Fairfield HarbourNC
2,948 people call this town in North Carolina home.
What should you know before moving to Fairfield Harbour?
Fairfield Harbour’s grades pull in different directions. Hazard risk is its weak spot: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 98% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. With a C− overall, Fairfield Harbour is better than just over a fifth of U.S. towns and ranks 190th of 286 in North Carolina. Homes run about $329K for a typical one, 5.1 times the New Bern area’s $64K median household income. Health is its strong suit: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 76% of the country. 43% of residents are 65 or older in the town, above both the North Carolina town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Its trail network density is 2.1 miles per square mile, above both North Carolina’s towns (0.2) and U.S. towns (0.4).
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · FEMA National Risk Index · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · OpenStreetMap.
What makes Fairfield Harbour stand out
Where Fairfield Harbour beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
99% of working residents leave Fairfield Harbour for work
Where Fairfield Harbour’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
How Fairfield Harbour grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Fairfield Harbour is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Fairfield Harbour: who provides what
Fairfield Harbour is unincorporated, so Craven County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Fairfield Harbour.
Fairfield Harbour is healthier than towns with similar incomes and sends most of its workers to New Bern and beyond, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of North Carolina (mostly hurricanes).
Fairfield Harbour has set aside 0.1% of its land for conservation
9.7 miles of trail. Among 262 North Carolina towns, just 7 have a higher trail network density than Fairfield Harbour.
| Fairfield Harbour | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Fairfield Harbour stands out in North Carolina and nationally: the median age there is higher
38% of Fairfield Harbour adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Among 290 North Carolina towns, just 7 have a higher share of residents 65 or older than Fairfield Harbour.
| Fairfield Harbour | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 43% | 18% | 18% |
| Median age | 62.2 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 29% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.3 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Fairfield Harbour | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.1% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.6% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.1% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.8% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 21.1% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 22.1% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 21% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.2% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 14.1% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 29.4% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.1% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.1% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.2% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,900, single groups can be off by several points
Fairfield Harbour has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from hurricanes
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of North Carolina towns; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on.
Expected losses in Fairfield Harbour break down as 75% from hurricanes and 14% from inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A larger share of adults had a checkup this year in Fairfield Harbour than in most of North Carolina or the rest of the country
Against the 10,697 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fairfield Harbour’s, it is healthier than 91%, so its A− isn’t only a matter of income.
48% of adults have high blood pressure in Fairfield Harbour. Only 5 of the 289 North Carolina towns we compare have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Fairfield Harbour. Also worth knowing: on the CDC’s 32 measures, Fairfield Harbour is ahead of North Carolina on 14 and behind on 6.
| Fairfield Harbour | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 17% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 38% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 87% | 80% | 79% |
| What stands out | Fairfield Harbour | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 4.9% | 12.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.3% | 8.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 16% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
About one in three of Fairfield Harbour’s working residents commute to New Bern
Fairfield Harbour has 112 jobs for its 944 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 33.4 minutes, against 25.1 across North Carolina.
The top destinations are New Bern (30%), Greenville (5%) and Raleigh (4%). Just 1% of Fairfield Harbour’s working residents have a job in town. Its average trip to work stands at 33 minutes. Since 2013, Fairfield Harbour has added 43 jobs, to 112 in 2023.
| Fairfield Harbour | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.1% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 6.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Mild winters and hot summers: that is Fairfield Harbour’s year
The July high for Fairfield Harbour comes to 89°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Fairfield Harbour’s grade for cost of living is a C
The share of households in Fairfield Harbour who own their home: 89%. The typical home value here is about $329,000, up 2% in a year, close to the North Carolina typical home. Its midpoint rent is $1,758 a month.
| Fairfield Harbour | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 89% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,758 a month | $1,084 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Queen Anne's Revenge and 9 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fairfield Harbour. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi Ancient siteQueen Anne's Revenge
5 mi MuseumTryon Palace
30 mi State parkFort Macon State Park
37 mi MuseumCSS Neuse
40 mi LighthouseCape Lookout Lighthouse
31 mi National SeashoreCape Lookout National Seashore513K visitors a yearPhoto credits
Queen Anne's Revenge: Joseph Nicholls, Public domain · Tryon Palace: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Fort Macon State Park: Kevinbercaw, CC BY-SA 3.0 · CSS Neuse: Katyrw, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cape Lookout Lighthouse: United States Coast Guard, Public domain · Cape Lookout National Seashore: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 3.0
Everything we know about Fairfield Harbour
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Fairfield Harbour
About 5 of every 100 Fairfield Harbour residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
About Fairfield Harbour
Census-designated place in North Carolina, United States
Fairfield Harbour is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Fairfield Harbour had a population of 2,767. It is part of the New Bern, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7 ft
Questions about Fairfield Harbour
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Fairfield Harbour, NC a good place to live?
Fairfield Harbour grades C− overall, better than 21% of U.S. towns and #190 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades A− for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Fairfield Harbour, NC expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.