Emerald Isle is a very small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of North Carolina. With a population of 4,001 people and two associated neighborhoods, Emerald Isle is the 210th largest community in North Carolina.

Emerald Isle home prices are not only among the most expensive in North Carolina, but Emerald Isle real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

There are many members of the armed forces living in Emerald Isle. You will notice when you visit or live here that some of the people you meet or see around town are employed by the armed services - even if they are not always in uniform.

Of important note, Emerald Isle is also a town of artists. Emerald Isle has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Emerald Isle’s character.

A relatively large number of people in Emerald Isle telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 27.21% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Another notable thing is that Emerald Isle is a major vacation destination. Much of the town’s population is seasonal: many people own second homes and only live there part-time, during the vacation season. The effect on the local economy is that many of the businesses are dependent on tourist dollars, and may operate only during the high season. As the vacation season ends, Emerald Isle’s population drops significantly, such that year-round residents will notice that the city is a much quieter place to live.

It is a fairly quiet town because there are relatively few of those groups of people who have a tendency to be noisy. (Children, for example, often can't help themselves from being noisy, and being parents ourselves, we know!) Emerald Isle has relatively few families with children living at home, and is quieter because of it. Renters and college students, for their own reasons, can also be noisy. Emerald Isle has few renters and college students. But the biggest reason it is quieter in Emerald Isle than in most places in America, is that there are just simply fewer people living here. If you think trees make good neighbors, Emerald Isle may be for you.

Emerald Isle is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

In Emerald Isle, however, the average commute to work is quite long. On average, people spend 30.76 minutes each day getting to work, which is significantly higher than the national average.

Being a small town, Emerald Isle does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work.

If knowledge is power, Emerald Isle is a pretty powerful place. 57.10% of the adults in Emerald Isle have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.

The per capita income in Emerald Isle in 2022 was $70,224, which is wealthy relative to North Carolina and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $280,896 for a family of four.

The people who call Emerald Isle home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Emerald Isle residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Emerald Isle include English, German, Irish, Polish, and Scottish.

The most common language spoken in Emerald Isle is English. Other important languages spoken here include Italian and Polish.