County · North Carolina

Carteret County, North Carolina

Carteret County, North Carolina has a quality-of-life score of 81 out of 100 (very high), ranking #594 of 3,143 US counties. Within North Carolina it ranks #8 of 100 counties. It ranks best on voter turnout (high), comfortable days (high) and restaurants and bars (high). It ranks worst on natural hazard risk (high), rent as share of income (high) and time spent in the emergency room (high).

81Very high

Quality-of-life score: #594 of 3,143 counties
North Carolina: #8 of 100 in NC
Population: 70,469 (2025)
Land area: 508 mi²
Density: 138.8 /mi²
FIPS code: 37031

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 80 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map Federal contracts here

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US counties.

Safety32#2,098/3,096
Economy80#632/3,143
Housing14#2,694/3,140
Health67#1,048/3,144
Healthcare70#936/3,143
Environment84#498/3,108
Education89#346/3,144
Infrastructure89#353/3,144
Community87#404/3,144
Leisure & amenities96#142/3,143

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Carteret County, North Carolina ranks highest and lowest among US counties (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Voter turnout · high81.7%
97/100North Carolina 72.9%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance Commission
Comfortable days · high33.3%
96/100North Carolina 30.0%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Restaurants and bars · high18.9 /10k
94/100North Carolina 8.8 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Child care cost burden · low19.2%
93/100North Carolina 25.1%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Broadband subscriptions · high93.4%
93/100North Carolina 90.1%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Physical inactivity · low19.9%
92/100North Carolina 24.9%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

Weaknesses

Natural hazard risk · high99.9
0/100North Carolina 45.12025Federal Emergency Management Agency
Rent as share of income · high35.5%
2/100North Carolina 29.5%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Time spent in the emergency room · high225 min
4/100North Carolina 189 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Cost of buying a home today · high42.5%
8/100North Carolina 33.1%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Home price to income ratio · high4.6×
12/100North Carolina 4.0×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Hospital quality rating · low2.0
14/100North Carolina 3.3United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
17% (2021) → 44% (Nov 2025–Oct 2026)
+27 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
43.9% (2015-2019) → 57.0% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
30.2% (Dec 2021) → 42.5% (Aug 2026)
+12 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
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

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, Carteret County, North Carolina improved on 10 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 14 moved within the margin of error and 2 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among counties: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved10

Uninsured−3.6 points13.4% → 9.8%
Bachelor's++5.4 points29.1% → 34.5%
Real income+37%$61,074 → $83,901
Overdose deaths−44%38.4 /100k → 21.5 /100k
Property crime−46%2,099 /100k → 1,133 /100k

Declined5

Rent / income+8.9 points26.6% → 35.5%
Students / teacher+2.0×13.7× → 15.6×
Rent burden+13 points43.9% → 57.0%
Price / income+0.9×3.7× → 4.6×
Traffic deaths+45%11.0 /100k → 15.9 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Carteret County, North Carolina 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%	Within the margin of error	63%
Average commute time	23.4 min2015-2019	23.2 min2020-2024	−0.3 min	Within the margin of error	64%
Average weekly wage	$7382020	$9182025	+24%	Improved	54%
Bachelor's degree or higher	29.1%2015-2019	34.5%2020-2024	+5.4 points	Improved	87%
Broadband subscriptions	84.6%2015-2019	93.4%2020-2024	+8.8 points	Improved	40%
Child poverty rate	17.0%2019	13.2%2024	−3.8 points	Within the margin of error	80%
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	70%
Effective property tax rate	0.55%2015-2019	0.44%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	49%
Firearm deaths	15.8 /100k2020	17.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+8.9%	Within the margin of error	35%
Grocery stores	2.1 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	+2.9%	Within the margin of error	66%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.3 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−3.9%	Within the margin of error	34%
High school diploma or higher	91.6%2015-2019	93.7%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Home price to income ratio	3.7×2015-2019	4.6×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	14%
Income adjusted for local prices	$61,0742019	$83,9012024	+37%	Improved	79%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4622015-2019	0.4722020-2024	+0.010	Within the margin of error	36%
Median household income	$60,0582019	$76,7392024	+28%	Improved	65%
New business applications	9.4 /1k2020	12.6 /1k2025	+35%	Improved	38%
Pharmacies	2.8 /10k2020	2.4 /10k2025	−14%	Within the margin of error	34%
Poverty rate	10.4%2019	9.5%2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Property crime rate	2,099 /100k2020	1,133 /100k2025	−46%	Improved	69%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.7 /10k2024	−1%	Within the margin of error	50%
Rent as share of income	26.6%2015-2019	35.5%2020-2024	+8.9 points	Declined	2%
Rent-burdened households	43.9%2015-2019	57.0%2020-2024	+13 points	Declined	6%
Restaurants and bars	18.2 /10k2020	18.9 /10k2025	+3.9%	Within the margin of error	61%
Students per teacher	13.7×2019	15.6×2024	+2.0×	Declined	3%
Suicide rate	22.1 /100k2020	23.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+4.1%	Within the margin of error	48%
Traffic deaths	11.0 /100k2015-2019	15.9 /100k2020-2024	+45%	Declined	15%
Unemployment rate	6.3%2020	3.5%2025	−2.8 points	Improved	56%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.4%2019	9.8%2024	−3.6 points	Improved	88%
Violent crime rate	219 /100k2020	186 /100k2025	−15%	Within the margin of error	49%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 2303 counties 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; Small Area Health Insurance Estimates; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Common Core of Data; 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 3144 counties 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.

