Beaufort County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Beaufort County has a population of 44,499 residents and a median age of 47.7 years, making it the #1,107 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.8%. The median home value is $192,700, and the median household income is $58,357, which is 22% below the national median.
Demographics
Beaufort County has a population of 44,499, making it the #1,107 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.7 years, which is 22.6% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Beaufort County is $58,357, ranking #2,234 out of 3,222 counties — 22.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.8% and unemployment stands at 3.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Beaufort County is $192,700 (-31.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $871/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Beaufort County, 21.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 37.0% below the national average, ranking #1,781 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Beaufort County is 73.7 years. 19.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.1% of adults in Beaufort County smoke , 38.3% are obese , and 18.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 42.7 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Beaufort County is 7.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 18.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.3 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
30.5% of children in Beaufort County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 10.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 23.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Beaufort County is 71.9%. The mean commute time is 27.1 min, which is 1.9% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Beaufort County voted Republican with a margin of 31.1%. The vote was 34.1% Dem / 65.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Beaufort County, North Carolina
Beaufort County, North Carolina has a total population of 44,499, making it the 1,107th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Beaufort County is 47.7 years, which is 22.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Beaufort County is $58,357, which ranks #2,234 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 22.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.9%.
The median home value in Beaufort County is $192,700, 31.6% below the national median. Renters in Beaufort County pay a median gross rent of $871 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Beaufort County, 21.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 37.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.1 min.
Beaufort County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 66.3% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (22.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (7.9%).
All data for Beaufort County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.