Aurora is a tiny town with a dedicated population and the county’s largest employer
Located along the Pamlico River, just off N.C. Highway 33 in Beaufort County, is the tiny town of Aurora. This community of around 450 people – which has shrunk from its still-modest number of just under 700 in the 1980s – has deep roots. “A lot of people who are from here are very proud of their heritage and where they’re from,” says Georgia Brown, a local Realtor at Century 21 The Realty Group Washington. Although the town's small population has often struggled to retain businesses, locals take pride in Aurora’s beautiful location and institutions like the Aurora Fossil Museum. Most of the specimens displayed here were found at Aurora’s phosphate mine, the county’s largest employer.
Aurora Fossil Museum and small businesses anchor the community
Aurora has a Dollar General, but the closest major grocery stores are the Walmart and Food Lion 15 miles south in Grantsboro. Aurora does have two restaurants: Frank & Shirley’s and Wayside. Both serve diner-style American meals, including breakfast platters, sandwiches and fried seafood. Aurora’s historic downtown area is home to businesses and institutions such as the Hazel W. Guilford Memorial Library, The Blue Crab Boutique, Aurora United Methodist Church and Aurora Fossil Museum.
The Aurora Fossil Museum displays geological artifacts from the region and has educational resources about the town’s history. Each year, the museum hosts the Aurora Fossil Festival. This two-day event includes fossil and mining equipment displays, magic shows, a 5K “fossil run” and many more activities. “People come from all over to see it,” Brown says. “Kids can dig for fossils in the front pit. They love the shark teeth.”
Plans to expand Aurora’s dwindling shopping and dining options
Several storefronts downtown stand vacant, and the town lost its only grocery store and bank in recent years. However, there has been some movement towards revitalization. There are plans to reopen a shuttered medical clinic, and some property owners have applied for grants to restore buildings along Main Street. The town also began construction on a new Industrial Park in 2025, hoping to attract more businesses and jobs. The site will also be home to a satellite location of Beaufort County Community College.
Working at the phosphate mine and commuting to Greenville
Beaufort County’s largest employer, Nutrien, is on the northern side of Aurora. This fertilizer company mines and refines phosphate, employing about 1,000 people. “One thing noticeable to me,” Brown says, “is the sulfur smell from all the fertilizer there. It’s in and out.”
For those commuting elsewhere, Greenville is about 45 miles northwest, and Washington is about 30 miles northwest. “A lot of people who aren’t retirees do commute to Greenville,” Brown says. Drivers can get to either town via N.C. Highway 33. Greenville is home to East Carolina University and ECU Health Medical Center, and Washington has ECU Health Beaufort Hospital. Greenville is also has Pitt-Greenville Airport, a small airport with regional flights to Charlotte.
Homes in town, on the water or on acres of farmland
In town, Aurora’s properties include historic cottages and farmhouses from the early 1900s, as well as ranch-style houses built later in the 20th century. Many of these properties are on the town’s loosely gridded streets, within walking distance of the area’s few businesses. On the outskirts, houses sit on more land, usually among farms or tucked away on wooded lots. Still, other homes have waterfront views with private boat ramps on the Pamlico. Turnkey properties usually sell for between $100,000 and $200,000. Properties in need of significant rehabbing can cost less, while waterfront or very large homes can go for up to $500,000. Aurora has a CAP Index crime score of 1, much lower than the national average of 4.
Beaufort County Schools serving Aurora
Public school students in Aurora currently attend the S.W. Snowden School, a pre-K through eighth grade facility with a C-plus from Niche. However, the Beaufort County School Board of Education voted in March 2025 to tentatively close the school due to declining enrollment and budget downsizing. If the school closes, students would be bussed to A-minus-rated Chocowinity Primary and B-rated Chocowinity Middle School starting at the 2025-2026 school year. The Chocowinity schools are about 25 miles from Aurora. Either way, students in Aurora will complete their education at B-rated Southside High School in Chocowinity. The high school has several clubs, including Future Farmers of America, Battle of the Books and Distinguished Men of Purpose.
Recreation includes fishing and boating on the Pamlico River
The grounds of the S.W. Snowden School have public basketball courts, a baseball field and a community garden. On the far eastern outskirts of Aurora, Goose Creek Game Land has fishing and hunting areas, with densely wooded swampy areas intersected by the Pamlico River. Locals can also fish or launch boats onto the river from the Aurora Wildlife Ramp, just off the small downtown area. The vast Pamlico River leads into the intracoastal waterway. Aurora’s low-lying terrain on the water does, however, make some properties vulnerable to flooding. Hurricane season in eastern North Carolina is between June and November.
Written By
Faith Wakefield
