States › North Carolina › Morehead City

Is Morehead City, NC expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 24 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,19332% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$60,647about $5,054/month · 30% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$357,4007% higher than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 76% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 5.9 years of household income. Commutes are short, about 18.1 minutes.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $47,720 a year. That is $23 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other North Carolina cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of North Carolina. It is number 50 of 164 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Morehead City
$1,193
Washington
$901
Hillsborough
$1,953
Lake Norman of Catawba
$1,310
Gibsonville
$1,088
St. Stephens
$1,008
Hampstead
$1,279

How much do households earn in Morehead City?

Under $25k
19.9%
$25k–50k
25.1%
$50k–100k
29.0%
$100k–150k
10.4%
$150k+
8.4%

Share of households by yearly income. 18.8% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Morehead City

SizeMorehead CityU.S. average
Studio$862$1,338
1 bedroom$907$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,176$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,216$1,698
4 bedrooms$2,164$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Morehead City overall?

Everyday prices in North Carolina overall are 6% below the U.S. average (index 94.3, U.S. = 100).

Housing
81
Goods (food, clothes…)
97
Utilities
89
Other services
98
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Morehead City, so the North Carolina figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Morehead City

🏛️ Property tax$1,678a year · 0.47% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$154a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Morehead City

Commute to work18.1 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree35.6%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home46.7%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line18.1%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment2%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Morehead City?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $1,287 a month less.

Renting
$1,193
Owning
$2,480

Owning assumes a typical $357,400 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $35,740 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Morehead City, NC?

Renting in Morehead City costs a median of about $1,193 a month in 2026, including utilities. The North Carolina median is $1,496.

How much do I need to make to live in Morehead City?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $47,720 a year, or $23 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Morehead City cheap or expensive?

Morehead City is rated OK: rent takes 23.6% of the typical household income of $60,647. It ranks 50th cheapest of 164 North Carolina cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Morehead City?

The median homeowner in Morehead City pays $1,678 a year in property taxes, about 0.47% of the median home value.

Is Morehead City more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in North Carolina are 6% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Morehead City?

The median home value in Morehead City is $357,400, about 5.9 times the typical yearly household income.

9,806 people live in Morehead City. Numbers are typical (middle) values.