Home / Home Buying by state / North Carolina / Carteret County / Beaufort

Buying a home in Beaufort, North Carolina

The typical owner-occupied home in Beaufort is worth about $354,900, 23% above the North Carolina median of $288,900 and 7% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,291 a year in property taxes, about 0.65% of their home's value, close to the North Carolina rate of 0.66%. The median household earns $53,321 a year, so the median home costs 6.7 times the median income (4.0 times for North Carolina). 53% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 49% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Beaufort at a glance

Beaufort North Carolina U.S.
Median home value $354,900 $288,900 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,291 $1,896 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.65% 0.66% 0.94%
Median household income $53,321 $72,388 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 53% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 49% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,810 $1,631 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 20.0% 19.4% 21.0%
Median rent $835 $1,228 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 33.8% 29.5% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1986 1991 1980
Vacant homes 24.6% 12.5% 10.1%
Population 4,689 10,730,404 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Beaufort

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Beaufort home of $354,900 with 20% down costs about $2,250 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,841, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $96,431 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 51% of the median Beaufort household income of $53,321; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $196,000.

The median rent here is $835 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,415 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$70,980
Loan amount$283,920
Principal and interest$1,910
Property taxes (0.65% a year)$192
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$148
PMI$0
Total per month$2,250

Change the numbers in the calculator

3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$12,422
Loan amount$348,472
Principal and interest$2,344
Property taxes (0.65% a year)$192
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$148
FHA mortgage insurance$157
Total per month$2,841

Change the numbers in the calculator

Questions about home buying in Beaufort

What is the median home value in Beaufort?

About $354,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Beaufort?

Homeowners pay a median $2,291 a year, which is about 0.65% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Beaufort?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,250 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $96,431 a year.

More about Beaufort

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data