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METRO AREA

Hilton Head Island Metro

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC · 2 counties · 242,966 residents (2025 est.) · 1,231 sq mi
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The short version

With 227,455 people, Hilton Head Island is a metro area. The median age is 47.7, about 9 years above the US median. The population has risen by half since 2000, adding 85,840 people. That puts it in the top 3% of US metro areas for household income. 76% of homes are owner-occupied. About 43% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 47.7
US median: 38.9
More educated
43% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 57%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
227,455
+61%since 2000
from 141,615 in 2000
242,966 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
185 / sq mi
+61%since 2000
from 115 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
47.7
+34%since 2000
from 35.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,231 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
89K127K165K202K240K19902000201020202024Hilton Head Island
2024227K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.7%(10,779)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.4%(10,070)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.2%(11,852)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196%(13,667)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.6%(14,947)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3410.7%(24,352)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410%(22,853)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.2%(23,213)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.4%(32,862)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7416.2%(36,736)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 849.1%(20,701)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.4%(5,423)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$83,609
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $44,617 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$51,125
+115%since 2000
from $23,739 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
55.1%
+21.9 ptssince 2009
from 33.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.8%
−1.3 ptssince 2000
from 12.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.475
+1%since 2010
from 0.470 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade9.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services7.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade6.2%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance4.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration4.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical3.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$437,202
+57%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $153,031 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,607
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $661 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
76.1%
+2.2 ptssince 2000
from 73.9% in 2000
23.9% rent
Vacancy rate
18.9%
−7.5 ptssince 2009
from 26.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.29 people
−8%since 2009
from 2.48 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
25.0%
−10.6 ptssince 2009
from 35.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
45.8%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 44.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.2
+2%since 2009
from 5.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
68
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic63.4%(89,851)
Black27.9%(39,506)
Hispanic / Latino6.6%(9,398)
Asian0.7%(1,027)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic64.3%(146,314)
Black17.9%(40,826)
Hispanic / Latino13.1%(29,829)
Asian1%(2,354)
Other3.6%(8,132)
Diversity Score
66
+3%since 2009
from 64 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
39
−8%since 2020
from 42 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican6.5%(14,798)
Central American2.3%(5,209)
Puerto Rican1.9%(4,334)
South American1.3%(2,958)
Honduran1.1%(2,525)
Salvadoran0.5%(1,039)
Colombian0.5%(1,037)
Guatemalan0.4%(879)
Venezuelan0.3%(570)
Cuban0.2%(469)
Nicaraguan0.2%(465)
Argentine0.2%(404)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Uruguayan0.2%(388)
Bolivian0.1%(326)
Spaniard0.1%(325)
Dominican0.1%(298)
Costa Rican0.1%(210)
Peruvian0.1%(99)
Chilean0%(67)
Asian origin
Filipino0.3%(606)
Vietnamese0.3%(603)
Chinese0.2%(480)
Japanese0.1%(263)
Korean0.1%(128)
Asian Indian0.1%(115)
Thai0%(92)
Hmong0%(83)
Nepalese0%(45)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(15)
Samoan0%(11)
Ancestry
German12.7%(28,983)
English12.6%(28,550)
Irish11.7%(26,540)
Italian6%(13,681)
American5.7%(12,993)
Polish2.5%(5,629)
French2.4%(5,456)
Scottish2.4%(5,373)
Scotch-Irish1.3%(2,871)
Dutch1.1%(2,608)
Swedish1%(2,294)
Norwegian0.9%(1,970)
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.7%(1,666)
West Indian0.6%(1,420)
Welsh0.6%(1,370)
Arab0.5%(1,096)
Jamaican0.5%(1,092)
Hungarian0.5%(1,066)
French Canadian0.5%(1,053)
Greek0.4%(867)
Ukrainian0.4%(850)
Slovak0.4%(832)
Czech0.3%(764)
Canadian0.3%(745)
British0.3%(697)
Danish0.3%(591)
Lebanese0.3%(579)
Portuguese0.3%(569)
Finnish0.2%(461)
Lithuanian0.2%(429)
Austrian0.2%(406)
Swiss0.2%(401)
Croatian0.1%(211)
Brazilian0.1%(189)
Iranian0.1%(159)
Romanian0.1%(147)
Armenian0.1%(136)
Ethiopian0.1%(115)
Guyanese0%(110)
Slovene0.1%(101)
Moroccan0%(84)
Syrian0%(77)
Haitian0%(74)
Turkish0%(61)
Belgian0%(54)
Bulgarian0%(50)
Serbian0%(44)
Egyptian0%(38)
Barbadian0.1%(34)
Latvian0%(15)
Iraqi0%(14)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
43.2%
+13.5 ptssince 2000
from 29.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.2%
+9.6 ptssince 2000
from 84.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
17.6%
+7.3 ptssince 2000
from 10.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.3 min
+42%since 2000
from 17.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
72.3%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 74.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
10.7%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 13.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.6%
+6.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.3%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.9%
−5.9 ptssince 2011
from 8.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
55.8%
−5.4 ptssince 2011
from 61.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
69.5%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 70.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
10.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
38.3%
+8.3 ptssince 2009
from 30.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.6%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.1% in 2009
Female
50.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
Foreign born
8.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
10.5%
−5.6 ptssince 2009
from 16.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.5%
+1.5 ptssince 2012
from 12.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
9.3%
−8.9 ptssince 2013
from 18.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.9%
+13.5 ptssince 2017
from 79.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.6%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 93.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
85.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 85.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
87.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2016
from 87.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
9.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2016
from 9.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married31%(29,795)
Married58.3%(55,951)
Widowed2.8%(2,729)
Divorced7.8%(7,520)
Women 15+
Never married21.6%(21,307)
Married58.7%(57,975)
Widowed8.6%(8,530)
Divorced11.1%(10,947)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.3%
−8.9 ptssince 2013
from 18.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
46.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 47.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
21.5%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 20.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
29.9%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 28.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
14.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 14.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 3.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
69.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 69.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
42.2%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 41.4% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)25.2%(4,715)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23.9%(4,467)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.5%(7,202)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.3%(798)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(187)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 18,720 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro

