Is Morehead City, NC a Good Place to Live?
Morehead City is a small town of 9,632 in North Carolina, with a median household income of $51,716 and a 3.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 97 (US average = 100), which is 3% below the national average.
Strengths: Morehead City stands out for an affordable cost of living, solid school ratings (B), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Morehead City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Morehead City 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: 96.8Morehead City's overall cost of living index is 96.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Morehead City costs roughly 3% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Morehead City, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $316,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,070 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 48.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $51,716 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AverageMorehead City's violent crime rate is 361.4 per 100,000 residents — 5% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Morehead City is served primarily by Carteret County Public Schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.7:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Morehead City, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Carteret County Public Schools | — |
| Elementary Schools | 9 | — |
| Middle Schools | 4 | — |
| High Schools | 4 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 37.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 91.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Morehead City sees average highs of 55.2°F in January and 85.8°F in July, with 58.5 inches of annual precipitation and 0.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Morehead City, NC |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 55.2°F |
| Average High — July | 85.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 58.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Morehead City, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,632 | — |
| Median Age | 46.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 19.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 82.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 6.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 17.4% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 23.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Morehead City
Morehead City, NC is covered by 1 ZIP code: