Bethel, NC, 2019
Bethel’s story
168 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2019.
- 1858Bethel is settled
BethelNC
Trash day: MondayPopulation
1,422
2025 Census estimate · +3.5% since 2020
Typical home
$155K
+3.4% in a year
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
40.9
years
Jobs based here
115
A commuter town
Is Bethel a good place to live?
Bethel’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D for health. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 83% of U.S. towns. 15% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Bethel, below both the North Carolina town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Bethel has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Bethel stand out
Where Bethel beats most towns.
Small town
1,422 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Bethel grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Bethel is from typical.
HealthVidant Edgecombe Hospital 12.9 miles awayDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.2 of 20; 13.6% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & income$53K median household income; 115 jobs based hereC−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →HistoryC+Open →Civic life3.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bethel: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bethel, and how to reach them.
PowerDominion Energy12.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Bethel water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpMondayTrash dayTown site
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.govWho runs elections herePitt County Board of ElectionsPitt County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019
ZIP code2781227812 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 Bethel.
HousingCost of living grade A−
Homes in Bethel are worth about $155K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Bethel home is worth about $155,000, up 3.4% in a year, 53% below the North Carolina typical home. Bethel’s median rent is $684 a month, below both North Carolina’s towns ($1,085 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$155KZillow home value
| Bethel | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $684 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 67% | 73% |
Typical home value
Bethel$155K
North Carolina$332K
+3.4%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC+
Bethel’s schools rank behind 58% of North Carolina districts
Its public schools are run by the Pitt County Schools. Its one school is below.
42%of NC districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 232 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
HealthD
Health in Bethel trails 86% of U.S. towns
Bethel beats the North Carolina average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 46% of adults have high blood pressure in Bethel.
14%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Bethel | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 38% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 36% | 35% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
2 better12 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Bethel | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.4% | 14.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.2% | 76.7% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 13.1% | 8.1% |
Vidant Edgecombe Hospital
12.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Most of Bethel’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Bethel for work: only 2% work in town. 17% of Bethel residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Greenville (30%), Tarboro (5%) and Raleigh (5%).
2%work in town
| Bethel | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 6.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Bethel2%
Greenville30%
Tarboro5%
Raleigh5%
Charlotte3%
17 mi
median commute distance
115
jobs based in Bethel
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 17% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Bethel has mild winters and hot summers
Bethel has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Bethel’s July high is 90°F.
5″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–55°
Spring48–72°
Summer68–88°
Fall51–73°
Nov 9
typical first frost
Mar 30
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Hurricanes leads a high hazard risk in Bethel
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 2006, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bethel.
60risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes
3
paid flood claims since 2006
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bethel
17pages on Bethel
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Bethel
Edgecombe Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Tarboro12 mi$2,640 in-state tuitionEast Carolina UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Greenville13.8 mi$7,361 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Bethel residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
A shrinking town
Bethel has shrunk 10% since 2010
1,577 counted in 2010 and 1,373 in 2020; an estimated 1,422 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About Bethel
Town in North Carolina, United States
Bethel is a town in Pitt County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,373 at the 2020 census. The town is a part of the Greenville Metropolitan Area located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. Confusingly, there are three other towns in the state named "Bethel." One is between Edenton and Hertford in the "Finger Counties" region in the northeastern corner of the state, another is in the north-central part, in Caswell County and the third is located in the Mountain Region of North Carolina, in Haywood County. There is also a community named Bethel located in Watauga County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 69 ft
- ZIP code
- 27812
- Area code
- 252
Questions about Bethel
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bethel, NC expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.