Cost of living in Morehead City research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Morehead City is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in North Carolina, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Morehead City is 106, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Morehead City is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Morehead City ranks as the #102 cheapest in North Carolina out of 157.
Morehead City ranks as the #3,278 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Morehead City is $408,171.
The median income in Morehead City is $53,718.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Morehead City has an overall cost of living index of 106, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Carolina, Morehead City has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than North Carolina's index of 92.
The standard of living in Morehead City ranks as #102 most affordable out of the 157 places we measured in North Carolina. By definition, that implies Morehead City ranks as the #55 most expensive place in the Tar Heel State.
For more reading on life in Morehead City, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Morehead City. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Morehead City is 98.
The Groceries index in Morehead City is 98.
The Health index in Morehead City is 111.
The Housing index in Morehead City is 127.
The Transportation index in Morehead City is 95.
The Utilities index in Morehead City is 100.
| Living Expense | Morehead City | North Carolina | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 106 | 92 | 100 | |
| Services | 98 | 100 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 111 | 106 | 100 | |
| Housing | 127 | 86 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 95 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 100 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in North Carolina, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Morehead City is $408,171.
The Median Rent in Morehead City is $1,122.
The Median Income in Morehead City is $53,718.
The Home Value To Income in Morehead City is 7.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Morehead City is 0.25x.
| Statistic | Morehead City | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $408,171 | $332,681 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,122 | $1,162 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $53,718 | $69,904 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.6x | 4.8x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.25x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Morehead City | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.09 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $10.27 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $11.0 | $18 |
| Haircut | $19.0 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $29.58 | $45.56 |
| Item | Morehead City | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.93 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.59 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.57 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.18 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.47 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.29 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.65 | $3.7 |
| Item | Morehead City | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $141.56 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $136.38 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $100.17 | $113.29 |
| Item | Morehead City | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.45 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $63.55 | $59.92 |
| Item | Morehead City | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $201.14 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.32 | $192.25 |