Carteret County, North Carolina Eviction Risk: Low

Carteret County earns an average eviction-risk score of 3.6/10 (Low) across its 17 cities, placing it at rank 86 of 100 North Carolina counties, where rank 1 is the highest-risk county. That means 85 counties in the state carry more landlord risk than Carteret, and only 14 are more landlord-friendly. For investors weighing coastal North Carolina, that positions Carteret County in the lower-risk third of the state, a favorable baseline compared with most of the market. Average rents run $1,222 per month, and the county's poverty rate sits at 10.4%, both figures that contribute to a relatively contained eviction pressure environment.

The intra-county spread tells a more nuanced story. Scores range from 2.8 at the low end to 4.6 at the high end, a gap of 1.8 points that matters considerably when you are choosing which submarket to enter. A landlord buying in the lowest-risk pocket of Carteret County operates in materially different conditions than one acquiring in the highest-risk city, even though both properties share the same county mailing address and state statutes. Renter share county-wide averages 33.2%, and rent burden sits at 35.2%, signaling that a notable share of tenants are stretched, which is the foundational driver of eviction risk wherever it appears.

The cities inside Carteret County

Newport carries the highest eviction-risk score in the county at 4.6/10, with a population of 4,441, making it the most concentrated pocket of landlord exposure in the area. Bogue follows at 4.2/10, and Broad Creek reaches 4/10 with a population of 1,836. These three inland and near-inland communities account for the top of the risk curve and should prompt tighter tenant screening and reserves planning for landlords active there.

By contrast, the county's largest city, Morehead City, scores a more favorable 3/10 despite its population of 9,806. Pine Knoll Shores comes in at 3.2/10, and both Emerald Isle and Cape Carteret register 3.5/10. Beaufort, with a population of 4,689, sits in the middle at 3.9/10. The takeaway for investors is that risk in Carteret County is hyper-local: two properties five miles apart can sit at opposite ends of a 1.8-point scoring spread.

State-level laws that apply here

North Carolina state law under N.C.G.S. § 42 (Landlord and Tenant) governs every lease in Carteret County. For nonpayment of rent, landlords must serve a 10-day notice under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-3 before filing. A material breach of lease or a holdover tenancy requires no advance notice period under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-26, while a month-to-month termination requires 7 days notice under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14. Once filed, an uncontested case typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested case can stretch to 45 to 100 days. Court filing fees run $150 to $200, sheriff lockout fees add $30 to $125, and attorney fees, if retained, range from $500 to $2,500. Landlords researching the full procedure should review the North Carolina eviction process and North Carolina eviction costs guides for step-by-step detail on each stage.

North Carolina does not require just cause to end a tenancy, and the state preempts local rent control, meaning no municipality in Carteret County can impose rent caps or just-cause requirements beyond what state law provides. Source of income is not a protected class under state fair housing law. These structural factors make North Carolina one of the more operationally predictable states for landlords relative to coastal markets in other regions.

With a county-wide poverty rate of 10.4% and a renter share of 33.2%, baseline conditions in Carteret County remain relatively contained. The city-by-city grid above breaks down individual scores for all 17 cities, and is the most reliable starting point for comparing specific submarkets before committing capital.