A town of 4,689, settled in 1709. Nearly 32.1% of it is conserved land.
The 3 things Beaufort does most differently from other towns.
1863 · Petition from the Colored Citizens of B…6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 5 places on the National Register.
1863
Petition from the Colored Citizens of Beaufort, North Carolina to Major General B. F. Butler, Petitioning for Wages
Photo · Wikimedia Commons. A different picture from Beaufort’s archive appears here every day.
See all 6 archive items →Be the first to start the conversation.
Nothing on the calendar.
Ordered by what stands out in Beaufort. Another town gets a different order.
3.2 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves.
| 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 |
About one in 4 of Beaufort’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Morehead City (19%), Raleigh (4%) and Jacksonville (3%). Half commute less than 10 miles.
The typical Beaufort home is worth about $424,000, up 4% in a year, 27% above the North Carolina typical home.
The public schools Beaufort’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 73% of North Carolina’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort Elementary | PK–5 | 346 | B+ |
| Tiller School | K–5 | 206 | A |
| Beaufort Middle | 6–8 | 260 | B |
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities.
Beaufort beats the North Carolina average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
| 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% |
Beaufort has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of.
Beaufort's reported crime rate is below North Carolina's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 15 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
32.1% of the town is conserved land, across 5 parks and preserves.
5 places in Beaufort on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 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…
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One town shares a border with Beaufort.
