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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Hilton Head Island, SC Real Estate Market

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:
  • Home Values, Rents: Reflects Q4 2023. Updated quarterly.
  • Setting, Housing Stock, Homeownership: 2022 (latest available). Updated annually.

Methodology:   NeighborhoodScout uses over 600 characteristics to build a neighborhood profile… Read more about Scout's Real Estate Data

Hilton Head Island, SC Housing Market Trends

With 38,069 people, 17,126 houses or apartments, and a median cost of homes of $1,105,138, Hilton Head Island house prices are not only among the most expensive in South Carolina, Hilton Head Island real estate also is some of the most expensive in all of America.

Single-family detached homes are the single most common housing type in Hilton Head Island, accounting for 48.34% of the town's housing units. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Hilton Head Island include large apartment complexes or high rise apartments ( 35.11%), row houses and other attached homes ( 6.25%), and a few duplexes, homes converted to apartments or other small apartment buildings ( 5.57%).

Owner-occupied, three and four bedroom dwellings, primarily in single-family detached homes are the most prevalent type of housing you will see in Hilton Head Island. Owner-occupied housing accounts for 80.25% of Hilton Head Island's homes, and 54.13% have either three or four bedrooms, which is average sized relative to America.

There is a lot of housing in Hilton Head Island built from 1970 to 1999 so parts of town may have that "Brady Bunch" look of homes popular in the '70s and early '80s, although some of these houses were built up through the early '90s as well. There is also a lot of housing in Hilton Head Island built between 2000 and later ( 18.23%). A lesser amount of the housing stock also hails from between 1940-1969 ( 3.74%).

A decent proportion of the Hilton Head Island housing stock is seasonally occupied. That is, homes and condos in Hilton Head Island are occupied by people for a portion of the year - mainly for vacation purposes - and then locked up and left unoccupied for the remainder of the year as owners return to their primary residences. This characteristic of the Hilton Head Island housing market speaks to its popularity as a vacation location of choice.

Hilton Head Island Home Appreciation Rates

In the last 10 years, Hilton Head Island has experienced some of the highest home appreciation rates of any community in the nation. Hilton Head Island real estate appreciated 163.00% over the last ten years, which is an average annual home appreciation rate of 10.15%, putting Hilton Head Island in the top 10% nationally for real estate appreciation. If you are a home buyer or real estate investor, Hilton Head Island definitely has a track record of being one of the best long term real estate investments in America through the last ten years.

Appreciation rates are so strong in Hilton Head Island that despite a nationwide downturn in the housing market, Hilton Head Island real estate has continued to appreciate in value faster than most communities. Looking at just the latest twelve months, Hilton Head Island appreciation rates continue to be some of the highest in America, at 14.38%, which is higher than appreciation rates in 99.48% of the cities and towns in the nation. Based on the last twelve months, short-term real estate investors have found good fortune in Hilton Head Island. Hilton Head Island appreciation rates in the latest quarter were at 5.87%, which equates to an annual appreciation rate of 25.65%.

Importantly, NeighborhoodScout’s exclusive research found that Hilton Head Island's housing market shows one of the <a href="/blog/highest-appreciating-cities">top real estate appreciation rates in the U.S.A.</a> in the latest quarter, which may signal the city’s near-future real estate investment strength.

Relative to South Carolina, our data show that Hilton Head Island's latest annual appreciation rate is higher than 90% of the other cities and towns in South Carolina.

One very important thing to keep in mind is that these are average appreciation rates for the town. Individual neighborhoods within Hilton Head Island differ in their investment potential, sometimes by a great deal. Fortunately, you can use NeighborhoodScout to pinpoint the exact neighborhoods in Hilton Head Island - or in any city or town - that have the best track record of real estate appreciation, by the latest quarter, the last year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, or even since 2000, to assist you in making the best Hilton Head Island real estate investment or home purchase decisions.

Average Home Values

Median Home Value

$1,105,138

Hilton Head Island, SC Home Prices
> $1,730,000
$1,298,001 - $1,730,000
$865,001 - $1,298,000
$692,001 - $865,000
$519,001 - $692,000
$346,001 - $519,000
$173,001 - $346,000
$87,001 - $173,000
$0 - $87,000
19.3%
19.3%
14.9%
14.9%
23.5%
23.5%
11.5%
11.5%
8.3%
8.3%
7.9%
7.9%
8.4%
8.4%
2.5%
2.5%
3.6%
3.6%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes
Very High

for South carolina

Very High

for nation

Number of Homes And Apartments:

17,126

Hilton Head Island Appreciation Rates

Rent & Ownership

Average Market Rent:

$3,153 / per month

Homeownership Rate

Owners
Renters
80.3%
80.3%
19.7%
19.7%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Vacancy Rate

Vacant
Occupied
43.4%
43.4%
56.6%
56.6%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Housing Market Details

Age of Homes

2000 or Newer
1970 - 1999
1940 - 1969
1939 or Older
18.2%
18.2%
77.9%
77.9%
3.7%
3.7%
0.1%
0.1%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Types of Homes

Single-Family
Townhomes
Small Apt. Buildings
Apt. Complexes
Mobile Homes
Other
48.3%
48.3%
6.2%
6.2%
5.6%
5.6%
35.1%
35.1%
4.7%
4.7%
0.0%
0.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Home Size

No Bedroom
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 or more bedrooms
2.1%
2.1%
6.9%
6.9%
31.3%
31.3%
36.9%
36.9%
17.2%
17.2%
5.5%
5.5%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes