Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Elizabeth City earns a D−, 258th of 286 graded towns in North Carolina, mostly because of incomes and safety. The median household income is $52K, and 13% of residents live below the poverty line. Its crime rate is higher than 84% of U.S. towns, with 67 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. One bright spot: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 80% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 91% of U.S. towns, with 16 places on the National Register. 35% of working residents work locally in Elizabeth City, above both the North Carolina town median (6.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Old Brick House and Land's End.
Where Elizabeth City beats most towns.
Old Brick House| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Elizabeth City State University | 1,575 |
| College of the Albemarle | 687 |
| Mid-Atlantic Christian University | 147 |
Census counts: 930 in 1870, 18,631 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and a map from 1985 on.
13 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Elizabeth City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elizabeth City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Elizabeth City.
Elizabeth City draws workers from Chesapeake and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has hotter summers than most of the country, though not than most of North Carolina.
10,891 jobs are based in Elizabeth City, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 3 of Elizabeth City’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Elizabeth City grew to 10,891 in 2023, 539 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Chesapeake (4%), Virginia Beach (3%) and Greenville (3%).
| Elizabeth City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools. Three of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Northeast Academy of Aerospace & AdvTech, with 760 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 484 | C |
| Northeast Academy of Aerospace & AdvTechLargest public high schoolGrades 5–12 | Grades 5–12 | 760 | B+ |
| Elizabeth City Pasquotank Early CollegeTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 115 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
The property crime rate in Elizabeth City is 24.3 per 1,000 residents. Elizabeth City reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 84% report less. The violent crime rate in Elizabeth City is 3.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Elizabeth City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 24.3 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
5.3 miles of trail in 12 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is South Park Sports Complex, at 34 acres.
| Elizabeth City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.8% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. South Park Sports Complex | — | 34 |
| 2. River Road Soccer Complex | — | 33 |
| 3. Knobbs Creek Park | — | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 6,511 U.S. towns with household incomes like Elizabeth City’s, it is healthier than 61%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Elizabeth City beats the North Carolina average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 22% of adults worry about having enough food in Elizabeth City.
| Elizabeth City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Elizabeth City | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7% | 7.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12.5% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
July afternoons average 87.8°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 80% of North Carolina places with climate records; January nights average 32.7°.
Elizabeth City has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Elizabeth City’s January low is 33°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Elizabeth City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 33°F | 31°F | 22°F |
| July high | 88°F | 89°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Elizabeth City home is worth about $264,000, up 1.2% in a year, 21% below the North Carolina typical home. 44% of Elizabeth City households own their home.
| Elizabeth City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 44% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,117 a month | $1,084 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
236 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 32 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 236 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elizabeth City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Only 44.1% of households own their home, against 66.6% across North Carolina.
Adults 35 to 64 are 32% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 28% of residents (23% statewide). Elizabeth City has grown 5.3% since 2020, to 19,622 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across North Carolina.
| Elizabeth City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.5 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 22% | 22% |
57% women, 43% men
About 76 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.7 points). Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 38.5, men 33.8.
| Elizabeth City | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.1% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.8% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.1% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.2% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.2% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.4% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.2% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 13.7% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.1% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.9% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.7% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.5% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
3 within 15 miles of the center of Elizabeth City
About 11 of every 100 Elizabeth City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
3 colleges in town.
13 places in Elizabeth City on the National Register of Historic Places.
23 notable people were born in Elizabeth City.
City in North Carolina, United States
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 18,629. Elizabeth City is the county seat and most populous city of Pasquotank County. It is the cultural, economic and educational hub of the sixteen-county Historic Albemarle region of northeastern North Carolina. Elizabeth City is the center of the Elizabeth City Micropolitan Statistical Area, with a population of 64,094 as of 2010. It is part of the larger Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC Combined Statistical Area. The city is the economic center of the region, as well as home to many historic sites and cultural traditions. Marketed as the "Harbor of Hospitality", Eli…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Elizabeth City grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #258 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades C for health, C− for safety and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 45% of towns.
That is 4 years of the area's median household income ($66,589 across the Elizabeth City, NC area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
23 notable people were born here, including Edward Snowden and John Pool.
