Beaufort is a city of 4,689 people in North Carolina. At a median age of 55.0, this is an older place than the country as a whole. The foreign-born share is 2%. 53% of homes are owner-occupied. Households here earn about 26% less than in North Carolina as a whole. 918 more people live here than in 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $53,321, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 55.0
US median: 38.9
More educated
40% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 73%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Beaufort
What changed most since 1990
White share73.9% → 82.4%(+8.5 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median age38.5 → 55.0(+16.5 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Median home value (2024 dollars)$147,364 → $354,900(+141%)US over the same years: +67%
Beaufort's population equals 6.8% of Carteret County's. Its number of households without a car equals 15% of the county's. Its number of people who work from home equals 12% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)9.2%(42)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16%(73)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33.1%(151)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War22.6%(103)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 456 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Beaufort, decade by decade
Beaufort population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
3,808
$51,678
$147,364
15.0%
49.5
2000
3,771
$52,396
$205,665
21.7%
50.3
2010
4,039
$45,492
$337,057
30.8%
46.5
2020
4,464
$44,198
$275,618
26.6%
41.4
2024
4,689
$53,321
$354,900
40.2%
38.4
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
