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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEThriving

Harkers Island, NC

Thriving overall. Jobs is the clearest support signal, while population needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score75out of 100
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89
100
0
69
100

Population

1,060

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+7.1% YoY

89

$3.7B

Output changed +7.1% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth6.2%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

100

0.0%

Unemployment is 0.0% for Latest available.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.6%
U.S. avg5.2%

Population

-19.3% 5-year

0

1,060

Population moved -19.3% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population10,730,404
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

69

22.5%

Median rent consumes 22.5% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.2K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$10.5K per resident

100

$710.7M

$710.7M in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$129.5B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$710.7M

$10.5K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$526.0M
2. Department of Veterans Affairs$107.7M
3. Department of Defense$38.7M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. GREAT LAKES DREDGE & DOCK CO, LLC$26.9M
2. STONE & LIME IMPORTS, INC$15.3M
3. GOVERNMENT SALES, LLC$11.1M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

22.5%

of median income

1BR estimate$923
2BR estimate$1,215
Median income$60,000
Median home value$313,100

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

1,060

Median age

61.5

Bachelor's degree+

18.3%

Poverty rate

10.4%

Labor force participation

45.5%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

Latest available

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-31

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

-4.2%

GDP CAGR

+8.0%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
20201,314
20211,250
20221,104
20231,080
20241,060
GDP (5 years)
2020$2.5B
2021$2.8B
2022$3.1B
2023$3.5B
2024$3.7B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

20241,060
2025958 *
2026890 *

R² = 89.5% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$3.7B
2025$4.1B *
2026$4.4B *

R² = 99.8% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$60,000/yr
Median rent$1,125/mo
Rent share of income22.5%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$18,998/yr
Mortgage share of income31.7%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate0.0%
State avg3.6%
U.S. avg5.2%
Labor force participation45.5%
Poverty rate10.4%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. Latest available.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$313,100
Median monthly rent$1,125
Price-to-rent ratio23.2x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score70/100
Economic growth89/100
Labor market100/100
Population momentum0/100
Overall stability75/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Harkers Island CDP, North Carolina

City/Town

Part of

Morehead City, NC

Nearby locations

Marshallberg, NCGloucester, NCBeaufort, NCDavis, NCAtlantic Beach, NC