Beaufort is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, home to about 4,689 people across 5.1 square miles. Its ZIP code is 28516.
Homes sold for a median of $270 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Beaufort; also Morehead City
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Beaufort. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Beaufort’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)144 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (EWN)32 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Chesapeake, VA134 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA372 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Beaufort; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Beaufort had 4,464 residents in the 2020 census, up 18% since 2000.
It’s the 179th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Carteret County grew from 11,811 residents in 1900 to 67,686 in 2020.
Carteret County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 38°F. About 55.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Beaufort Michael J Smith Fld, NC weather station (3 miles away).
21,789 jobs at 2,249 businesses in Carteret County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2022 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
52 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Beaufort.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 2 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Dentists | 8 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 15 |
| Mental health providers | 8 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 11 |
| Optometrists | 4 |
| Chiropractors | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 12 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1709.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Carteret County Public Schools, Tiller School. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort ElementaryBeaufort | Pre-K–5 | 346 | Public | 2.4 mi |
| Tiller SchoolBeaufort | K–5 | 206 | Charter | 1.7 mi |
| Beaufort MiddleBeaufort | 6–8 | 260 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| East Carteret HighBeaufort | 9–12 | 521 | Public | 1.7 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Morehead City.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.