Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,414, settled in 1898.
The best of Belhaven’s subject grades is an A− for walkability; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 40% of residents live below the poverty line in Belhaven, against 13% in North Carolina’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town in North Carolina scores lower than Belhaven on incomes. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Belhaven City Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places. Belhaven has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Belhaven beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Coastal flooding makes up 19% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Belhaven is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 383 in 1900, a peak of 2,863 in 1910, 1,410 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 3 maps from 1916 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Belhaven, 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 Belhaven.
31% of Belhaven adults say their health is fair or poor, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 19% and U.S. towns at 19%. 18% of Belhaven adults report frequent physical distress. Belhaven beats the North Carolina average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20.
| Belhaven | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 19% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 54% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Belhaven | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.1% | 14.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 84.3% | 76.7% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 7.3% | 3.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pungo Christian Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 264 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Since 1979, 1,906 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Belhaven.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Belhaven home is worth about $236,000, up 1.3% in a year, 29% below the North Carolina typical home. 53% of households own their home in Belhaven.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Belhaven has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 35° and about 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Belhaven’s median household income is $33,000. Since 2013, Belhaven has lost 139 jobs, to 420 in 2023. Belhaven’s average trip to work is 34 minutes.
| Belhaven | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $33,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Belhaven's reported crime rate is well below North Carolina's. The violent crime rate in Belhaven is 0 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Belhaven | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.5 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northside Community Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Belhaven; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Belhaven residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
1,688 counted in 2010 and 1,410 in 2020; an estimated 1,414 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
4 notable people were born in Belhaven.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Belhaven is a waterfront town in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,410 at the 2020 census. Belhaven is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 4 years of the area's median household income ($58,357 across the Washington, 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 B.
4 notable people were born here, including Little Eva and C. J. Wilson.
