{"id":2910,"date":"2026-07-06T17:39:56","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T17:39:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2910"},"modified":"2026-07-06T17:39:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T17:39:56","slug":"nc-coastal-town-ranks-among-the-nations-best-again-why-its-underrated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2910","title":{"rendered":"NC coastal town ranks among the nation\u2019s best \u2014 again. Why it\u2019s \u2018underrated\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n

Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

A North Carolina coastal town has been called a hidden gem \u2014 but it may not be a secret for long.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Incredibly painful\u2019 item was stuck in dead dolphin\u2019s throat, NC researchers find<\/a><\/p>\n

That\u2019s because Beaufort again ranks<\/b> among the nation\u2019s best places for a waterfront getaway. This time around, longtime travel writer Will McGough put the town on a list of the six \u201cmost underrated U.S. coastal destinations to visit this summer<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my more than 15 years of travel writing, I\u2019ve come to realize that smaller coastal destinations offer just as much activity, history and scenery as the big names, but with far fewer crowds, lower prices and a more relaxed attitude,\u201d McGough wrote in a June 1 report for Yahoo Travel.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to know about Beaufort and its recent honors.<\/p>\n

Beaufort, home to<\/a> about 4,500 people, was the only place in North Carolina<\/a> to make it onto the list. The destination is a roughly 150-mile drive southeast from Raleigh, near the popular vacation spots of Atlantic Beach and Emerald Isle.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeaufort, North Carolina, was founded in 1709 and is one of the state\u2019s oldest towns, combining a working waterfront, historic homes and, most importantly in my book, easy access to some of the Atlantic Coast\u2019s least-developed barrier islands,\u201d McGough wrote in the Yahoo Travel report.<\/p>\n

McGough also gave a nod to Beaufort\u2019s waterfront area, calling it \u201ccompact and walkable, and filled with old homes, seafood restaurants and docks overlooking Taylor\u2019s Creek.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not the first time Beaufort has made its mark. The town was named one of the prettiest<\/a> in the South, The News & Observer reported in 2024.<\/p>\n

Read more Dual roundabout project in NW Charlotte to require road closures over coming weeks<\/a><\/p>\n

The honors continued this year, when Beaufort ranked among the nation\u2019s most-loved coastal towns<\/a>, a fan-favorite place<\/a> along the East Coast and a top Southern retirement destination<\/a>. In their write-ups, websites have highlighted features ranging from waterfront restaurants to historic ties to the infamous pirate Blackbeard.<\/p>\n

And in case you\u2019re wondering, the town\u2019s name is pronounced<\/a> \u201cBOW-fert\u201d or \u201cBOH-fert,\u201d unlike a South Carolina that\u2019s spelled the same way, Southern Living reported.<\/p>\n

Peaceful vacation spots<\/a> have made it into the spotlight recently. Earlier this year, the small town of Holden Beach was named North Carolina\u2019s No. 1 place for sand and surf.<\/p>\n

In the report from Yahoo Travel, the winning destinations weren\u2019t published in ranked order. Here are the other places that landed on the nationwide list:<\/p>\n

Portions of this story were previously published<\/a> in The News & Observer.<\/i><\/p>\n

This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 1:11 PM<\/span> with the headline “NC coastal town ranks among the nation\u2019s best \u2014 again. Why it\u2019s \u2018underrated\u2019.” <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Octapharma update: New details for Rock Hill on building plans for $1.5B project<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hidden gem NC waterfront town is on Yahoo Travel list. Fan-favorite, loved North Carolina vacation destination was named a top US place to visit this summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nNC coastal town ranks among the nation\u2019s best \u2014 again. 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