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Is New Bern, NC a Good Place to Live?
New Bern is a small city of 31,373 in North Carolina, with a median household income of $55,673 and a 4.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 90 (US average = 100), which is 10% below the national average.
Strengths: New Bern stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether New Bern is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All New Bern 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: 89.9New Bern's overall cost of living index is 89.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in New Bern costs roughly 10% less than the average American city.
| Metric | New Bern, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $202,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,019 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 58.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $55,673 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageNew Bern's violent crime rate is 362.5 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
New Bern is served primarily by Craven County Board of Education. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17.6:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | New Bern, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Craven County Board of Education | — |
| Elementary Schools | 15 | — |
| Middle Schools | 5 | — |
| High Schools | 5 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 17.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 28.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
New Bern sees average highs of 55.1°F in January and 89.6°F in July, with 57.4 inches of annual precipitation and 1.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | New Bern, NC |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 55.1°F |
| Average High — July | 89.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 57.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | New Bern, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,373 | — |
| Median Age | 40.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 18.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 56.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 30.8% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 5.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 23.4% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in New Bern
New Bern, NC is covered by 2 ZIP codes: