Name: Cape Carteret, NC statistics
Creator: Citytistics

Moving to Cape Carteret

Carteret County gains about 12.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,133

Moved out3,406

Net+727

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Craven County, NC516552−36

Onslow County, NC351472−121

Wake County, NC328180+148

Pitt County, NC83830

Johnston County, NC12242+80

New Hanover County, NC6370−7

Durham County, NC5746+11

Mecklenburg County, NC5341+12

Within North Carolina, other states or abroad

Arrivals

58%40%

Leavers

60%39%

Within North CarolinaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$89K

Leavers$69K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Carteret County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here: 7.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.6% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves: Households moving into Carteret County report $89,300 a year in income on average; those leaving, $68,900, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need: $69,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy: Median rent is $1,745 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,188 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $375,700.
Getting to work: 25 minutes each way on average; 7.5% work from home.
If it is close but not quite: Upper Grand Lagoon, FL matches it on character. Compare the two

Net movers per 1,000 people7
12.9
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7
$89,323
27% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
7.3%
28% above the median place

All 5 moving measures

Measure	Cape Carteret	Vs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure	7.3%	28% above
Moved from another state1County figure	2.6%	31% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure	12.9	above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure	$89,323	27% above
Income of households moving out7County figure	$68,880	2% below

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 83.0%, 64% above the median place.

Cape Carteret24.3%

Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent

$69,800

a year, at the 30% line

Rent to income

24.3%

19% above the median place

Home price to income

4.4x

15% above the median place

Could you afford it?

Your household income, before tax

The median rent would take

24%

comfortably under the 30% line

Left after rent, in US prices

$65,100

a year, prices not adjusted

Vs the typical household here

Same

as the median household

Uses the median rent in Cape Carteret, $1,745 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Cape Carteret, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

Place	Rent to income	More left a year
Yardville, NJ	19.3% vs 24.3%	n/a	Compare
Goshen, NY	20.7% vs 24.3%	n/a	Compare
West Ocean City, MD	20.0% vs 24.3%	n/a	Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Cape Carteret.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Cape Carteret? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.

Renters paying 30%+1
83.0%
64% above the median place
Property tax rate1
0.5%
46% below the median place
Vacant homes1
12.7%
79% above the median place

All 15 cost and housing measures

Measure	Cape Carteret	Vs median
Median gross rent1	$1,745	28% above
Rent to income1	24.3%	19% above
Property tax rate1	0.5%	46% below
Home price to income1	4.4x	15% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure	$1,277	21% below
HUD area median income3County figure	$103,500	4% below
Property tax paid (median)1	$1,854	43% below
Median home value1	$375,700	18% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure	9.5%	198% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure	69.6%	35% above
Homeownership1	79.6%	20% above
Renters paying 30%+1	83.0%	64% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1	$2,188	17% above
Vacant homes1	12.7%	79% above
Median year built1	1993	1% above

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Poverty rate1
6.1%
43% below the median place
Works from home1
7.5%
40% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$43,518 +9%

Median household income$86,136 +7%

Mean commute25 min +1%

All 10 work and pay measures

Measure	Cape Carteret	Vs median
Median household income1	$86,136	7% above
Income per person1	$43,518	9% above
Unemployment1County figure	4.0%	18% below
Average annual pay5County figure	$47,719	28% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure	4.4%	19% above
Jobs5County figure	25,622	83% below
Poverty rate1	6.1%	43% below
Mean commute1	25 min	1% above
Works from home1	7.5%	40% below
Commutes by transit1	0.0%	below (median 0.8%)

Who lives here

Median age is 46.3, 19% above the median place.

