Atlantic is a remote community along the Core Sound
Atlantic is a relatively remote, unincorporated community in northeast Carteret County, framed by the Core Sound and small bays. With few waterfront properties and a population of over 500 residents, the community is coastal to its core and rural by nature. It often serves as a jumping-off point to reach the North Core Banks and is within reach of Ocracoke Island of the Outer Banks. The community is also near busier towns but stays pretty quiet. “It’s a bit of a slower way of life than in Morehead City,” says Alan Leary, a Carteret County native and Realtor with RE/MAX Ocean Properties. “It’s lower in elevation, but it’s got some really pretty marsh, river and sound views.” It’s also home to the Marine Corps Outlying Landing Field (MCOLF) Atlantic. The facility opened in 1942 and is still active, overseeing training activities and rotary-ring operations.
Homes rarely pop up on the market
Homes rarely go on the market in Atlantic. Two homes sold in 2024 with prices ranging from $170,000 for about 1,200 square feet to $195,000 for a nearly 1,500 square foot home. The community mainly has a mix of bungalows, cottages and ranch-style homes built across the 20th century. New construction is minimal, but plots of land occasionally pop up on the market. A plot just over a half-acre sold for $12,000 in early 2025, while a half-acre property along the Core Sound sold for $260,000. “There’s actually more square mileage of water and marsh in Carteret County than buildable land,” Leary says. “So, we’re starting to run out of places for housing.”
Carteret County Public Schools earn high remarks on Niche
Carteret County Public Schools scores an overall A-minus on Niche and serves over 8,000 students. Atlantic Elementary School, located in the community’s heart, has an A-minus, and Down East Middle School has a B-plus. Students at the B-rated East Carteret High School can earn a Career College Promise or an Occupational diploma by taking career and technical education courses along specialized career pathways. The high school is also about 26 miles from the community, typically taking 35 minutes.
Hopping in the Core Sound and exploring the North Carolina banks
Atlantic has a couple of public spots to access the Core Sound, including Drum Inlet. While locals often own their boats, charters like Jumpin’ Mullet also take people around the Core Banks for fishing or sightseeing. “A lot of the neighborhoods here were built around commercial fishing,” Leary says. “There is still fishing there, just not as much commercially.” The “Donza Lee” ferry boat comes in and out of the Morris Marina Ferry, taking cars and passengers to the North Core Banks. Established in 1964, the Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge sprawls across 11,000 acres of undeveloped and undisturbed coastal marshes. It’s home to thousands of ducks and birds, including the state’s largest population of Eastern Black Rail. Highway 12 cuts through the heart of the refuge, offering panoramic views of the marshes and wildlife.
Local restaurants offer fresh seafood
White Point Take-Out is a locally owned restaurant that operates out of a small blue shed with a white-painted window and a bright-red open sign. In addition to burgers and hot dogs, they serve seafood plates with clam strips or crab cakes and sides ranging from collard greens to coleslaw. Wild Will’s Revenge also has a seafood menu, plus a full-service bar. “A lot of restaurants around here have seafood specials,” says Andi Darden, marketing manager for Mary Cheatham King Real Estate. “The seafood is caught the same day and always delicious.” Island’s Choice is a small convenience market on Cedar Island Road with snacks and a few grocery essentials, and a Dollar General is along Highway 70. Big-box stores like Food Lion and Piggly Wiggly are about 30 miles away.
Hopping on U.S. Route 70
Atlantic is a car-dependent community surrounded by water on most sides and connected to town by one road. Beaufort is about 30 miles southwest on U.S. Route 70, and Morehead City is a 34-mile trip. For those traveling by water, there are plenty of places to dock along Taylor Creek in Beaufort. Carteret Health Care is one of the nearest hospitals, about 35 miles from the heart of Atlantic. The Coastal Carolina Regional Airport is around 62 miles away.
Written By
Brennen Martin