Counties like Carteret County, North Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Carteret County, North Carolina 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, Carteret County, North Carolina itself moved −2.7 points in standing on average over the same 31 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
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 men (−1.1 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

69,148 residents

Carteret County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

White85%58,952
Black4.1%2,841
Hispanic or Latino4.9%3,401

Education

53,254 residents (±109)

Carteret County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

No high school diploma6.3%3,329
High school or GED23%12,174
Some college25%13,086

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

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)

Carteret County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $25k16%5,148
$25k–50k19%6,088
$50k–75k17%5,449
$75k–100k13%4,147
$100k–150k16%5,228
$150k–200k8.7%2,794
$200k or more9.8%3,123

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+5.1 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

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

Owners and renters

31,977 households (±549)

Carteret County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Own75%23,885
Rent25%8,092

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

7,121 households (±486)

Carteret County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $75020%1,422
$750–1,00021%1,517
$1,000–1,50032%2,278

Home values

23,885 homes (±511)

Carteret County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $150k16%3,719
$150k–250k20%4,832
$250k–400k26%6,282

Age of homes

52,181 homes (±62)

Carteret County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

2010 or later13%6,700
2000–200917%9,090
1980–199940%21,082

Size of homes

52,181 homes (±62)

Carteret County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Studio1.7%†870
1 bedroom4.5%2,359
2 bedrooms23%12,195

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

30,511 workers (±662)

Carteret County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Drive alone78%23,902
Carpool6.4%1,950
Public transit0.3%†87
Walk1.0%†302
Bike0.2%†61
Work from home13%3,852
Other1.2%357

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+7.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

26,659 workers (±724)

Carteret County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under 15 min33%8,666
15–29 min38%10,169
30–44 min19%4,938

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

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 pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Morehead City, NC

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.

Carteret County has 2,249 employer establishments, 323 for every 10,000 residents (1.30× the US rate of 248; 1.36× North Carolina's), 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 · North Carolina 237
Paid employees: 21,789
Average annual pay: $42,793; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Carteret County 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.
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 Carteret County, North Carolina: $265 per resident (US $2,007).

Obligations: $18.7M; −74% vs FY2025
Per resident: $265; US $2,007
Sole-source: 12%; US 30%
Single offer: 8.2%; US 8.7%

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 9, 2026, loaded Oct 9, 2026.

Explore contracts in Carteret County, North Carolina

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 Carteret County, North Carolina: $8,989 per resident (US $12,975).

Assistance · FY2026: $633.5M; −0.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,989; US $12,975
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 8, 2026, loaded Oct 8, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Explore grants in Carteret County, North Carolina

Public money & outcomes

Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.

How Carteret County, North Carolina compares: the federal money it received per resident, and how jobs, income, housing and other outcomes moved, each next to the United States.

Money per resident

By federal fiscal year (October to September, named by the year it ends), obligations per resident. A year with no record counts as $0.

