Morehead, NC housing market
The typical Morehead home is worth about $416,000, up 1.6% in a year, 24% above the North Carolina typical home. Homes typically sell in 70 days, close to asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Morehead compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Morehead at a glance
A balanced market
About 4.9 months of supply: neither buyers nor sellers have a clear edge.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Morehead | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $236,000 | $179,000 |
| 2018 | $242,000 | $190,000 |
| 2019 | $248,000 | $203,000 |
| 2020 | $261,000 | $215,000 |
| 2021 | $287,000 | $242,000 |
| 2022 | $338,000 | $287,000 |
| 2023 | $383,000 | $320,000 |
| 2024 | $406,000 | $332,000 |
| 2025 | $414,000 | $338,000 |
| 2026 | $413,000 | $336,000 |
| August 2026 | $416,000 | $335,000 |
52 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 52 new homes in Morehead in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $42.2 million to build. That's 5.3 per 1,000 residents, slower than across North Carolina (11). Over the past 10 years, Morehead has permitted 1,234 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Morehead gained 895 residents while 906 new homes were permitted: about 1 new resident per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. 16% of Morehead's homes are seasonal or vacation homes, which adds housing without adding residents. Across North Carolina: 1.7 new residents per new home.
How Morehead ranks on housing keeping up with growth →
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 49 | 49 | 0 | $29.3 million |
| 2025 | 52 | 52 | 0 | $42.2 million |
| 2024 | 408 | 48 | 360 | $78.9 million |
| 2023 | 65 | 65 | 0 | $34.9 million |
| 2022 | 73 | 73 | 0 | $37.6 million |
| 2021 | 125 | 122 | 3 | $40.6 million |
| 2020 | 75 | 49 | 26 | $23.9 million |
| 2019 | 97 | 52 | 45 | $16.7 million |
| 2018 | 53 | 53 | 0 | $14.5 million |
| 2017 | 225 | 57 | 168 | $24.8 million |
| 2016 | 61 | 61 | 0 | $17.5 million |
| 2015 | 94 | 60 | 34 | $18.5 million |
| 2014 | 60 | 55 | 5 | $15.4 million |
| 2013 | 40 | 40 | 0 | $9.9 million |
| 2012 | 31 | 24 | 7 | $7 million |
| 2011 | 198 | 28 | 170 | $18 million |
| 2010 | 47 | 42 | 5 | $8.3 million |
| 2009 | 31 | 23 | 8 | $6.2 million |
| 2008 | 66 | 46 | 20 | $11.8 million |
| 2007 | 93 | 85 | 8 | $26.8 million |
| 2006 | 184 | 112 | 72 | $31.5 million |
| 2005 | 315 | 194 | 121 | $71.3 million |
| 2004 | 260 | 145 | 115 | $38.1 million |
| 2003 | 229 | 133 | 96 | $37.5 million |
| 2002 | 159 | 105 | 54 | $27.4 million |
| 2001 | 92 | 71 | 21 | $14.8 million |
| 2000 | 81 | 77 | 4 | $17.3 million |
How Morehead ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Morehead and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morehead | $416K | +1.6% | $1,260 | 52 | $56,233 |
| Brandywine Bay | — | +8.6%† | $1,270 | — | $105,000 |
| Beaufort | $424K | +4% | $1,100 | 129 | $53,321 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
7.4 years of income
The typical Morehead home costs about 7.4 years of the town's median household income, more than across North Carolina (4.6 years).
How Morehead ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,260
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Morehead is $1,260 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Morehead pay a median of $1,134, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 27% of the town's median household income.
Studio $950 · 4 bedrooms $2,060
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (28516, 28557, 28570; Carteret County, NC), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Morehead
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.