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North Carolina›Carteret County

AtlanticNC

A town of 522, settled in 1880.

Is Atlantic a good place to live?

Atlantic’s average trip to work is 34 minutes, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 24 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 1 of the 291 North Carolina towns we compare have a higher January low than Atlantic. Atlantic has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

522 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Getting set up

Moving to Atlantic: who provides what

Atlantic is unincorporated, so Carteret County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerDuke Energy15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterIntegrated Care of Greater Hickory Inc. water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesCarteret CountyCarteret County provides services here
SchoolsCarteret County SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereCarteret County Board of ElectionsCarteret County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019
ZIP code2851128511 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Atlantic.

Natural hazards

Atlantic stands out in North Carolina and nationally, with the FEMA risk score higher than most

At 100 of 100, Atlantic’s FEMA risk score is above both North Carolina’s towns (47 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100).

100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
100Very high riskLowerHigher
Hurricanes
4
federal disasters paid out here

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Schools

The schools Atlantic’s kids attend

Its public schools are run by the Carteret County Public Schools. Its one school is below.

SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Atlantic ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5Grades PK–588A

NCES · EDFacts

Work & commute

With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Atlantic’s workers commute out

Most working residents leave Atlantic for work: only 3% work in town. 18% of residents live below the poverty line in Atlantic. The top destinations are Morehead City (20%), Beaufort (11%) and Raleigh (6%).

3%work in town
AtlanticNorth Carolina townsU.S. towns
Below the poverty line18%13%9.6%
Median household income$51,000$69,000$80,000
Working residents who work in town2.7%6.8%8%

Where working residents work

In Atlantic3%
Morehead City20%
Beaufort11%
Raleigh6%
New Bern3%
31 mi
median commute distance
23
jobs based in Atlantic
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Housing

Atlantic’s typical home value is about $228K

The typical Atlantic home is worth about $228,000, down 0.8% in a year, 31% below the North Carolina typical home. 91% of Atlantic households own their home.

$228KZillow home value

Typical home value

Atlantic$228K
North Carolina$332K
−0.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Climate

Mild winters and hot summers in Atlantic

Atlantic has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 37° and snow is almost unheard of.

89°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter39–58°
Spring53–71°
Summer71–87°
Fall58–75°
Nov 30
typical first frost
Mar 11
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
89°
typical summer high

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Atlantic is

Atlantic beats the North Carolina average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10.

AtlanticNorth Carolina townsU.S. towns
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)46%38%35%
Feel lonely (CDC PLACES)29%33%33%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)15%13%12%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)13%15%16%
32 measures vs. North Carolina
5 better17 too close to call10 worse
What stands outAtlanticNC
Fewer adults facing housing insecurity8.9%12.2%
Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off6.4%8.1%
More adults with COPD11.3%7.1%
Carteret General Hospital
25.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Atlantic

16pages on Atlantic
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Atlantic; the nearest are

A commuter town

97% of working residents leave Atlantic for work

Where Atlantic’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

20% → Morehead City Morehead City 20% 11% → Beaufort Beaufort 11% 6% → Raleigh Raleigh 6% 3% → New Bern New Bern 3% 2% → Greenville Greenville 2% 2% → Goldsboro Goldsboro 2% Atlantic · 3% stay
23jobs based in Atlantic
3%of working residents work in town
31 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

Questions about Atlantic

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Atlantic, NC a good place to live?

Atlantic has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.