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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Emerald Isle, NC Real Estate Market

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:
  • Home Values, Rents: Reflects Q2 2024. Updated quarterly.
  • Setting, Housing Stock, Homeownership: 2022 (latest available). Updated annually.

Methodology:   NeighborhoodScout uses over 600 characteristics to build a neighborhood profile… Read more about Scout's Real Estate Data

Emerald Isle, NC Housing Market Trends

With a population of 3,939, 1,751 total housing units (homes and apartments), and a median house value of $811,634, Emerald Isle house prices are not only among the most expensive in North Carolina, Emerald Isle real estate also is some of the most expensive in all of America.

Single-family detached homes are the single most common housing type in Emerald Isle, accounting for 58.82% of the town's housing units. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Emerald Isle include row houses and other attached homes ( 13.50%), mobile homes or trailers ( 13.18%), and a few large apartment complexes or high rise apartments ( 11.62%).

Owner-occupied, three and four bedroom dwellings, primarily in single-family detached homes are the most prevalent type of housing you will see in Emerald Isle. Owner-occupied housing accounts for 84.47% of Emerald Isle's homes, and 72.34% have either three or four bedrooms, which is average sized relative to America.

There is a lot of housing in Emerald Isle built from 1970 to 1999 so parts of town may have that "Brady Bunch" look of homes popular in the '70s and early '80s, although some of these houses were built up through the early '90s as well. There is also a lot of housing in Emerald Isle built between 2000 and later ( 22.18%). A lesser amount of the housing stock also hails from between 1940-1969 ( 3.40%).

A decent proportion of the Emerald Isle housing stock is seasonally occupied. That is, homes and condos in Emerald Isle are occupied by people for a portion of the year - mainly for vacation purposes - and then locked up and left unoccupied for the remainder of the year as owners return to their primary residences. This characteristic of the Emerald Isle housing market speaks to its popularity as a vacation location of choice.

Emerald Isle Home Appreciation Rates

In the last 10 years, Emerald Isle has experienced some of the highest home appreciation rates of any community in the nation. Emerald Isle real estate appreciated 143.12% over the last ten years, which is an average annual home appreciation rate of 9.29%, putting Emerald Isle in the top 10% nationally for real estate appreciation. If you are a home buyer or real estate investor, Emerald Isle definitely has a track record of being one of the best long term real estate investments in America through the last ten years.

Appreciation rates are so strong in Emerald Isle that despite a nationwide downturn in the housing market, Emerald Isle real estate has continued to appreciate in value faster than most communities. Looking at just the latest twelve months, Emerald Isle appreciation rates continue to be some of the highest in America, at 14.77%, which is higher than appreciation rates in 97.34% of the cities and towns in the nation. Based on the last twelve months, short-term real estate investors have found good fortune in Emerald Isle. Emerald Isle appreciation rates in the latest quarter were at 1.46%, which equates to an annual appreciation rate of 5.95%.

Relative to North Carolina, our data show that Emerald Isle's latest annual appreciation rate is higher than 90% of the other cities and towns in North Carolina.

Average Home Values

Median Home Value

$811,634

Emerald Isle, NC Home Prices
> $1,710,000
$1,282,001 - $1,710,000
$855,001 - $1,282,000
$684,001 - $855,000
$513,001 - $684,000
$342,001 - $513,000
$171,001 - $342,000
$85,001 - $171,000
$0 - $85,000
10.1%
10.1%
17.2%
17.2%
19.2%
19.2%
15.1%
15.1%
14.9%
14.9%
7.1%
7.1%
9.9%
9.9%
5.4%
5.4%
1.0%
1.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes
Very High

for North carolina

Very High

for nation

Number of Homes And Apartments:

1,751

Emerald Isle Appreciation Rates

Rent & Ownership

Average Market Rent:

$2,396 / per month

Homeownership Rate

Owners
Renters
84.5%
84.5%
15.5%
15.5%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Vacancy Rate

Vacant
Occupied
74.0%
74.0%
26.0%
26.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Housing Market Details

Age of Homes

2000 or Newer
1970 - 1999
1940 - 1969
1939 or Older
22.2%
22.2%
74.4%
74.4%
3.4%
3.4%
0.0%
0.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Types of Homes

Single-Family
Townhomes
Small Apt. Buildings
Apt. Complexes
Mobile Homes
Other
58.8%
58.8%
13.5%
13.5%
2.8%
2.8%
11.6%
11.6%
13.2%
13.2%
0.1%
0.1%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Home Size

No Bedroom
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 or more bedrooms
1.6%
1.6%
3.4%
3.4%
13.7%
13.7%
48.0%
48.0%
24.4%
24.4%
8.9%
8.9%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Popular Neighborhoods in Emerald Isle

Zip Codes in Emerald Isle, NC