Population 9,451 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Beaufort
Household size in Beaufort
| Period | Beaufort | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.13 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.23 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.23 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.94 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.19 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Beaufort are small: just 1.94 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.13, a much bigger shift than nationally. No other North Carolina city with 5,000+ people has smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Beaufort
| Period | Beaufort | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.1 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.6 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 53.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.0 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 53.2, Beaufort is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 46.1, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 13 are older.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Beaufort
| Period | Beaufort | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Beaufort: 7.7% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is down 1.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Beaufort
Renters in Beaufort
| Period | Beaufort | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.8% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.3% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.8% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.2% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Beaufort own their homes; 29.2% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. About half of owners (50.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southeast and least common in the northwest. The renter share has fallen 1.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Beaufort
| Period | Beaufort | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.7% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.1% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 23.6% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.6% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Beaufort: 22.6% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.0 points, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Beaufort
| Period | Beaufort | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Beaufort is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1986, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the southwest has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Beaufort
| Period | Beaufort | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $695 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $759 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $777 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $922 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$227 | +$528 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Beaufort costs $922 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $227 a month from 2006–10, a 33% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 38.3% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Beaufort
Bachelor's degrees in Beaufort
| Period | Beaufort | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.1% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.3% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.6% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.9% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.7 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
About a third of adults 25 and older in Beaufort (32.9%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is lower than in North Carolina as a whole (36.2%). Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.7 points, as it has nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Beaufort
| Period | Beaufort | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.0% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.7% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.0 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Beaufort have finished high school (92.9%), above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 7.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Beaufort
| Period | Beaufort | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.7% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Beaufort than nationally: unemployment was 3.4%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 3.7 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Beaufort compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort | 1.94 | 53.2 | 7.7% | 29.2% | 22.6% | 1986 | $922 | 32.9% | 92.9% | 3.4% |
| Straits | 1.96 | 51.9 | 4.7% | 2.6% | 29.2% | 1992 | $941 | 20.7% | 98.0% | 0.0% |
| Bettie | 2.05 | 59.1 | 3.3% | 12.4% | 13.2% | 1993 | $766 | 20.1% | 86.0% | 4.4% |
| Otway | 2.15 | 55.3 | 4.9% | 30.9% | 31.3% | 1991 | $944 | 18.3% | 93.5% | 2.7% |
| Harkers Island | 2.24 | 50.3 | 3.1% | 10.6% | 60.3% | 1980 | $1,119 | 18.8% | 93.1% | 0.0% |
| Gloucester | 2.01 | 46.4 | 8.3% | 19.4% | 24.6% | 1987 | $945 | 21.2% | 96.4% | 2.4% |
| Mill Creek | 2.28 | 50.3 | 3.8% | 5.9% | 6.6% | 1994 | $1,013 | 27.2% | 93.4% | 4.1% |
| Atlantic Beach | 1.86 | 56.9 | 3.5% | 37.7% | 82.3% | 1984 | $1,231 | 62.0% | 99.3% | 2.8% |
| Marshallberg | 2.00 | 56.2 | 5.4% | 8.5% | 34.0% | 1988 | $942 | 30.6% | 95.9% | 5.1% |
| Morehead City | 1.96 | 48.6 | 5.9% | 37.1% | 15.1% | 1986 | $1,261 | 41.5% | 92.7% | 3.0% |
| Smyrna | 2.06 | 56.7 | 5.7% | 16.3% | 33.8% | 1989 | $1,009 | 26.4% | 94.9% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Hooper, UT · Sheridan, AR · Shiprock, NM · Inwood, NY · Ingleside, TX · Silver Springs, FL · Indianola, MS · Ware, MA · Independence, KS · Hyrum, UT
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Beaufort. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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