What are the schools like in Emerald Isle, NC?

School district data for Emerald Isle is sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

What is the median household income in Emerald Isle?

The median household income in Emerald Isle, NC is $85,982 according to the most recent US Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates. The unemployment rate is 1.0%.

What is the weather like in Emerald Isle, NC?

Emerald Isle has an average high temperature of 54.3°F in January and 87.1°F in July. Annual precipitation averages 61.6 inches and annual snowfall averages 0.5 inches.

Emerald Isle, NC Cost of Living, Crime & Is It a Good Place to Live? (2026)

Q: Is Emerald Isle, NC affordable or expensive?

Emerald Isle's cost of living index is 101, where 100 represents the national average. This means Emerald Isle is 1% more expensive than the average US city. The median home value is $489,200 and the median rent is $1,373 per month.

Q: What is the crime rate in Emerald Isle, NC?

Emerald Isle has a violent crime rate of 149.7 incidents per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 2046.4 per 100,000. The national average violent crime rate is approximately 380 per 100,000.

Is Emerald Isle, NC a Good Place to Live?

Emerald Isle is a small town of 3,870 in North Carolina, with a median household income of $85,982 and a 1.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 101 (US average = 100), which is 1% above the national average.

Strengths: Emerald Isle stands out for lower-than-average crime, a well-educated population.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices. Whether Emerald Isle is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Emerald Isle city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 100.9

Emerald Isle's overall cost of living index is 100.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Emerald Isle costs roughly 1% more than the average American city.

Metric	Emerald Isle, NC	National Avg
Median Home Value	$489,200	$244,900
Median Monthly Rent	$1,373	$1,163
Homeownership Rate	84.5%	65.9%
Median Household Income	$85,982	$74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Emerald Isle's violent crime rate is 149.7 per 100,000 residents — 61% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime

149.7 /100k

Property Crime

2046.4 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric	Emerald Isle, NC	National Avg
School District	N/A	—
Elementary Schools	N/A	—
Middle Schools	N/A	—
High Schools	N/A	—
Student/Teacher Ratio	N/A	16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher	51.9%	35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher	98.3%	91.1%

Weather & Climate

Emerald Isle sees average highs of 54.3°F in January and 87.1°F in July, with 61.6 inches of annual precipitation and 0.5 inches of snow per year.

Metric	Emerald Isle, NC
Average High — January	54.3°F
Average High — July	87.1°F
Annual Precipitation	61.6"
Annual Snowfall	0.5"

Demographics

Metric	Emerald Isle, NC	National Avg
Population	3,870	—
Median Age	57.9	38.9
Unemployment Rate	1.0%	3.7%
Avg Commute Time	28.4 min	26 min
White (non-Hispanic)	92.9%	59.3%
Black or African American	0.3%	13.6%
Hispanic or Latino	3.2%	18.9%
Asian	0.0%	6.3%
Under 18	15.1%	22.2%
65 and over	30.9%	16.8%

Nearby Cities

Bogue, NC 2 mi Cape Carteret, NC 3 mi Cedar Point, NC 3 mi Peletier, NC 5 mi Swansboro, NC 6 mi

ZIP Codes in Emerald Isle

Emerald Isle, NC is covered by 1 ZIP code:

28594

Emerald Isle vs Other Cities

Emerald Isle, NC vs Bogue, NC Emerald Isle, NC vs Cape Carteret, NC Emerald Isle, NC vs Cedar Point, NC Emerald Isle, NC vs Peletier, NC Emerald Isle, NC vs Swansboro, NC

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Emerald Isle, NC affordable or expensive?

Emerald Isle's cost of living index is 101, where 100 is the national average. That puts Emerald Isle roughly 1% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $489,200 and median rent is $1,373/month.

What is the crime rate in Emerald Isle, NC?

Emerald Isle's violent crime rate is 149.7 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2046.4 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

What are the schools like in Emerald Isle?

School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.

Is Emerald Isle, NC a good place to live?

Emerald Isle, NC has a population of 3,870, a median household income of $85,982, and an unemployment rate of 1.0%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.

What is the weather like in Emerald Isle?

Emerald Isle averages 54.3°F in January and 87.1°F in July. Annual rainfall is 61.6 inches with about 0.5 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).

What ZIP codes are in Emerald Isle?

Emerald Isle, NC is covered by 1 ZIP code: 28594.

What is the population of Emerald Isle?

The population of Emerald Isle, North Carolina is 3,870 with a median age of 57.9. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.

What are the pros and cons of living in Emerald Isle?

Key numbers for living in Emerald Isle: cost of living index 101 (100 = US average), median home $489,200, median household income $85,982, crime index 63 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Emerald Isle side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.