Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Overall it grades C−, 175th of 286 graded towns in North Carolina. Its weakest subject is incomes: the median household income is $53K, and 11% of residents live below the poverty line. 32% of the land in Beaufort is conserved, above both North Carolina’s towns (3.4%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Only 2 of North Carolina’s 331 towns score higher on civic life. Its National Register listings include Gibbs House and Beaufort Historic District.
Where Beaufort beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Gibbs House
Its founding year, 1709, is the earliest of any North Carolina town we grade.
Census counts: 437 in 1800, 4,464 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1794 and 4 maps from 1949 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Beaufort is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Beaufort, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Beaufort.
Beaufort is a second-home town and draws workers from Morehead City and beyond, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of North Carolina (mostly hurricanes).
2,828 jobs are based in Beaufort, 1.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 2,128 in 2013 to 2,828.
About one in 4 of Beaufort’s working residents works in town. At 20 minutes, Beaufort’s average trip to work is below both the North Carolina town median (24 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Beaufort has added 700 jobs, to 2,828 in 2023.
| Beaufort | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Carteret County Public Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 346 | B+ |
| Tiller SchoolTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 206 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 96% of North Carolina towns, with expected losses of about $857 per resident a year; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on. 219 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 19 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1980, 219 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Beaufort.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
20.4% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, against 3.9% statewide, which helps explain the older median age.
People 65 and older are 35% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (23% statewide). The median age in Beaufort is 55 years. Beaufort has grown 10% since 2020, to 4,912 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Beaufort | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 15% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 29% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.5 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Beaufort | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.4% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.3% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.8% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.1% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.8% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 20.3% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.9% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.4% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 17.1% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.3% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.9% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.3% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,900, single groups can be off by several points
Its 1,610 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 97% of North Carolina towns.
3.2 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Rachel Carson Estuarine Sanctuary, at 1,565 acres with 1.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rachel Carson Estuarine Sanctuary | 1.8 mi | 1,565 |
| 2. Old Beaufort Elementary School | — | 16 |
| 3. Curtis Perry Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Beaufort home is worth about $422,000, up 3.4% in a year, 27% above the North Carolina typical home. 53% of Beaufort households own their home.
| Beaufort | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 53% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $835 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Beaufort’s property crime rate is 17.3 per 1,000 residents. Within North Carolina, it does better than 69% of towns.
| Beaufort | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 17.3 per 1,000 residents | 24.2 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 3 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
July afternoons average 88°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 79% of North Carolina places with climate records; January nights average 36.4°.
Only 7 of the 290 North Carolina towns we compare have a higher January low than Beaufort. Beaufort has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Beaufort | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 36°F | 31°F | 22°F |
| July high | 88°F | 89°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 6,887 U.S. towns with household incomes like Beaufort’s, it is healthier than 88%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Beaufort beats the North Carolina average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 42% of adults have high blood pressure in Beaufort.
| Beaufort | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 80% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | Beaufort | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.5% | 12.2% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.2% | 13.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Beaufort. Close and well known come first.
Big draw2 mi Ancient siteQueen Anne's Revenge
3 mi State parkFort Macon State Park
2 mi National SeashoreCape Lookout National Seashore513K visitors a year
10 mi LighthouseCape Lookout Lighthouse
in town MuseumNorth Carolina Maritime Museum
34 mi MuseumTryon PalaceQueen Anne's Revenge: Joseph Nicholls, Public domain · Fort Macon State Park: Kevinbercaw, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cape Lookout National Seashore: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 3.0 · Cape Lookout Lighthouse: United States Coast Guard, Public domain · North Carolina Maritime Museum: Kd5463, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tryon Palace: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Beaufort
About 8 of every 100 Beaufort residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Where Beaufort’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 places in Beaufort on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Beaufort.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Beaufort ( BOH-fərt) is a town in and the county seat of Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1709, Established in 1713 and incorporated in 1723, Beaufort is the third oldest town in North Carolina (after Bath, New Bern). The population was 4,464 at the 2020 census. Beaufort is located in North Carolina's "Inner Banks" region. The town is home to the North Carolina Maritime Museum, the Duke University Marine Laboratory (Nicholas School of the Environment), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research. It is also the location of the Rachel Carson Reserve, part of the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Es…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Beaufort.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort | #175 | C− | C+ | C | B+ | B |
| Morehead City | #194 | C− | C | C− | B+ | B |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Beaufort grades C− overall, better than 24% of U.S. towns and #175 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades B for health, C for safety and B+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 69% of towns.
That is 5.8 years of the area's median household income ($72,322 across the Morehead City, NC area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
8 notable people were born here, including Michael J. Smith and Samuel Ashe.
