Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Beaufort, North Carolina
A $320,000 home here costs
$2,403per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,645. The real number is $758 higher every month — 46% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Beaufort against Carteret County and North Carolina
| Measure | Beaufort | Carteret County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $319,700 | $304,200 |
| Median property tax | $2,060 | $1,369 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.644% | 0.450% |
| Median gross rent | $862 | $1,062 |
| Population | 4,613 | 68,652 |
The weather behind that power bill
Beaufort sits in Carteret County, which averages a high of 86.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 37.5°F in its coldest, with 55.68" of precipitation a year and 39% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,977 cooling and 2,378 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Carteret County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Carteret County
Full Carteret County cost breakdown · Every county in North Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Beaufort?
A $320,000 home in Beaufort, North Carolina costs approximately $2,403 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,645 principal and interest, $172 property tax, $116 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $267 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Beaufort?
Beaufort has an effective property tax rate of 0.644%, based on a median home value of $319,700 and median real estate taxes of $2,060. That is higher than the Carteret County average of 0.450%.
What is the average home price in Beaufort?
The median owner-occupied home value in Beaufort, North Carolina is $319,700, against $304,200 across Carteret County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Beaufort?
Median gross rent in Beaufort is $862 a month, against $2,403 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Beaufort — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for North Carolina.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.