Carteret County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.3 | 69,615 people · 82nd most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Carteret County, NC falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.3 — 1876th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage gaps and disability rates are moderately elevated. Within North Carolina, it ranks 82nd of 100 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Carteret County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 62.9 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 62.9
Uninsured Rate 60
Disability Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 60.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 87
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 51
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 81
Homeownership Rate 55
Rent-to-Income Ratio 26
Employment & Wages 50.6
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 84
Business Formation Rate 34
Debt & Delinquency 34.6
Debt in Collections 38
Medical Debt 73
Student Loan Delinquency 25
Auto Loan Delinquency 21
Credit Card Delinquency 39
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 12
Income & Poverty 23.4
Poverty Rate 25
Income vs. State Median 13
Child Poverty Rate 32

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Carteret County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Carteret County
Carteret County, NC 46.3 Normal —
Hyde County, NC 73.7 Serious +27.4
Jones County, NC 64.9 Elevated +18.6
Onslow County, NC 58.3 Elevated +11.9
Craven County, NC 57.2 Elevated +10.9
Pamlico County, NC 55.6 Elevated +9.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Carteret County
Columbia County, PA 46.3 Normal -0.0
Johnston County, NC 46.4 Normal +0.1
Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK 46.2 Normal -0.1
St. Louis County, MN 46.1 Normal -0.2
Henderson County, NC 46.6 Normal +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Carteret County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Carteret County

Find an Attorney

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-662-7407

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Carteret County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of North Carolina 1-866-219-5262
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy 704-376-1600
NC Equal Access to Justice Commission
Duke Law School Community Enterprise Clinic

Self-Help Resources

NC Courts Self-Help Resources — Foreclosure Official NC court system resources for foreclosure proceedings and borrower rights
NCHFA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs, counselor referrals, and HAF information

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Carteret County, North Carolina?

    Carteret County has a County Distress Index score of 46.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,876th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 82nd in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Carteret County?

    The primary driver of distress in Carteret County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 62.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Carteret County compare to neighboring counties?

    Carteret County (46.3) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Hyde County, NC (73.7); Jones County, NC (64.9); Onslow County, NC (58.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Carteret County?

    Carteret County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 69,615 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.