New Bern, NC
Census place 3746340 · pop 32,734
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
85.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
96/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
17.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$61,031 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
37.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
59.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
13.8% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
26.0% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.1% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
29.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$240,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,622/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.4% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.72% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+9.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
19 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Not measured for New Bern: Crime, Air, Bad air, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is New Bern, NC a good place to live?
- By the numbers, New Bern scores 49/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 18 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is commute time and its weakest is broadband access. North Carolina overall ranks #16 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is New Bern, NC expensive to live in?
- New Bern has a median home value of $240,100 and typical rent around $1,622/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in New Bern, NC?
- Its weakest measured area is broadband access (85.9%) — 15/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is New Bern, NC best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (19 min) — 82/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Birthplace of Pepsi-Cola, invented here by pharmacist Caleb Bradham in 1898.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.