New Bern (pronounced /'nu bərn/ NEW-bern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 31,291 at the 2020 census. It is located at the confluence of the Neuse and the Trent Rivers, near the headwaters of Pamlico Sound on the North Carolina coast. It lies 112 miles (180 km) east of Raleigh, 89 miles (143 km) north of Wilmington, and 162 miles (261 km) south of Norfolk, Virginia. New Bern was founded in October 1710 by the Palatines and Swiss under the leadership of Christoph von Graffenried. The new colonists named their settlement after Bern, the Swiss region from which many of the colonists and their patron had emigrated. New Bern i…

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How New Bern ranks

All →

#14Closest to a top hospital in NC #25Shortest commute in NC #28Lowest depression in NC All NC rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code28560, 28561, 28562

Area code252

Living in New Bern

Housing in New Bern

$284K▲ 1.8% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical New Bern home is worth about $284,000, up 1.8% in a year, 15% below the North Carolina typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market56

Sale-to-list98.6%

Sold in May73

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in New Bern

Safety Grade C

New Bern reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 74% report less. Within North Carolina, it does better than 57% of towns.

Violent crime per 1,000

New Bern 3.7

North Carolina 3.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

New Bern 16.8

North Carolina 18.1

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in New Bern

Full picture →

40% of New Bern’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are James City (4%), Greenville (4%) and Raleigh (3%). Half commute less than 8 miles.

James City

Greenville

Raleigh

Jacksonville

40%Work in townlive and work in New Bern 8 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 19,986Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in New Bern →

Health in New Bern

B⁻

Health Grade B−

Healthier than 48% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 72% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with North Carolina

1better than NC·7worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 24 are too close to call.

Conditions 7▼ 5 close Habits all close Care 1▲ 6 close Mind all close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

80.5%More adults treating high blood pressureNC 76.7% · better 4.5%More adults who have had a strokeNC 3.6% · worse

Care nearby

Carolina East Medical CenterNew Bern · 1.4 mi · ER

Cchd - Craven County Community Health CenterNew Bern · 2.2 mi · sliding-scale fees

1 hospital · 2 health centers in New Bern →

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for New Bern · CMS · HRSAHealth in New Bern →

Natural hazards in New Bern

Very high

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 98% of U.S. communities.

🌀 Hurricanes🌊 Inland flooding

1,621Does New Bern flood?paid flood claims since 1981 12Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to New Bern MapNew Bern vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in New Bern →

Climate in New Bern

Full climate →

New Bern has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of.

57° / 36°Winter

73° / 51°Spring

88° / 70°Summer

74° / 55°Fall

How much snow does New Bern get?Almost none.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Nov 15, with the last in spring around Mar 23.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.2° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in New Bern →

Schools in New Bern

All New Bern schools →

B⁻

School Grade B-

The public schools New Bern’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 53% of North Carolina’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

See how New Bern’s schools compare in NC →

DistrictCraven County Board of EducationSchools14

Creekside Elementary AElementary · Grades K–5 · 453 students Trent Park Elementary C+Elementary · Grades K–5 · 390 students Oaks Road Academy DElementary · Grades PK–5 · 352 students Ben D. Quinn Elementary C+Elementary · Grades K–5 · 312 students J.T. Barber Elementary C-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 270 students St. Paul Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades PK–8 · 213 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within NC. Ratings are from neighbors.