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Cost of living, pay and housing

35.07° N · 77.15° W · GEOID 3756710

River Bend

Craven County, North Carolina · part of the New Bern, NC metro

Limited data population under 5,000

North CarolinaRiver Bend, NCRiver BendRiver Bend

The short answer

River Bend is home to 2,874 people. Median household income is $71,824 a year and median rent is $1,289 a month, 21.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $266,100, about 3.7x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,289
6% below the median place
Median household income
$71,824
11% below the median place
Median home value
$266,100
17% below the median place
Unemployment
4.2%
14% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about River Bend

  • 2% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 94% of the 1,842 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 142 North Carolina places.
  • The median resident is 53.1 years old, older than in 95% of places its size.
  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 7.3% a year while household income rose 2%, so rent outran pay by more than in 89% of places its size.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs only about $91 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 90% of places its size.
  • Households average 2.04 people, smaller than in 91% of places its size.
01

Moving to River Bend

Craven County gains about 7.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in7,330
Moved out6,731
Net+599

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Pitt County, NC229273−44
Wake County, NC246254−8
Pamlico County, NC208249−41

Within North Carolina, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within North CarolinaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$61K
Leavers$57K

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

Who moves here
5.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.7% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Craven County report $61,400 a year in income on average; those leaving, $56,600, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$51,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,289 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,380 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $266,100.
Getting to work
17 minutes each way on average; 7.5% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Bay St. Louis, MS matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
1.7%
14% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
5.2%
9% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
7.2
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureRiver BendAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year15.2%9% below
Moved from another state11.7%14% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure7.2above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$61,40113% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$56,62819% below
02

What it costs to live here

Vacant homes is 16.6%, 135% above the median place.

River Bend21.5%
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
$51,560
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
21.5%
5% above the median place
Home price to income
3.7x
3% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
21%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$56,500
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in River Bend, $1,289 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like River Bend, but easier on the budget

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

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Halls, TN15.5% vs 21.5%n/aCompare
Fruitland Park, FL17.7% vs 21.5%n/aCompare
Apple Valley, OH13.9% vs 21.5%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in River Bend.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to River Bend? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
16.6%
135% above the median place
Homeownership1
86.4%
30% above the median place
Property tax rate1
0.6%
32% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureRiver BendAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,2896% below
Rent to income121.5%5% above
Property tax rate10.6%32% below
Home price to income13.7x3% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,24623% below
HUD area median income3County figure$87,00019% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,66249% below
Median home value1$266,10017% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure2.8%12% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure67.4%31% above
Homeownership186.4%30% above
Renters paying 30%+146.7%8% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,38026% below
Vacant homes116.6%135% above
Median year built119850% above
03

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%)
Mean commute1
17 min
32% below the median place
Poverty rate1
8.2%
24% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureRiver BendAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$71,82411% below
Income per person1$39,9090% below
Unemployment1County figure4.2%14% below
Average annual pay5County figure$57,16313% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure2.7%27% below
Jobs5County figure40,42273% below
Poverty rate18.2%24% below
Mean commute117 min32% below
Works from home1County figure7.5%40% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 53.1, 36% above the median place.

Median age1
53.1
36% above the median place
Household size1
2.0
18% below the median place
Born abroad1
2.1%
76% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband94.4% +2%
High school or higher90.7% −2%
Bachelor's or higher32.6% +2%
All 9 people measures
MeasureRiver BendAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,8746646th largest
Population change since 20206-0.3%below (median 1.1%)
Median age153.136% above
Bachelor's or higher132.6%2% above
High school or higher190.7%2% below
Household size12.018% below
Born abroad12.1%76% below
No health insurance1County figure7.8%22% above
Homes with broadband194.4%2% above
05

Life in River Bend

58 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents20.9 2.1×
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k10.4 −6%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
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 bars19.8 −5%
Shops33.6 +11%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.1 −24%
Doctors' offices and clinics18.9 −6%
Child care centers2.2 −4%

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

Students per teacher11
18.5
20% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
3.1
24% below the median place
Public schools11
27
200% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureRiver BendAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure27200% above
Public school students11County figure12,526156% above
Students per teacher11County figure18.520% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure19.85% below
Shops per 10k8County figure33.611% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.124% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure18.96% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.24% below
Parks per 10k920.9105% above
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k910.46% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure58346% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 98.6, 40% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached River Bend. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk13
98.6
40% above the median place
Annual precipitation12
55.1 in
26% above the median place
Average temperature12
62°F
14% above the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureRiver BendAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure89°F3% above
January average low12County figure34°F34% above
Average temperature12County figure62°F14% above
Annual precipitation12County figure55.1 in26% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure93.61% above
Hurricane risk13County figure98.640% above
Tornado risk13County figure86.46% above
Wildfire risk13County figure83.336% above
Heat wave risk13County figure84.27% below
08

River Bend in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 23% of the median income in 2030, up from 22% 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.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,289/mo (2024)$1,680/mo$1,380 to $2,050/mo+4.5%
Median household income$71,824 (2024)$89,500$75,500 to $106,000+3.7%
Median home value$266,100 (2024)$386,000$280,000 to $531,000+6.4%
Population2,890 (2025)2,9102,790 to 3,030+0.1%

The median home would be worth 4.3 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.7 now.

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

09

Places like River Bend

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

PlaceRentIncome
Bay St. Louis, MS$1,179$67,442Compare
Eden Isle, LA$1,328$78,426Compare
Granbury, TX$1,386$73,516Compare
Ormond Beach, FL$1,411$69,177Compare
Ormond Beach, FLGranbury, TXEden Isle, LABay St. Louis, MSRiver Bend, NCRiver BendBay St. LouisEden IsleGranburyOrmond BeachRiver BendBay St. LouisEden IsleGranburyOrmond Beach

Common questions

Is River Bend a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 2% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 94% of the 1,842 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 142 North Carolina places. The median resident is 53.1 years old, older than in 95% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 53 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is River Bend expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 21.5% 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 $266,100.

What salary do you need to live in River Bend?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $51,560 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to River Bend?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Bay St. Louis, MS, Eden Isle, LA, Granbury, TX and Ormond Beach, FL.

Sources and methods

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

  1. 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
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. 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.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 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
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

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 River Bend with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for River Bend itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/river-bend-north-carolina

Citytistics. “River Bend, North Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/river-bend-north-carolina/

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