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METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Hilton Head Island Metro

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC · 2 counties · 215,908 residents · 1,231 sq mi
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The short version

Hilton Head Island is home to 215,908 people. The median age is 46.7, about 8 years above the US median. The population has risen by half since 2000, adding 74,293 people. 74% of homes are owner-occupied. About 39% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The foreign-born share is 8%.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 46.7
US median: 38.8
More educated
39% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 26%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
215,908
+52%since 2000
from 141,615 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
175 / sq mi
+52%since 2000
from 115 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
46.7
+32%since 2000
from 35.5 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,231 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
89K127K165K202K240K19902000201020202024Hilton Head Island
2024227K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.7%(10,222)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.2%(11,297)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 145.5%(11,917)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.6%(14,255)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.1%(13,211)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3410.3%(22,273)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 449.9%(21,268)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5410.2%(21,918)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.9%(29,954)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7416.3%(35,268)
US avg: 10%
75 to 848.9%(19,127)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.4%(5,198)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$68,029
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $44,617 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$38,912
+64%since 2000
from $23,739 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
45.0%
+11.8 ptssince 2009
from 33.2% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
10.6%
−1.5 ptssince 2000
from 12.1% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information14.9%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade9.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services5.9%
US avg: 6.6%
Retail trade5.8%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance3.7%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical2.9%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration2.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.4%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.1%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$289,518
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $153,031 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,204
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $661 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
74.3%
+0.5 ptssince 2000
from 73.9% in 2000
25.7% rent
Persons per household
2.52 people
+1%since 2009
from 2.48 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
4.2
−18%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.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic64.7%(139,760)
Black17.2%(37,104)
Hispanic / Latino13.2%(28,490)
Asian1.2%(2,568)
Other2.6%(5,567)
Segregation Score
42
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
Mexican5.9%(13,014)
Central American1.9%(4,257)
Puerto Rican1.3%(2,922)
South American1.2%(2,701)
Honduran1.1%(2,337)
Guatemalan0.5%(1,098)
Colombian0.4%(897)
Cuban0.3%(726)
Costa Rican0.3%(513)
Bolivian0.2%(363)
Venezuelan0.2%(335)
Spaniard0.1%(264)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(250)
Uruguayan0.1%(249)
Argentine0.1%(213)
Salvadoran0.1%(189)
Dominican0.1%(186)
Nicaraguan0%(106)
Chilean0%(72)
Asian origin
Filipino0.3%(522)
Thai0.2%(394)
Vietnamese0.2%(311)
Chinese0.1%(265)
Asian Indian0.1%(257)
Korean0.1%(251)
Japanese0.1%(228)
Laotian0.1%(27)
Taiwanese0%(24)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(82)
Samoan0%(19)
Ancestry
German12.5%(27,350)
Irish11.8%(25,825)
English10.5%(22,976)
American6.1%(13,298)
Italian5.3%(11,667)
French2.4%(5,366)
Polish2.2%(4,926)
Scottish2.2%(4,860)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(3,012)
Dutch1.3%(2,863)
British1%(2,111)
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.9%(1,920)
Norwegian0.9%(1,872)
French Canadian0.8%(1,730)
Russian0.7%(1,493)
Hungarian0.6%(1,367)
Welsh0.6%(1,363)
West Indian0.6%(1,212)
Jamaican0.3%(766)
Greek0.3%(590)
Swiss0.2%(545)
Danish0.2%(500)
Portuguese0.2%(495)
Ukrainian0.2%(491)
Lebanese0.2%(481)
Austrian0.2%(477)
Canadian0.2%(472)
Lithuanian0.2%(449)
Romanian0.2%(435)
Czech0.2%(426)
Finnish0.2%(408)
Slovak0.2%(396)
Armenian0.1%(173)
Guyanese0.1%(171)
Iranian0.1%(143)
Croatian0.1%(132)
Belgian0.1%(131)
Serbian0%(105)
Slovene0%(67)
Barbadian0%(54)
Latvian0%(52)
Bulgarian0%(49)
Ethiopian0%(47)
Nigerian0%(47)
Turkish0%(46)
Syrian0%(28)
Arab0%(24)
Brazilian0%(24)
Haitian0%(22)
Egyptian0%(21)
Ghanaian0%(21)
Israeli0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
39.3%
+9.6 ptssince 2000
from 29.6% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
92.5%
+8.0 ptssince 2000
from 84.5% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
16.1%
+5.8 ptssince 2000
from 10.3% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.7 min
+38%since 2000
from 17.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
78.4%
+4.2 ptssince 2009
from 74.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.3%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.0%
−3.8 ptssince 2011
from 8.8% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
56.0%
−5.2 ptssince 2011
from 61.2% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
70.0%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
35.0%
+5.0 ptssince 2009
from 30.0% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.2%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 50.1% in 2009
Female
50.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
Foreign born
8.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
10.2%
−8.0 ptssince 2013
from 18.2% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
93.9%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
85.7%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
10.2%
−8.0 ptssince 2013
from 18.2% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
47.5%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
20.1%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
28.6%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
14.9%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
3.7%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
69.4%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
41.4%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)19.4%(3,962)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)20.2%(4,118)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era38.9%(7,928)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War9.5%(1,942)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.5%(520)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 20,397 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+20%
Home value$585,800+102%
Population236,392−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HILTON HEAD ISLAND VS
Appleton
Income$85,875+26%
Home value$268,786−7%
Population249,876+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HILTON HEAD ISLAND VS
Lebanon
Income$83,244+22%
Home value$307,461+6%
Population224,500−8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HILTON HEAD ISLAND VS
Gainesville
Income$80,901+19%
Home value$350,400+21%
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 215,908 residents according to the 2020 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 $68,029 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 $289,518, and the typical rent is about $1,204 a month.

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

About 39.3% 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 10.6% 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 113,996 residents, a change of about 112 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 →