Dr. Beach names Ocracoke beach No. 1, Buxton spot No. 6 in top beaches listing

"Dr. Beach," also known as Stephen Leatherman (the name his mama gave him), recently released his Top 10 U.S. beaches list. At the top? Ocracoke Island's Lifeguard Beach tops the list this year, with Buxton's Lighthouse Beach ranking No. 6.

Leatherman -- an NC State grad -- uses 50 criteria in evaluating 650 public beaches. He examines sand softness, water temperature and clarity, beach width, and even wildlife. 

Leatherman has been compiling his annual list of top 10 beaches every year since 1991.

 Leatherman's list has its origins in a class he taught at the University of Maryland. A student was writing an article for a travel magazine and asked him to come up with a list of the 10 best beaches based on his expertise as a coastal scientist. He began producing his official annual list in 1991 using his 50 criteria and his vast knowledge of U.S. ocean beaches. "I had visited every (ocean) beach in the U.S. for a Department of Interior study ... so that gave me the background data set to work from," he said.

As this article states, a few "beaches in the Carolinas, including this year’s top pick, check off a lot of boxes."

 Congrats to Ocracoke and Buxton!

N.C. beaches continue to earn accolades

We're big fans of "Dr. Beach" and his annual list of the best beaches in America. We are also blessed -- and biased; beaches from North Carolina routinely make the list, and this year is no exception.

"For the third year in a row, an NC beach is making a big splash in national rankings. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach has been ranked as No. 2, same spot from 2019. ...

"Another North Carolina beach, Lighthouse Beach in Buxton on the Outer Banks checks in at No. 5 on Stephen Leatherman’s list."

No. 1 on the list this year was Grayton Beach State Park  -- on the Florida panhandle.

Leatherman, a coastal scientist and professor at Florida International University, has been drafting the list under the alias “Dr. Beach” since 1991.

Leatherman uses 50 criteria to evaluate beaches, with the most important categories being water cleanliness, safety and management of the beach environment and its facilities. Leatherman uses data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to grade the beaches on water quality and has been to all the beaches on his list.

Dr. Beach likes Hatteras

The beach at Cape Hatteras was named the fifth-best beach in the country in an annual survey by Florida International University professor (and NCSU graduate) Steven Leatherman, who is also known by the friendly nickname "Dr. Beach."

Leatherman ranks beaches on 250 criteria, including the look and feel of the sand, water quality, weather, facilities and crowds. A top score is 250.

Leatherman described the beach at Cape Hatteras as "providing some of the best board surfing along the East Coast, as well as the most famous lighthouse in the United States, Cape Hatteras attracts beachgoers to its historic fishing villages."

The best beach in the country is Sarasota's Siesta Beach. ...

San Diego's Coronado Beach was runner-up. Rounding out the top 10 were No. 3, Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii; No. 4, Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.; No. 5, Cape Hatteras in North Carolina; No. 6, St. George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle; No. 7, Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C.; No. 8, Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.; No. 9, Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii, and No. 10, Cape Florida State Park near Miami.

A No. 1 spot on the popular list annual typically brings a 15-to-20-percent boost in visitors for the beach destinations.