Atlantic Beach is a very small coastal town (ie. on the ocean or tidally-influenced rivers) located in the state of North Carolina. With a population of 1,811 people and three constituent neighborhoods, Atlantic Beach is the 318th largest community in North Carolina.

Atlantic Beach is neither predominently blue-collar or white-collar, instead having a mixed workforce of both blue-collar and white-collar jobs. Overall, Atlantic Beach is a town of sales and office workers, professionals, and managers. There are especially a lot of people living in Atlantic Beach who work in sales jobs (19.94%), office and administrative support jobs (15.46%), and management occupations (13.54%).

There are quite a few people in the armed forces living in Atlantic Beach, and when you visit or drive around town, you will see military people in and out of uniform, shopping, enjoying life, and being part of the community.

Atlantic Beach is a major vacation destination. Much of the town's population is seasonal: many people own second homes and only live there part-time, during the vacation season. The effect on the local economy is that many of the businesses are dependant on tourist dollars, and may operate only during the high season. As the vacation season ends, Atlantic Beach's population drops significantly, such that year-round residents will notice that the city is a much quieter place to live.

The town is also nautical, which means that parts of Atlantic Beach are somewhat historic and bounded by the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and tidal rivers. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.

Atlantic Beach is a very car-oriented town. 96.57% of residents commute to work in a private automobile rather than by other means, such as public transit, bicycling, or walking. This is because Atlantic Beach is a small town, and most people who live here have to drive out of town for work, and the town population is not large nor dense enough to support an extensive public transportation system. Atlantic Beach has a lot of rural roads, and houses can be far apart. Many residents drive out of town for regular shopping trips as well.

Atlantic Beach Information and Demographics

The education level of Atlantic Beach citizens is substantially higher than the average US city or town, as 30.68% of adults in Atlantic Beach have at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Atlantic Beach in 2000 was $31,339, which is wealthy relative to North Carolina and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $125,356 for a family of four.

The people who call Atlantic Beach home come from a variety of different races and ancestries. The most prevalent race in Atlantic Beach is White, followed by African-American. Important ancestries of people in Atlantic Beach include English, German, Irish, Scotch-Irish, Scottish, Italian, and French.

The most common language spoken in Atlantic Beach is English.