Carteret County, NC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 34.86, -76.54.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 91st pct · 252nd of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 93rd pct · 7th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
- 52nd pct · 1,470th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 71st pct · 29th of 100 North Carolina counties · median +1.1%
- 72nd pct · 392nd of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 79th pct · 14th of 63 North Carolina counties · median $1,573
- 75th pct · 803rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 62nd pct · 38th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
- 25th pct · 2,396th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 24th pct · 76th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $984
- 96th pct · 95th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 96th pct · 4th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 5.0
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $471,324 (Aug 2026), +3.1% over one year, +31.6% over five
- 91st pct · 252nd of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 93rd pct · 7th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Carteret County, NC | $471,324 · +3.1% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $1,773/mo (Aug 2026), +4.5% over one year; price-to-rent 22.1
- 72nd pct · 392nd of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 79th pct · 14th of 63 North Carolina counties · median $1,573
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Carteret County, NC | $1,773/mo · +4.5% 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $2,580 a month on $471,324 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,034 a month: 63.9% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $471,324 × 80% = $377,060, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $2,580/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $931 × 52 / 12 = $4,034) = 64% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $471,324 / ($931 × 52) = 9.7
- price-to-rent = $471,324 / ($1,773 × 12) = 22.1
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
24,874 jobs at 2,776 employers (2026 Q1); -0.3% jobs and +3.4% average weekly wage over the year
- 75th pct · 803rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 62nd pct · 38th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Carteret County, NC | 24,874 jobs · $931/wk · -0.3% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 4,544 | $457 | 2.03 | +5.0% |
| Retail trade | 4,244 | $682 | 1.75 | -0.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,108 | $1,262 | 0.56 | -8.5% |
| Construction | 1,655 | $1,011 | 1.27 | +0.9% |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,050 | $835 | 0.74 | -16.7% |
| Professional and technical services | 1,005 | $1,700 | 0.59 | -9.0% |
| Other services | 932 | $740 | 1.25 | +2.0% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 838 | $596 | 2.05 | +7.6% |
| Real estate and rental | 518 | $1,001 | 1.36 | +0.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 447 | $2,146 | 0.44 | -1.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 392 | $1,987 | 0.41 | -9.0% |
| Educational services | 345 | $855 | 0.64 | -0.3% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
D0 abnormally dry
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
2 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 2, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| LAKE MATTAMUSKEET W OF NC HWY 94 NR FAIRFIELD, NC | 1.89 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 76 km |
| LAKE MATTAMUSKEET E OF NC HWY 94 NR FAIRFIELD, NC | 1.80 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 79 km |
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
30 gauges · 0 flooding · 0 with quality panels · 3 stale
Sites found: 30, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Ward Creek at Otway (in MLLW) | no flooding | 9 km |
| Atlantic Coast at Beaufort Marine Lab (in MLLW) | no flooding | 20 km |
| Neuse River at Oriental (in MLLW) | no flooding | 23 km |
| Neuse River at Cherry Branch Ferry Terminal | no readings | 27 km |
| Pamlico Sound at Cedar Island (in MLLW) | no flooding | 27 km |
| Cape Lookout Bight at Cape Lookout | out of service | 27 km |
| Newport River at Newport (in MLLW) | no flooding | 31 km |
| Slocum Creek at Havelock (in MLLW) | no readings | 35 km |
| Bay River at Bayboro (in MLLW) | ACTION stage | 38 km |
| Pamlico Sound near Hobucken (in MLLW) | ACTION stage | 43 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
4 wells in 2 named aquifers: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system, Castle Hayne aquifer
Sites found: 4, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Castle Hayne aquifer | depth 9.67 ft · 2005-06-02 | 25 km |
| Castle Hayne aquifer | depth 13.0 ft · 2011-02-22 | 72 km |
| Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system | depth 26.8 ft · 2011-02-22 | 74 km |
| Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system | depth 11.7 ft · 2011-02-22 | 74 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 / 0.35
Banks & federal dollars #
$1.8 bn in deposits at 18 offices of 9 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 2,141, highly concentrated. $652.7 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $629.2 m, contracts $19.4 m), $26,240 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $584.8 m · 33.2% share · 5 offices | |
| Truist Bank | $443.3 m · 25.2% share · 4 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $288.4 m · 16.4% share · 2 offices | |
| Carteret, NC | $652.7 m FY2026 · $26,240/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $620.3 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $584,770,000 | 33.2% | 5 |
| Truist Bank | $443,282,000 | 25.2% | 4 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $288,380,000 | 16.4% | 2 |
| First Bank | $125,421,000 | 7.1% | 2 |
| TowneBank | $95,213,000 | 5.4% | 1 |
| Providence Bank | $78,126,000 | 4.4% | 1 |
| United Bank | $70,327,000 | 4.0% | 1 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $68,603,000 | 3.9% | 1 |
| Woodforest National Bank | $4,649,000 | 0.3% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 2,141 across 9 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 9 banks with deposits in the county = 33.2² + 25.2² + 16.4² + … (6 more) = 2,141
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $505,001,732 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $115,247,556 |
| Department of Defense | $9,592,549 |
| Department of Education | $4,709,280 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $4,541,308 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $3,767,416 |
| Department of Commerce | $2,914,051 |
| Department of Transportation | $2,064,107 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,549,562 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $1,023,493 |
| Department of Agriculture | $855,495 |
| Department of Justice | $735,817 |
That is $26,240 per covered job, against 24,874 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $652.7 m / 24,874 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $26,240
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 12.69 | 2026-10-05 | +3.3% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.60 | 2026-10-06 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 6.00 | 2026-09-22 | -14.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 6,830.00 | 2026-08-01 | +7.4% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 96.16 | 2026-09-29 | -3.2% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.28 | 2026-10-01 | +3.6% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 646,347.00 | 2026-08-01 | +1.1% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Carteret County, NC: 10 findings, 2 at a watch level and 8 noted
watchCarteret County, NC's years of wages of 9.7 ranks 95th of 3,063 US counties, a watch level here: years of wages in the top tenth of US counties (position among the counties that published both a ZHVI value and a QCEW average weekly wage; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- test: yearsOfWages percentile = 96.93011103853691 >= 90
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
position among the counties that published both a ZHVI value and a QCEW average weekly wage; not an official level
watchCarteret County, NC's covered employment is -0.3% against a year earlier, a watch level here: covered employment below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -0.3 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
noteCarteret County, NC's average weekly wage was 3.4% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +3.4 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteCarteret County, NC's typical asking rent rose 2.0% from $1,739 in July 2026 to $1,773 in August 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +2.0% = (1773.4346978557505 - 1738.8338160345743) / 1738.8338160345743 × 100
- 1773.4346978557505 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
- 1738.8338160345743 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-07
noteCarteret County, NC's covered employment was 0.3% lower than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- -0.3 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
Read all 10 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.