k17%5,449

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

31,977 households (±549)

Morehead City, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Own75%23,885
Rent25%8,092

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

30,511 workers (±662)

Morehead City, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone78%23,902
Carpool6.4%1,950
Public transit0.3%†87

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Morehead City, NC micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Morehead City, NC has 2,249 employer establishments, 323 for every 10,000 residents (1.30× the US rate of 248), with 21,789 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,793. The Census Bureau also counts 7,397 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,249; 7,397 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 323; US 248
Paid employees: 21,789
Average annual pay: $42,793; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Morehead City, NC by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	217	31.2	1.70×More than typical	3,783	$24,363	25
Specialty trade contractors	169	24.3	1.57×More than typical	934	$48,290	646
Ambulatory health care services	157	22.5	1.08×About typical	1,573	$66,371	305
Lessors of real estate	131	18.8	1.53×More than typical	604	$46,180	1,190
Construction of buildings	129	18.5	2.45×More than typical	436	$50,651	374
Full-service restaurants	121	17.4	2.26×More than typical	2,319	$26,492	12
Services to buildings and dwellings	90	12.9	1.92×More than typical	587	$33,818	646
Building equipment contractors	83	11.9	1.98×More than typical	554	$48,527	112
Real estate agents and brokers	67	9.6	1.98×More than typical	132	$56,720	341
Limited-service restaurants	66	9.5	1.18×About typical	1,200	$21,948	9
Religious organizations	66	9.5	1.71×More than typical	347	$30,476	—
Offices of physicians	53	7.6	1.18×About typical	667	$94,010	83

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 69,646 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $18.7M on contracts performed in Morehead City, NC micropolitan area: $265 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $18.7M; −74% vs FY2025
Per resident: $265; US $1,994
Sole-source: 12%; US 30%
Single offer: 8.2%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

U.S. Coast Guard$4.6M24%
Department of the Army$4.4M24%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$2.3M13%
Defense Logistics Agency$2.1M12%
Department of the Navy$1.6M8.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs$1.1M5.9%
Defense Commissary Agency$1M5.6%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$679.8K3.6%

Top recipients

GOVERNMENT SALES, LLC$5.4M29%
DOT CONSTRUCTION, INC$2.7M14%
HARTIGAN DELAWARE TEAM, LLC - JV$2.4M13%
ARK CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT LLC$1.3M7.0%
BLUEPOINT ENGINEERING LLC$1.2M6.4%

Spending by fiscal year

18.5MFY2017
14.6MFY2018
32.5MFY2019
39.7MFY2020
43.7MFY2021
20MFY2022
41.1MFY2023
28.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$2.9M15%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$2.8M15%
Commercial and service industry machinery manufacturing · 3333$2.5M14%
Other chemical product and preparation manufacturing · 3259$2.5M13%
Ship and boat building · 3366$1.5M7.8%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413

Largest awards

FY26 SOUTH ATLANTIC DIVISION (SAD) REGIONAL HARBOR DREDGING CONTRACT (RHDC), CONTRACT 2$27M
GREAT LAKES DREDGE & DOCK CO, LLC· Carteret County, NC· Construction & real property· Aug 25, 2025 – Jun 4, 2026· W912PM25CA011
CALO 226858, REPAIR CAPE LOOKOUT LIGHTHOUSE AT CAPE LOOKOUT LIGHTHOUSE NATIONAL SEASHORE$15.3M
STONE & LIME IMPORTS, INC· Carteret County, NC· Construction & real property· Apr 15, 2025 – Mar 12, 2026· 140P2025C0004
BUILDING AND SITE REPAIRS AT SFO FORT MACON, ATLANTIC BEACH, NC 28512$6.9M
STAMPEDE VENTURES, INC.· Carteret County, NC· Construction & real property· Jul 6, 2022 – Jan 29, 2026· 70Z08322CABCD0009

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $633.5M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Morehead City, NC micropolitan area: $8,989 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $633.5M; −0.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,989; US $12,955
Loan face value: $47.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$424.4M67%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$100.5M16%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$41.1M6.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$30.9M4.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$8.7M1.4%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$6.9M1.1%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$4.1M0.6%
64.028 · Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance$2.8M0.4%

Top recipients (organizations)

CARTERET COMMUNITY COLLEGE$4.5M0.7%
MOREHEAD CITY, NC
TRANSPORTATION NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT$2.1M0.3%
RALEIGH, NC
COASTAL COMMUNITY ACTION INC$2M0.3%
NEWPORT, NC
CRYSTAL COAST APARTMENTS$658K0.1%
MOREHEAD CITY, NC
TOWN OF BEAUFORT HOUSING AUTHORITY$623.5K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$505M80%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$113.7M18%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$4.7M0.7%
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$2.6M0.4%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Federal Highway Administration$2.1M

Assistance by fiscal year

505.3MFY2021
553MFY2022
575.8MFY2023
593.1MFY2024
637.9MFY2025
633.5MFY2026

County aggregates

98%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Morehead City, NC

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Carteret CountyCentral county8170,469

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Morehead CityPrincipal city9,806

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in North Carolina

Areas based in North Carolina, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M33980

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Morehead City, NC micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Morehead City, NC

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in North Carolina

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought