City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Emerald Isle, NC

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Emerald Isle - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

3,915
Residents
$89,432
Median income
$563,600
Median home
$1,184
Median rent (state)

Emerald Isle - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Emerald Isle lands in the 70th percentile for household income and the 28th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

70th
percentile, household income
88th
percentile, home value
35th
percentile, median rent
28th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Emerald Isle, NC

Emerald Isle is a small town in North Carolina, home to 3,915 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Emerald Isle households earn a median of $89,432 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 2.8%. Home values in Emerald Isle run a median of $563,600, and the median resident age is 58.7 years. 52.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 42.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 0 residential units were authorized in 2024 (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2196.1 crimes per 100,000 residents, near the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, North Carolina scores 94.3 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,184 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in North Carolina run around $215, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 93.6 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

3,915 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$89,432 /yr

Poverty 2.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Emerald Isle compare to other US cities?

Emerald Isle measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 70% higher than other cities
Home value 88% pricier than other cities
Median rent 35% pricier than other cities
Safety 28% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to North Carolina alone, Emerald Isle ranks #86 of 195 North Carolina cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Emerald Isle's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in North Carolina, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

70thIncome percentile
28thSafety percentile

70th percentile nationally for median household income · 28th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Emerald Isle's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Emerald Isle's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 46 Avg. percentile National median
Emerald Isle's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Emerald Isle's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$563,600 12th percentile more affordable than 12% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Emerald Isle $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Emerald Isle, NC Emerald Isle, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Emerald Isle, NC-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Emerald Isle, NC median $89,432/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Emerald Isle, NC's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Emerald Isle, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 52.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 42.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
3,915
Median Income
$89,432
Median Home Value
$563,600
Median Age
58.7
Poverty Rate
2.8%
Labor force participation
42.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
52.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2196.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
149.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2046.4
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
3,800 residents3,850 residents3,900 residents3,950 residents4,000 residents4,050 residents 202020212022202320242025 3,846 residents 3,970 residents ▲ +3.2%
Emerald Isle's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 26
2020 71
2021 87
2022 41
2023 0

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2023.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
70.8%
Carpool
2.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.3%
Work from Home
22.8%
Other
1.2%

Based on 1,522 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for North Carolina - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$215
estimated/month

Estimates reflect North Carolina state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a North Carolina state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Emerald Isle sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,184/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
93.6 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Bethlehem
3,928 people
Swansboro
3,887 people
Skippers Corner
3,834 people
Dana
3,824 people
Stanley
4,014 people
Troutman
3,813 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Emerald Isle's 3,915 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Centerville, MN
3,915 people
Dupo, IL
3,914 people
Montpelier, OH
3,916 people
Lancaster, WI
3,916 people
Citronelle, AL
3,918 people
Brown Station, MD
3,918 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Emerald Isle's $89,432 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Carnuel, NM
$89,432 median income
Kapaa, HI
$89,440 median income
De Soto, WI
$89,440 median income
Fresno, TX
$89,442 median income
Lakeland, NY
$89,405 median income
Goldsmith, TX
$89,464 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Emerald Isle, NC Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Emerald Isle, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 93.2% 6.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.2% White 93.2% Black or African American 0.3% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 6.4% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Emerald Isle compares to nearby North Carolina cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Emerald Isle (this city) 3,915 $89,432
Bethlehem 3,928 $78,963
Swansboro 3,887 $112,382
Skippers Corner 3,834 $67,469
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC FBI UCR Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Emerald Isle, NC?

What is the population of Emerald Isle, NC? +

Emerald Isle, NC has a population of 3,915 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Emerald Isle, NC? +

In Emerald Isle, the typical household earns $89,432 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Emerald Isle? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Emerald Isle; the closest available measure is the North Carolina state average, a cost of living index of 94.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within North Carolina vary by metro area.

Is Emerald Isle, NC safe? +

Emerald Isle has a total crime rate of 2196.1 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Emerald Isle, NC? +

Emerald Isle's median home value sits at $563,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.