Carteret County, NC Average Home Price (2026)
The average home price in Carteret County, North Carolina is about $343,000 (the 2026 median across 15 ZIP codes, at ~$243/sq ft) — 20% more expensive than the North Carolina median and 19% more expensive than the typical U.S. home.
How Carteret County compares
Carteret County is about average for housing nationally: its typical home costs $343,000 against $287,000 for North Carolina and $289,000 for the U.S. Within the county, ZIP-level values run from about $185,000 to $761,000.
| Area | Typical value | $ / sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Carteret County | $343,000 | $243 |
| North Carolina | $287,000 | $203 |
| United States | $289,000 | $193 |
Carteret County home prices by ZIP code
The 15 most valuable ZIP codes in Carteret County (of 15 with data):
| ZIP code | Typical value | $ / sq ft | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28594 Emerald Isle | $761,000 | $537 | +122% |
| 28512 Harkers Island | $610,000 | $452 | +78% |
| 28516 Beaufort | $417,000 | $283 | +22% |
| 28557 Morehead City | $415,000 | $242 | +21% |
| 28531 Harkers Island | $404,000 | $312 | +18% |
| 28584 Peletier | $401,000 | $259 | +17% |
| 28528 Gloucester | $343,000 | $181 | +0% |
| 28570 Newport | $343,000 | $243 | +0% |
| 28520 Cedar Island | $288,000 | $222 | -16% |
| 28579 Smyrna | $287,000 | $242 | -16% |
| 28553 Marshallberg | $269,000 | $210 | -22% |
| 28581 Stacy | $251,000 | $308 | -27% |
| 28511 Atlantic | $229,000 | $214 | -33% |
| 28524 Davis | $227,000 | $250 | -34% |
| 28577 Sealevel | $185,000 | $206 | -46% |
Home value appreciation in Carteret County
Home prices in Carteret County have risen about 112% over the last 10 years (≈7.8% a year) and +115.3% over 20 years, according to the FHFA house price index through 2025. The most recent year came in at +9.5% — still rising. A home worth $343,000 today was worth roughly $161,792 ten years ago.
See where that trend takes a specific home with the home appreciation calculator — statewide, North Carolina is +106.6% over the same 10 years. Past appreciation is a track record, not a forecast; local prices can fall.
Calculators for Carteret County
Run the numbers for Carteret County with the local rates already filled in — change any input to test your own situation.
Salary needed to buy a home in Carteret County
To buy the typical $343,000 home in Carteret County with 20% down, you need a household income of roughly $93,000 a year (about $2,180 a month for the mortgage, taxes, and insurance). With 10% down the bar rises to about $111,000, because the loan is bigger and mortgage insurance kicks in.
| Down payment | Cash down | Monthly payment | Income needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% (+PMI) | $17,200 | $2,710/mo | $116,000/yr |
| 10% (+PMI) | $34,300 | $2,590/mo | $111,000/yr |
| 20% | $68,600 | $2,180/mo | $93,000/yr |
Assumes a 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.5%, property tax at 1.1% and insurance at 0.45% of value per year, PMI of 0.75% on loans with less than 20% down, and the standard 28% housing-to-income rule. Your rate, taxes, and HOA will move these — run your own numbers in the mortgage calculator.
What your budget buys in Carteret County
At about $243 per square foot, here is roughly how much home different budgets get you in Carteret County:
| Budget | Approx. size | What that looks like locally |
|---|---|---|
| $200k | 820 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $250k | 1030 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $300k | 1230 sq ft | around the typical home here |
| $400k | 1650 sq ft | around the typical home here |
| $500k | 2060 sq ft | above the median — larger homes or the pricier ZIPs |
Wondering where that budget goes further? The relocation calculator ranks hundreds of U.S. cities by what the same money buys — it opens filtered to North Carolina.
Estimate a specific home in Carteret County
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Carteret County home prices: frequently asked
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Browse all North Carolina cities and counties, or look up price per square foot by ZIP code nationwide.
Directional estimates from public market data (Realtor.com & Zillow research; FHFA house price index; Census ZIP-to-county relationships), not appraisals.