Carteret County, North Carolina
United States
Year its money jumped
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Carteret County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
FY2017	$268	$1,436
FY2018	$209	$1,552
FY2019	$467	$1,654
FY2020	$586	$1,880
FY2021	$636	$1,810
FY2022	$289	$1,917
FY2023	$590	$2,079
FY2024	$407	$2,047
FY2025	$1,016	$2,165
FY2026	$265 (partial year)	$1,925
FY2027	$0 (partial year)	—

Construction contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Carteret County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
FY2017	$128	$93.28
FY2018	$50.16	$105
FY2019	$355	$128
FY2020	$495	$145
FY2021	$518

Contracts and grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Carteret County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
FY2021	$1,077	$5,748
FY2022	$885	$5,221
FY2023	$1,092	$5,364
FY2024	$554	$5,501
FY2025	$1,074	$5,732
FY2026

Transportation grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Carteret County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
FY2021	$67.51	$298
FY2022	$86.14	$357
FY2023	$110	$301
FY2024	-$36.14	$319
FY2025	$9.83	$360
FY2026

Housing assistanceUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Carteret County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
FY2021	$45.12	$239
FY2022	$62.99	$185
FY2023	$62.90	$229
FY2024	$69.30	$229
FY2025	$81.34	$249
FY2026

HHS grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Carteret County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
FY2021	$152	$2,304
FY2022	$132	$2,197
FY2023	$129	$2,274
FY2024	$143	$2,267
FY2025	$0.97	$2,397
FY2026

SBA lending volumeUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Carteret County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
FY2021	$766	$1,186
FY2022	$276	$465
FY2023	$73.79	$76.52
FY2024	$119	$120
FY2025	-$7.75	$148
FY2026	$65.52

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)

How outcomes moved

Calendar years. Charts share the same years as the money above. Levels are shown as percent change since 2016; rates are shown as the rate itself.

Carteret County, North Carolina
United States
Years with money loaded
Year its money jumped

Job growthpercent

Table view

Job growth, Carteret County, North Carolina and the United States, by year
Calendar years	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
2014

When its money jumped

A county-year with at least 10,000 residents whose money per resident is at least twice its earlier average counts as a jump. Each is compared with up to five similar counties in the same region whose money did not jump.

Construction contracts · FY2019

$355 per resident in FY2019, against an earlier average of $88.85 (4× that).

Compared with 8 similar counties

Carteret County, North Carolina
Comparison counties (average)
Range of comparison counties

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Business Formation Statistics, Building Permits Survey, Cartographic Boundary Files, Gazetteer and metro delineations, Population Estimates Program, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission), Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System), Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordability. JSON · /api/v1/outcomes/places/37031

See all comparisons

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Carteret County, North Carolina is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Gregory F. MurphyR-NC-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 12.9%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

Metro area

The metro or micro area Carteret County belongs to. A county is in at most one.

Morehead City, NC85Central county

Cities and towns in Carteret County

Places whose residents live mostly in Carteret County, largest first.

Neighboring counties

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar counties

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
National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency · release v1.20.0
Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-09
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-10-06
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
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/37031

Calendar years	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
2014	−5.4%	−4.2%
2015	−2.4%	−1.3%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+4.2%	+3.3%
2018	+8.3%	+6.8%
2019	+13.5%	+10.5%
2020	+20.2%	+19.4%
2021	+26.9%	+26.1%
2022	+32.7%	+30.6%
2023	+37.8%	+35.0%
2024	+43.2%	+41.0%
2025	+49.5%	+46.8%

Calendar years	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
2014	3.3/1k	3.3/1k
2015	5.0/1k	3.7/1k
2016	4.8/1k	3.7/1k
2017	9.1/1k	3.9/1k
2018	5.4/1k	4.1/1k
2019	7.1/1k	4.2/1k
2020	8.6/1k	4.4/1k
2021	10.0/1k	5.2/1k
2022	9.8/1k	5.0/1k
2023	7.5/1k	4.5/1k
2024	13.3/1k	4.3/1k
2025	6.7/1k	4.2/1k

Calendar years	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
2014	−5.3%	−6.9%
2015	−1.4%	−3.2%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+3.2%	+4.7%
2018	+6.8%	+7.5%
2019	+16.5%	+14.0%
2020	+23.1%	+16.9%
2021	+22.5%	+21.0%
2022	+31.5%	+29.7%
2023	+48.2%	+34.9%
2024	+48.8%	+41.6%

