Beaufort County, the waterfront capital of North Carolina, provides a solid business environment in a delightful coastal setting. Beaufort County is home to historic waterfront communities including the Town of Bath, which in 1705 became the first incorporated town in North Carolina. With its miles and miles of waterfront property, Beaufort County was selected by English Colonists for the many of the same reasons people choose to move here today, agreeable climate, vast expanses of oak and pine forests, abundant shoreline, and rich natural resources. Manufacturers have chosen to locate here because of the lack of bumper-to-bumper traffic, reasonable tax rates, strategic location, capable workforce and attractive incentives.