The best beach towns in North Carolina
Summer vacation is mostly over across the U.S., with kids already headed back to school. So now is the perfect time to start planning next year's beach vacation.
Travelers were busy during summer 2023. On Memorial Day weekend, largely considered the unofficial start of summer, the Transportation Security Administration screened 9.8 million people, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Trips abroad spiked in popularity as people made up for time lost during pandemic-era travel restrictions.
However, as inflation made travel more expensive, budget-conscious travelers cut costs by driving to their destinations and staying stateside. During the July 4th holiday, AAA projected 43.2 million people would travel by car, a new record.
Beach destinations were popular this year, according to a survey from vacation-rental platform Vacasa, and outdoor recreation remains a top priority. Not only are beaches a great place to unwind and create family bonding moments, but they also boost people's mental health.
So what makes a good beach town? Access to a beach, of course, but also plenty of indoor and outdoor activities to keep kids entertained, warm weather, and a long beach season—the average number of days beaches are open for swimming.
Stacker determined rankings by several factors, giving the most weight to the number of beaches within a quarter mile of a city or town and the total shoreline of those beaches. Weather patterns and the duration of each beach's swim season affect town scores. The ranking also takes into account the prevalence of beach-related businesses, unemployment rates, and median home prices.
Correction
A previous version of this article contained multiple errors in data analysis that skewed the overall ranking of beach towns, including incorrectly identifying the number of beaches in some towns and mischaracterizing some municipalities as beach towns. The article has been updated to correct the errors.
#25. Bald Head Island, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 3
- Beach length: 10.1 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.3 degrees
- Median home price: $930,600
#24. Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 9
- Beach length: 6.95 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.3 degrees
- Median home price: $634,500
#23. Surf City, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 5
- Beach length: 11.46 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $346,700
#22. Hatteras, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 7.1 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $483,300
#21. Rodanthe, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 6.11 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $325,900
#20. Holden Beach, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 10
- Beach length: 10.13 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.3 degrees
- Median home price: $446,300
#19. Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 11
- Beach length: 6.16 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.8 degrees
- Median home price: $826,600
#18. Kure Beach, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 6
- Beach length: 8.31 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.8 degrees
- Median home price: $454,500
#17. Southern Shores, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 5.81 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $514,600
#16. Frisco, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 7.53 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $301,900
#15. Morehead City, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 10
- Beach length: 3.01 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $308,900
#14. Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 7
- Beach length: 8.73 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $461,500
#13. Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 6
- Beach length: 8.06 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $465,600
#12. Buxton, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 9.4 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $333,500
#11. Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 3
- Beach length: 7.29 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $373,200
#10. Salvo, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 3
- Beach length: 8.09 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $325,900
#9. Carolina Beach, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 5
- Beach length: 5.13 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.8 degrees
- Median home price: $409,400
#8. North Topsail Beach, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 10
- Beach length: 13.38 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.7 degrees
- Median home price: $384,700
#7. Avon, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 8.53 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $263,600
#6. Beaufort, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 7
- Beach length: 2.75 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $234,300
#5. Ocracoke, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 4
- Beach length: 16.02 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.7 degrees
- Median home price: $371,400
#4. Nags Head, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 9
- Beach length: 13.93 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $336,900
#3. Oak Island, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 14
- Beach length: 10.87 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.3 degrees
- Median home price: $283,500
#2. Emerald Isle, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 10
- Beach length: 17.69 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $441,900
#1. Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 8
- Beach length: 7.76 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $271,200
