Attic Insulation in Craven County, NC

Craven County and Its Homes

Craven County grew 3 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 105,025 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 48,500 housing units.

Its eight incorporated towns each have a page here: New Bern, Havelock, Trent Woods, River Bend, Vanceboro, Cove City, Dover and Bridgeton. About 60 percent of Craven County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.

A red-brick Victorian courthouse with a corner tower in New Bern, North Carolina — The Craven County Courthouse in New Bern, the county seat Photo: Indy beetle, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Craven County at a Glance

Population: 105,025 (2025), 101,514 (2020)
Housing units: about 48,500
Median year built: 1989 (North Carolina: 1991)
Built before 1980: 33% (statewide: 34%)
Detached houses: 68%
Mobile homes: 13%
Owner-occupied: 68%
Heated with electricity: 75% (statewide: 65%)
Climate zone: 3 on both maps
Towns with pages here: 8

Census Bureau estimates for Craven County (housing: 2020 to 2024).

Towns and Communities in Craven County

New Bern
34,724 people · median home 1989 · its own electric system
Havelock
17,430 people · median home 1987 · Duke Energy Progress
Trent Woods
4,070 people · median home 1977 · Duke Energy Progress
River Bend
2,890 people · median home 1985 · Duke Energy Progress
Vanceboro
877 people · Duke Energy Progress
Cove City
381 people · Duke Energy Progress
Dover
351 people · median home 1969 · Duke Energy Progress
Bridgeton
345 people · Duke Energy Progress

Unincorporated communities the Census Bureau maps in Craven County: James City (about 2,400 housing units, median year built 1987), Fairfield Harbour (about 1,800 housing units, median year built 1990), Brices Creek (about 1,600 housing units, median year built 1997), Neuse Forest and Cherry Branch (median year built 2005).

What We Do in Craven County

Attic Insulation in Craven County
Some 33 percent of Craven County housing units predate 1980; joists showing above their insulation mean more blown-in fiberglass is due, R-49 from bare.
Attic Insulation Removal in Craven County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of Craven County attics, and a mouse-soiled Craven County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 14 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in Craven County
Some 75 percent of Craven County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.

Homes in Craven County

Half of Craven County's 48,500 housing units were built before 1989: 20 percent before 1970, 33 percent before 1980 (nearly all before the state's 1978 insulation rule) and 15 percent in 2010 or later. The largest share went up in the 2000s, under codes that asked for less than ENERGY STAR now suggests; ENERGY STAR notes insulation is often thinnest at the eaves. Among Craven County towns, the median home is oldest in Dover (1969) and newest in New Bern (1989).

Craven County by type: 68 percent detached houses, 13 percent in buildings of two or more homes and 13 percent mobile homes. In Craven County, 75 percent of homes heat with electricity, 14 percent with piped gas and 9 percent with tank gas.

Craven County Homes by Year Built

Before 1940: about 2,260 units, 5% (±1)
1940s: about 1,330 units, 3% (±1)
1950s: about 3,200 units, 7% (±1)
1960s: about 3,070 units, 6% (±1)
1970s: about 6,050 units, 12% (±1)
1980s: about 8,820 units, 18% (±1)
1990s: about 6,930 units, 14% (±1)
2000s: about 9,470 units, 20% (±2)
2010s: about 5,990 units, 12% (±1)
2020 or later: about 1,420 units, 3% (±1)

Climate Across Craven County

NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Craven County towns, by station: New Bern Craven County Airport station (New Bern, Trent Woods, River Bend, Vanceboro and 1 more): about 2,700 heating and 1,900 cooling degree days; Kinston 7 SE station (Cove City and Dover): about 3,110 heating and 1,740 cooling degree days; Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station (Havelock): about 2,350 heating and 2,120 cooling degree days.

Power and Gas in Craven County

The card lists Craven County's town utilities by the territory maps; a power bill confirms the one at an address.

Piedmont Natural Gas holds the Craven County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 14 percent of Craven County homes heat with piped gas.

Who Supplies Power in Craven County

Duke Energy Progress: Havelock, Trent Woods, River Bend, Vanceboro, Cove City, Dover and Bridgeton; homes near New Bern
Tideland EMC: homes near Havelock, Trent Woods, River Bend, Vanceboro, Cove City, Dover and Bridgeton
New Bern's own electric system: New Bern
Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative: homes near Havelock

Energy Programs for Craven County Homes

Check each program's current terms for a Craven County home; some pay only through the utility's contractor network. Insulation Pros is an approved Duke Energy trade ally for Duke's rebate.

Programs for Craven County

Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy rebate; Havelock, Trent Woods, River Bend, Vanceboro and more).
Home Energy House Call (Duke Energy home assessment; Havelock, Trent Woods, River Bend, Vanceboro and more).
ElectriCities energy audits (ElectriCities member towns; New Bern).
Income-qualified Weatherization (Duke Energy income-qualified; Havelock, Trent Woods, River Bend, Vanceboro and more).
Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any Craven County address).
Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any Craven County address).
Piedmont Natural Gas lists rebates for high-efficiency gas furnaces, and none for insulation or air sealing (program page).

Get Your Free Estimate

or call (336) 870-3893

Craven County Insulation FAQs

Do you serve all of Craven County?

Yes: New Bern, Havelock, Trent Woods, River Bend, Vanceboro, Cove City, Dover and Bridgeton, and every unincorporated Craven County address.

Which utilities offer insulation rebates in Craven County?

Duke Energy's Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Havelock, Trent Woods, River Bend, Vanceboro and more).

Does attic insulation in Craven County need a permit?

Ask Craven County Inspections & Permitting before work starts. For an address in New Bern, Havelock, Trent Woods or another Craven County town, the town or city hall can tell you whether Craven County's office handles its permits.