Median age1
46.3
19% above the median place
No health insurance1
3.8%
41% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
95.1%
3% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.4 −6%

Bachelor's or higher37.9% +18%

High school or higher93.0% +1%

All 9 people measures

Measure	Cape Carteret	Vs median
Population1	2,703	6646th largest
Population change since 20206	2.0%	76% above
Median age1	46.3	19% above
Bachelor's or higher1	37.9%	18% above
High school or higher1	93.0%	1% above
Household size1	2.4	6% below
Born abroad1County figure	2.9%	67% below
No health insurance1	3.8%	41% below
Homes with broadband1	95.1%	3% above

Life in Cape Carteret

17 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents29.6 2.9×

Playgrounds per 10k7.4 −21%

Grocery stores per 10k7.4 3.5×

Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k29.6 2.7×

Libraries per 10k7.4 8.5×

Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%

Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars34.3 +65%

Shops53.9 +78%

Arts, recreation and fitness8.2 2.0×

Doctors' offices and clinics22.7 +12%

Child care centers2.2 −4%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools12
1
89% below the median place
Public school students12
784
84% below the median place
Students per teacher12
17.8
16% above the median place

All 16 schools and local life measures

Measure	Cape Carteret	Vs median
Public schools12	1	89% below
Public school students12	784	84% below
Students per teacher12	17.8	16% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure	34.3	65% above
Shops per 10k8County figure	53.9	78% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure	8.2	100% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure	22.7	12% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure	2.2	4% below
Parks per 10k9	29.6	191% above
Playgrounds per 10k9	7.4	21% below
Grocery stores per 10k9	7.4	249% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9	29.6	165% above
Libraries per 10k9	7.4	above (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails9	0.0	below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi9	0.0	below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure	17	31% above

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 43, 77% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k

77% below the median place

Property crime per 100k

391

68% below the median place

Months reported

12 of 12

by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Good air days15
96.2%
40% above the median place
Annual precipitation13
58.3 in
33% above the median place
Hurricane risk14
98.8
40% above the median place

All 11 weather and risk measures

Measure	Cape Carteret	Vs median
July average high13County figure	88°F	2% above
January average low13County figure	36°F	43% above
Average temperature13County figure	64°F	16% above
Annual precipitation13County figure	58.3 in	33% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure	93.5	1% above
Hurricane risk14County figure	98.8	40% above
Tornado risk14County figure	45.4	44% below
Wildfire risk14County figure	88.6	45% above
Heat wave risk14County figure	71.0	21% below
Median air quality index15County figure	35	19% below
Good air days15County figure	96.2%	40% above

How it is changing

Five-year survey estimates, one point per release.

Median gross rent

Up 9.0% from 2019 to 2024.

Median household income

Up 5.1% from 2019 to 2024.

Median home value

Up 43.6% from 2019 to 2024.

Population estimate

Up 2.0% from 2020 to 2025.

Citytistics measures

Paycheck stretch

n/a

No local price data

Pay vs rent

-0.7 pts

a year, rent outrunning pay. Better than 42% of places

Family fit

of 100 on cost, space and class size

Growth

of 100 on population and income growth

Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas

Cape Carteret in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 25% of the median income in 2030, up from 24% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

Measure	Latest	2030 projection	Likely range	Avg. per year
Median rent	$1,745/mo (2024)	$2,220/mo	$1,820 to $2,700/mo	+4.1%
Median household income	$86,136 (2024)	$107,000	$90,000 to $126,500	+3.6%
Median home value	$375,700 (2024)	$536,000	$389,000 to $738,000	+6.1%
Population	2,273 (2025)	2,310	2,220 to 2,410	+0.3%

The median home would be worth 5.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.4 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

Places like Cape Carteret

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

Place	Rent	Income
Upper Grand Lagoon, FL	$1,667	$82,157	Compare
Bardmoor, FL	$1,706	$89,400	Compare
New Windsor, NY	$1,666	$81,340	Compare
Panama City Beach, FL	$1,791	$80,941	Compare

Nearby

Compare Cape Carteret with

Common questions

Is Cape Carteret a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 83% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 99% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-highest of 149 North Carolina places. Household income has grown 1% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 90% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 41 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Cape Carteret expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 24.3% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $375,700.

What salary do you need to live in Cape Carteret?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $69,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Cape Carteret safe?

There were 43 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Cape Carteret?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Upper Grand Lagoon, FL, Bardmoor, FL, New Windsor, NY and Panama City Beach, FL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Cape Carteret with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Cape Carteret itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/cape-carteret-north-carolina

Citytistics. “Cape Carteret, North Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/cape-carteret-north-carolina/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Cape Carteret

What stands out about Cape Carteret