Among the newest of U.S. towns · #284 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
Most of Emerald Isle was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Below: maps from 1951 on and the census since 1960.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Emerald Isle is among the newest of U.S. towns, #284 of 290 in North Carolina. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Emerald Isle’s overall grade.
North Carolina towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical North Carolina town has 12.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Emerald Isle’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (19% of North Carolina towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1951.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be D−. The pre-1940 share (±0.2 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Emerald Isle’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
From about 1 AD to colonial times, Emerald Isle was home to Native Americans. Later, the area was settled by a small number of whalers and fishermen.
In the 1920s, Henry Fort, who owned the Emerald Isle beaches and land surrounding them, hoped to open a large summer tourist attraction and ocean resort. Fort worked with developers, but the plans never materialized. After his death, his daughter Anita Maulick inherited Emerald Isle.
In 1951, according to Wikidata. the census of 1960 counted 14 people here.
How does Emerald Isle rank for history?
Emerald Isle is among the newest of U.S. towns, #284 of 290 in North Carolina. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Emerald Isle?
0.0% of Emerald Isle’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 4.1% for a North Carolina town; the median home was built in 1989.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (12), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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