Photo: DiscoA340 · CC BY-SA 4.0200 homes sold in Emerald Isle in the last year, at a typical $840K
About one sale in 3 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Emerald Isle homes are listed.
Every place Emerald Isle homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Emerald Isle.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
A quarter of Emerald Isle’s sales are condos, at $570K less than a house
129 houses and 46 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 129 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $517NC $207
- Days to sell
- 66
- Sold over asking
- 12%
- Listings with a price cut
- 21%
typical sale · 46 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $474NC $275
- Days to sell
- 83
- Sold over asking
- 4%
- Listings with a price cut
- 18%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 3 sold, typical $1.7M
Townhouses: 22 sold, typical $882K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at 2.3 times the 2016 price
200 sales in the last year, against 389 in 2021 and a low of 178 in 2025. The typical sale went from $358K in 2016 to $840K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $850K buys in Emerald Isle
Check a listing against what Emerald Isle homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Emerald Isle are back to pre-pandemic levels, but a quarter fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Emerald Isle’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 200 sales.
If you’re buying in Emerald Isle
- Shop in August. It brings about 29 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (12% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 96.2% of the list price on average; 9% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 22% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 72 days.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
April has the most new listings (about 35 a month), but June is the most competitive: 19% of June sales close over asking. July and August offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (16%). January has the least competition (10%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than North Carolina
| Emerald Isle now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | NC now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 9% | 5% | 36% | 17% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 22% | 2% | 1% | 30% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 20% | — | — | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 96.2% | 95.5% | 99.5% | 97.8% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 72 | 138 | 67 | 62 |
113 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 3.4 times the 2023 low (33), 29% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2013’s 237.
1 in 5 listings has cut its price
20% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 27% across North Carolina.
Since 2019, houses are up 133%, condos 67%
A house typically sold for $1.1M in the last year (129 sales), a condo for $528K (46).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Emerald Isle ranks 192nd of 224 busy North Carolina markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Emerald Isle is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Emerald Isle home costs about $4,673 a month
Price: Emerald Isle’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Emerald Isle’s 0.4% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Emerald Isle is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in April
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 14.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $840K home, about $3,490 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Emerald Isle, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Emerald IsleTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Emerald Isle.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Cape Carteret, Cedar Point, Swansboro, Broad Creek and Newport sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Emerald Isle, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerald Isle | 200 | $840K | $499 | 9% | 72 |
| Swansboro | 88 | $358K | $199 | 11% | 52 |
| Newport | 75 | $311K | $200 | 24% | 40 |
| Cedar Point | 54 | $433K | $247 | 19% | 97 |
| Indian Beach | 41 | $645K | $485 | 0% | 103 |
| Cape Carteret | 39 | $447K | $227 | 13% | 58 |
| Broad Creek | 25 | $404K | $197 | 8% | 81 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Emerald Isle, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Emerald Isle. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Emerald Isle with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Emerald Isle
What do homes sell for in Emerald Isle, NC?
200 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $840K, $499 a square foot. Houses sold for about $1.1M, condos for about $528K.
Is Emerald Isle a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A buyer’s market: 139 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 22 sold, about 6.3 months of supply. Buyers paid 96.2% of asking on average, and 20% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Emerald Isle?
April brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Emerald Isle?
About 0.4% of a home’s value a year. On a $840K home that’s near $3,490.
Where can I see homes for sale in Emerald Isle?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Emerald Isle’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Emerald Isle.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).