Calendar years	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
2014	−7.4% (Dec 2014)	−10.8% (Dec 2014)
2015	−4.2% (Dec 2015)	−5.2% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+3.0% (Dec 2017)	+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+7.3% (Dec 2018)	+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019	+12.0% (Dec 2019)	+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+23.4% (Dec 2020)	+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021	+49.0% (Dec 2021)	+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+70.3% (Dec 2022)	+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023	+78.8% (Dec 2023)	+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024	+82.7% (Dec 2024)	+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+84.2% (Dec 2025)	+73.7% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
2014	6.9/1k	8.5/1k
2015	6.5/1k	8.7/1k
2016	7.0/1k	9.1/1k
2017	7.8/1k	9.8/1k
2018	7.3/1k	10.7/1k
2019	8.9/1k	10.6/1k
2020	9.4/1k	13.1/1k
2021	11.4/1k	16.2/1k
2022	11.9/1k	15.1/1k
2023	13.4/1k	16.2/1k
2024	11.6/1k	15.4/1k
2025	12.6/1k	16.6/1k

Calendar years	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
2014	6.0%	6.2%
2015	5.9%	5.3%
2016	5.2%	4.9%
2017	4.5%	4.4%
2018	4.5%	3.9%
2019	4.1%	3.7%
2020	6.3%	8.1%
2021	4.3%	5.4%
2022	3.6%	3.7%
2023	3.3%	3.6%
2024	3.3%	4.0%
2025	3.5%	4.3%

Calendar years	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
2014	−8.3%	−5.5%
2015	−4.3%	−1.9%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+2.3%	+4.1%
2018	+5.9%	+8.9%
2019	+12.9%	+13.5%
2020	+21.4%	+20.8%
2021	+33.1%	+32.1%
2022	+37.0%	+35.4%
2023	+48.4%	+42.9%
2024	+58.0%	+49.5%

Calendar years	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
2014	14.7%	15.5%
2015	13.8%	14.7%
2016	12.3%	14.0%
2017	13.3%	13.4%
2018	9.8%	13.1%
2019	10.4%	12.3%
2020	9.3%	11.9%
2021	11.8%	12.8%
2022	12.1%	12.6%
2023	10.6%	12.5%
2024	9.5%	12.1%

Calendar years	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
2015	—	−3.3% (Dec 2015)
2016	—	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	—	+4.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	—	+8.8% (Dec 2018)
2019	—	+13.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	—	+15.2% (Dec 2020)
2021	— (Dec 2021)	+32.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	— (Dec 2022)	+42.1% (Dec 2022)
2023	— (Dec 2023)	+46.3% (Dec 2023)
2024	— (Dec 2024)	+50.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	— (Dec 2025)	+53.5% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Carteret County, North Carolina	United States
2014	16.3%	13.5%
2015	13.3%	10.9%
2016	12.3%	10.0%
2017	12.7%	10.2%
2018	13.3%	10.4%
2019	13.4%	10.8%
2020	11.7%	10.4%
2021	12.7%	10.2%
2022	12.3%	9.5%
2023	10.3%	9.5%
2024	9.8%	9.8%

Year	Carteret County, North Carolina	Comparison counties (average)	Range of comparison counties
Year −3	+1.7 points	+2.0 points	+0.6 points to +4.6 points
Year −2	+2.0 points	+0.0 points	−1.8 points to +1.1 points
Year −1	0.0 points	0.0 points	0.0 points to 0.0 points
Year 0	+1.2 points	+1.2 points	+0.1 points to +2.6 points
Year +1	−4.1 points	−3.9 points	−5.0 points to −2.6 points
Year +2	+3.9 points	+1.4 points	0.0 points to +3.4 points

Year	Carteret County, North Carolina	Comparison counties (average)	Range of comparison counties
Year −3	−0.7 per 1,000 people	−0.5 per 1,000 people	−1.1 per 1,000 people to +0.0 per 1,000 people
Year −2	+3.7 per 1,000 people	−0.2 per 1,000 people	−0.4 per 1,000 people to +0.0 per 1,000 people
Year −1	0.0 per 1,000 people	0.0 per 1,000 people	0.0 per 1,000 people to 0.0 per 1,000 people
Year 0	+1.7 per 1,000 people	+0.3 per 1,000 people	−0.3 per 1,000 people to +1.8 per 1,000 people
Year +1	+3.1 per 1,000 people	+0.6 per 1,000 people	−3.7 per 1,000 people to +2.9 per 1,000 people
Year +2	+4.5 per 1,000 people	+1.4 per 1,000 people	−4.4 per 1,000 people to +4.4 per 1,000 people

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined5

Counties like Carteret County, North Carolina five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to 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

Public money & outcomes

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Compared with 8 similar counties

Representation in Congress

House

Senate

Metro area

Cities and towns in Carteret County

Neighboring counties

Similar counties

Data and sources

Improved10

Declined5

House

Senate

Household income

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Compared with 8 similar counties

Jumps not compared

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year