The NC coast is home to one of South’s best small towns, magazine says. Here’s where
A coastal North Carolina destination is one of the best small towns in the South, new rankings show.
Southern Living magazine named Beaufort to a list of places in the region that people should visit in 2022, according to results shared March 8.
The North Carolina town ranked No. 5 after the magazine said more than 23,000 people were asked to rate their favorite Southern destinations. The agency M&RR conducted the online survey from July to September 2021.
“No one knows this region better than the Southern Living audience, and that’s why we tap into their experiences and solicit their opinions every year to determine the South’s Best,” Sid Evans, editor in chief of Southern Living, said in a news release. “This year’s deeply reported list is our most comprehensive yet, with some surprising new favorites as well as the classics that keep reinventing themselves.”
Beaufort was the only small town in North Carolina to earn a top 10 spot. Southern Living praised the destination for having a laid-back atmosphere and boasting waterfront scenery.
“In a stretch known as the Crystal Coast ... is a walkable and bikeable small town that invites you to relax and stay awhile,” the magazine said.
Beaufort was established in 1709 and calls itself the state’s third-oldest town.
“Originally a fishing village and port of safety dating from the late 1600s, Beaufort has been visited by patriots, privateers, merchants, and skilled craftsmen who built Bahamian and West Indian-style homes and public buildings,” the town said on its website. “Approximately 150 of the restored historic homes bear plaques noting names of the Town’s earliest known owners and dates of original construction.”
Today, Beaufort is also home to a maritime museum, the Olde Beaufort Farmers Market and other attractions. Nearby are popular Outer Banks destinations and the Shackleford Banks, where wild horses live, according to the National Park Service.
Though Beaufort received a nod this year, one of the state’s other small towns was recognized in 2021.
The Eastern North Carolina town of New Bern was named on a list of places that Southern Living said have a “strong sense of place and presence, no matter how little square footage they actually hold,” McClatchy News reported in March 2021.
This time around, the South’s top-ranking small town was Beaufort, South Carolina. Also making the top five were Williamsburg, Virginia; Fairhope, Alabama; and Fredericksburg, Texas.
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 10:37 AM with the headline "The NC coast is home to one of South’s best small towns, magazine says. Here’s where."
