Burke County · North Carolina · South · 18k residents
Morganton, NC: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Morganton: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the North Carolina median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $981/wk. North Carolina's corporate income tax rate is 2.25%. Commercial electricity averages 10.6¢/kWh.
Compare Morganton side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$981/wk
Corporate income tax
2.25%
Bachelor's degree or higher
26.1%
Commercial electricity
10.6¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Morganton's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
54/100
Steady
Ranks Morganton's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $221,700 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $190 |
| Property tax rate | 0.82% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $681/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $938/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.15% |
| Sales tax | 7% |
| Corporate income tax | 2.25% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $981/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.1% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.6¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 20.5/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $122,540 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $80,060 |
| Wage: General manager | $95,640 |
| Wage: Customer service | $37,790 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $38,130 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $57,460 |
| Wage: Electrician | $53,730 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $30,520 |
| Cost of living index | 83 |
| Groceries index | 98 |
| Utilities | $155/mo |
| Transit pass | $55/mo |
| Gas price | $3.05/gal |
| Healthcare index | 100 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,050/mo |
| Median household income | $51,355 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% |
| Population | 18k |
| Crime index | 48/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 70/100 |
| Avg. commute | 25 min |
| Sunny days / year | 213 days |
| July high | 88°F |
| January low | 28°F |
| Annual snowfall | 5 in |
| Home price YoY | +2.2% |
| Home price MoM | +0.3% |
| Rent YoY | — |
| Rent MoM | +0.6% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +0.7% |
| Building permits YoY | -9.3% |
| Ocean coast | 213 mi |
| Big lake | 45 mi |
| Mountains | 26 mi |
| Major airport | 56 mi |
| Ski resort | 29 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Lenoir, NC · 18k
- Hickory, NC · 44k
- Shelby, NC · 22k
- Boone, NC · 20k
- Gastonia, NC · 83k
Similar size
- Havelock, NC · 18k
- Hope Mills, NC · 18k
- Graham, NC · 18k
- Mount Holly, NC · 18k
- Pinehurst, NC · 18k
Real listings in Morganton
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Morganton a good place to run a business?
- North Carolina's corporate income tax rate is 2.25%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $981/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.6¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Morganton, NC?
- Morganton indexes at 83 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $938/mo and a acs median home value of $221,700.
- How much does a house cost in Morganton?
- The acs median home value in Morganton is $221,700 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Morganton?
- A two-bedroom in Morganton rents for about $938/mo.