HomeNorth CarolinaCarteret County
Carteret County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Carteret County, North Carolina has a population of 69,148 across 506 square miles, up 3.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $3.74 bn in 2024, 2,249 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 60 7(a) approvals worth $38.3 m.
128 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
Carteret County
How many people live in Carteret County
- Population69,148
- Households31,977
- Average household size2.16
- Median household income$72,322
- Median age50.5
- Median gross rent$1,108 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$333,300
- Home value to household income4.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over53,254
- Population under 1811,651
- Share under 1816.8 percent
- Population 65 and over18,665
- Share 65 and over27.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6438,832
- Civilian labor force31,878
- Unemployment rate4.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.4 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties39th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents793rd
Carteret County is the 39th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 4.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 27.0 percent against 16.8 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Carteret County
Is Carteret County's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.80 percent
- Census 2020 base population67,687
- Births, 2024483
- Deaths, 20241,022
- Natural change, 2024-539
- Net domestic migration, 2024937
- Net international migration, 2024151
- Total net migration, 20241,088
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20244,385
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents728th
The county has grown 3.80 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Carteret County
Where are people moving to Carteret County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,509
- People arriving, from those returns4,614
- Adjusted gross income arriving$336.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$133,945
- Largest single originCarteret County Non-migrants (26,525 households)
- Largest single destination (26,525 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carteret County Non-migrants | 26,525 | 51,071 | $2.40 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,026 | 1,931 | $98.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 529 | 1,017 | $56.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 329 | 591 | $51.9 m |
| Craven County | 243 | 450 | $13.8 m |
| Wake County | 236 | 455 | $43.5 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 234 | 416 | $19.8 m |
| Onslow County | 204 | 389 | $11.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Carteret County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Carteret County
What is the Carteret County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$3.74 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.49 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.1 percent
- GDP change over five years47.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties36th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents856th
- GDP per resident$54,078
Output grew 7.1 percent in the latest year and 47.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Carteret County
Largest employers in Carteret County
- Covered employment, annual average25,022
- Establishments reporting2,721
- Average annual pay$45,708
- Average weekly wage$879
- Sector 72, employment4,617
- Sector 72, average annual pay$25,243
- Sector 44-45, employment4,343
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,967
- Sector 62, employment2,303
- Sector 62, average annual pay$59,778
- Sector 23, employment1,627
- Sector 23, average annual pay$52,230
- Sector 56, employment1,222
- Sector 54, employment961
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 4,617 | 290 | $25,243 |
| Sector 44-45 | 4,343 | 380 | $33,967 |
| Sector 62 | 2,303 | 261 | $59,778 |
| Sector 23 | 1,627 | 360 | $52,230 |
| Sector 56 | 1,222 | 178 | $39,697 |
| Sector 54 | 961 | 294 | $82,218 |
| Sector 81 | 930 | 234 | $36,025 |
| Sector 31-33 | 883 | 57 | $50,007 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 4,617 jobs, 18.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Carteret County
How many businesses are in Carteret County?
- Establishments, all industries2,249
- Employment at those establishments21,789
- Annual payroll$932.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents32.5
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Carteret County
Building permits in Carteret County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024935
- Declared construction value permitted$279.4 m
- Single family units authorised559
- Multifamily units authorised376
- Multifamily share of units40.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$298,796
- Units authorised per 1,000 households29.2
Multifamily is 40.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Carteret County
SBA loans in Carteret County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded60
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$38.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$637,838
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$28,600
- 90th percentile approval$1,790,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)478
- Jobs per approval8.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active28
- Distinct industries receiving approvals41
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer31.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms19
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter39
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals3.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (4)
- Most active lenderNortheast Bank (8)
- 504 approvals recorded13
- 504 gross approval dollars$13.1 m
- Average 504 approval$1,009,308
- Median 504 approval$568,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval15.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.9
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (9)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals82.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$51.4 m
The average approval of $637,838 sits well above the median of $350,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 31.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Carteret County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Carteret County
Do SBA loans in Carteret County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded12
- Paid in full12
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure37
- Status: Paid in full12
- Status: Cancelled10
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Carteret County
SBA lending by place in Carteret County
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- MOREHEAD CITY, approvals20
- NEWPORT, approvals20
- BEAUFORT, approvals12
- CAPE CARTERET, approvals3
- ATLANTIC BEACH, approvals2
- STELLA, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| MOREHEAD CITY | 20 | $10,678,500 |
| NEWPORT | 20 | $10,649,700 |
| BEAUFORT | 12 | $8,760,200 |
| CAPE CARTERET | 3 | $4,681,500 |
| ATLANTIC BEACH | 2 | $2,630,400 |
| STELLA | 1 | $15,000 |
| Bogue | 1 | $180,000 |
| CEDAR POINT | 1 | $675,000 |
MOREHEAD CITY accounts for 20 approvals against 20 in NEWPORT. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Carteret County
How large is Carteret County?
- Land area506 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties42nd of 100
- Width, east to west64.1 mi
- Height, north to south33.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land137
- Establishments per square mile4.44
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Carteret County
Flood risk in Carteret County
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book12
- Of those, participating in the NFIP12
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class9
- Radon levels in Carteret County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The EPA places Carteret County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class in Carteret County is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Carteret County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Carteret County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population69,148
- Households31,977
- Average household size2.16
- Median household income$72,322
- Median age50.5
Common questions
Carteret County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Carteret County, North Carolina?
69,148, in 31,977 households, ranking 39th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Carteret County's population growing?
The population has grown 3.80 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 483 births against 1,022 deaths, with net migration of 1,088. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Carteret County?
$72,322. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $333,300, which is 4.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,108 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Carteret County?
2,249 establishments, employing 21,789 people with an annual payroll of $932.4 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Carteret County?
Average annual pay is $45,708, or $879 a week, across 25,022 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Carteret County?
60 7(a) approvals totalling $38.3 m since FY2020, across 28 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 13 504 approvals worth $13.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Carteret County get paid back?
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 12 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Carteret County?
935 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $279.4 m. Multifamily was 40.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Carteret County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Carteret County come from?
The largest single origin is Carteret County Non-migrants, with 26,525 households. Arriving households report an average income of $133,945 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Carteret County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Carteret County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.
Carteret County
Cities and places in Carteret.
18 Census places lie wholly or partly in Carteret County. 18 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA approvals | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morehead City | town | 9,806 | 20 | Wholly in this county |
| Beaufort | town | 4,689 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Newport | town | 4,441 | 20 | Wholly in this county |
| Emerald Isle | town | 3,934 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cape Carteret | town | 2,703 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Cedar Point | town | 1,917 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Broad Creek | CDP | 1,836 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Atlantic Beach | town | 1,719 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Knoll Shores | town | 1,351 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Brandywine Bay | CDP | 1,313 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Harkers Island | CDP | 1,060 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Peletier | town | 1,009 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Bogue | town | 756 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Atlantic | CDP | 522 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Marshallberg | CDP | 398 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gloucester | CDP | 385 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Davis | CDP | 261 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Indian Beach | town | 211 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 26 SBA approvals in Carteret County are recorded against borrower cities that match no Census place, the largest being Morehead City, Stella. Those are postal cities and unincorporated areas rather than incorporated places, so no page claims them, and their lending is counted in this county's totals above rather than under any city.