Largest cities

Hilton Head IslandCENTRAL38,196BlufftonCENTRAL36,807Port RoyalCENTRAL16,648Hardeeville16,459BeaufortCENTRAL15,775Burton6,912Laurel Bay5,882Ridgeland3,818Shell Point1,439Yemassee1,145Seabrook799Fripp Island752Daufuskie Island619Sheldon610Dale411Gillisonville378Harbor Island303Lobeco109Coosawhatchie43
What's inside

2 component counties

Beaufort CountyCENTRAL204,433Jasper County38,533
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Hilton Head Island

Bellingham
Pop 236,392
Appleton
Pop 249,876
Lebanon
Pop 224,500
Gainesville
Pop 226,568
Places similar to Hilton Head Island
Head to head

Compare Hilton Head Island side by side

HILTON HEAD ISLAND VS
Bellingham
Income$81,784−2%
Home value$585,800+34%
Population236,392−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HILTON HEAD ISLAND VS
Appleton
Income$85,875+3%
Home value$268,786−39%
Population249,876+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HILTON HEAD ISLAND VS
Lebanon
Income$83,244same
Home value$307,461−30%
Population224,500−8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HILTON HEAD ISLAND VS
Gainesville
Income$80,901−3%
Home value$350,400−20%
Population226,568−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC has about 227,455 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

The typical household in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC earns about $83,609 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC expensive?

In Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC, the median home is worth about $437,202, and the typical rent is about $1,607 a month.

How educated are people in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

About 43.2% of adults age 25 and over in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

About 10.8% of people in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC live below the federal poverty line.

Has Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC grown since 1990?

Yes, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC has grown since 1990. The population has added about 125,543 residents, a change of about 123 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC: population, income & housing data · CensusEasy