Some of us in Beaufort County can now officially say we live in the South’s best small town

Residents of Beaufort now have a sick burn to throw at the people who mistakenly call us “Bow-fort”: “Who? Oh ... you mean the No. 5 best small town? I got confused because we’re Byu-fort ... aka‘No. 1 best small town in the South.’”

Southern Living magazine announced its first ever Best Awards, a collection of Top 10 lists that include Best Bar, Best Restaurant and Best Small Town, on Tuesday morning.

The city of Beaufort is at the very tippy top of the Best Small Town list, with this description:

“Beaufort is more than a vacation spot or a photo op,” writes novelist Cassandra King. “It’s literally and figuratively halfway between Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia—not as grand as Charleston or as funky as Savannah but a homey, comfortable in between.” (FYI, it’s pronounced “BEW-fert.”)

Other towns on the list are:

2. Fredericksburg, Texas

3. Charlottesville, Va.

4. Dahlonega, Ga.

5. Beaufort, N.C.

6. Fernandina Beach, Fla.

7. Auburn, Ala.

8. Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

9. Florence, Ala.

10. Madison. Ga.

This story was originally published March 14, 2017 at 11:12 AM with the headline "Some of us in Beaufort County can now officially say we live in the South’s best small town."