What is the rental vacancy rate in Morehead City, NC?

Name: Vacancy rate in Morehead City, NC, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in Morehead City, NC is 1.7% (±1.7 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 0.8% (±1.2 points).

1,280 (±201) homes, 19.8% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Morehead City, the rental vacancy rate went from 3.8% in 2015–2019 to 1.7% in 2020–2024 (−2.1 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 1.7% (±1.7 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 0.8% (±1.2 points)
Vacant homes: 1,280 (±201)

Vacancy in Morehead City against Carteret County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Morehead City	Carteret County	North Carolina	United States
Rental vacancy rate	1.7% (±1.7 points)	2.1% (±1.3 points)	7.1% (±0.2 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.8% (±1.2 points)	1.2% (±0.6 points)	1.3% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	1,280 (±201)	20,204 (±564)	613,323 (±9,483)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Morehead City, the rental vacancy rate is not measurably different from Carteret County (2.1%).

It is also lower than in North Carolina (7.1%).

It is lower than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Morehead City

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Morehead City
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Morehead City	—	1.7% (±1.7 points)	—
Atlantic Beach	1.8 mi	4.7% (±4.3 points)	Not measurably different
Beaufort	5.0 mi	2.8% (±4.4 points)	Not measurably different
Brandywine Bay	5.2 mi	0.0% (±41.4 points)	Not measurably different
Pine Knoll Shores	5.7 mi	0.0% (±97.9 points)	Not measurably different
Newport	8.5 mi	0.0% (±6.4 points)	Not measurably different
Broad Creek	10 mi	0.0% (±28.1 points)	Not measurably different
Harkers Island	11 mi	0.0% (±48.4 points)	Not measurably different
Cherry Branch	15 mi	8.8% (±20.6 points)	Not measurably different

None of the nearby places differs measurably from this one on this figure.

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across Carteret County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
1	Emerald Isle	10.1% (±10.3 points)
2	Atlantic Beach	4.7% (±4.3 points)
3	Beaufort	2.8% (±4.4 points)
4	Morehead City	1.7% (±1.7 points)
5 (tie)	Bogue	0.0% (±55.0 points)
5 (tie)	Brandywine Bay	0.0% (±41.4 points)
5 (tie)	Broad Creek	0.0% (±28.1 points)
5 (tie)	Cape Carteret	0.0% (±16.5 points)
5 (tie)	Cedar Point	0.0% (±33.1 points)
5 (tie)	Harkers Island	0.0% (±48.4 points)

Showing 10 of 13 places in Carteret County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Morehead City

Is it hard to find a rental in Morehead City?

The rental vacancy rate in Morehead City, NC is 1.7% (±1.7 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Morehead City tighter than it was?

In Morehead City, the rental vacancy rate went from 3.8% in 2015–2019 to 1.7% in 2020–2024 (−2.1 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How many homes are vacant in Morehead City?

An estimated 1,280 (±201) housing units, 19.8% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Morehead City town, North Carolina (place:44320, in state:37).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.