Photo: DiscoA340 · CC BY-SA 4.0Emerald Isle spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Emerald Isle’s town government spent $11.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,960 per resident.
What stands out about how Emerald Isle is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$3,120 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Emerald Isle’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,120 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 119 North Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $967, and the middle half spent $462–$1,402. Emerald Isle spent more than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.7 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
North Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Emerald Isle itself left out).
About $2,960 per resident a year, or $8.11 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 2% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Emerald Isle reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $3,120 · 2024: $2,960. Per resident it went from $3,120 to $2,960 (down 5%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 3,676 to 3,939.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,506 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.42% of the home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Emerald Isle’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Emerald Isle’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Emerald Isle →
Who’s in charge in Emerald Isle
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Emerald Isle’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on emeraldisle-nc.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 58 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (3,939).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Carteret County Schools
Emerald Isle’s K–12 school district, shared with Atlantic Beach, Beaufort, Bogue, Cape Carteret, Cedar Point and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,751 per pupil, $8,015 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
North Carolina districts overall: 26% local, 57% state, 17% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Emerald Isle’s votes are counted by county
North Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Emerald Isle alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Carteret County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican71.0%32,508 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.0%12,813 votesOthers: 1.1% (496 votes).
Most votes in Carteret County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Emerald Isle lies in Carteret County. Every 2024 race in Carteret County is on the county’s page.
Carteret County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Emerald Isle.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: emeraldisle-nc.org ↗
- 2North Carolina HouseState representatives
- 3North Carolina SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of North Carolina
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Emerald Isle’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Emerald Isle’s government
How much does Emerald Isle spend per resident?
About $2,960 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,120 was more than 96% of 119 North Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Emerald Isle?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,506 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.42% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see emeraldisle-nc.org.
Who runs Emerald Isle’s government?
See emeraldisle-nc.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Emerald Isle yet.
How did Emerald Isle vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Emerald Isle alone. Carteret County, where 100% of Emerald Isle lies, voted Trump 71.0%, Harris 28.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Emerald Isle?
68 full-time and 50 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $365,889 (about $4.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Emerald Isle in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Norman Sanderson) and State House District 13 (Celeste Cairns). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Emerald Isle’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →