Bluffton vs Beaufort, SC

Both towns are in Beaufort County, so they share the county school district and the county’s property tax rules, and the town of Bluffton and the city of Beaufort each add their own. See Beaufort County property taxes for how the bills work.

Bluffton was a village of about one square mile until 1998. Then it annexed Palmetto Bluff and other big tracts, and it now covers more than 50 square miles and grew by about 30 percent between 2020 and 2024. Most of what you see was built since: gated golf and river communities, newer neighborhoods along Bluffton Parkway and Buckwalter Parkway, and shopping centers along US 278.

Old Town Bluffton keeps the older village, with galleries, restaurants and oaks on the May River. The draw for most people moving here is location: Hilton Head’s beaches, golf and restaurants are across the bridges, and Savannah and its airport are under an hour away. More in living in Bluffton.

Beaufort is the older town, settled long before Bluffton grew, with a downtown that is a National Historic Landmark. Life centers on Bay Street and the waterfront park along the Beaufort River, and the antebellum houses of the Point are a short walk away. Penn Center on St. Helena Island and the beach and lighthouse at Hunting Island are across the bridges to the east.

It is also a military town: Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and the Parris Island recruit depot are just outside the city, so many families arrive on orders. It is smaller and quieter than Bluffton, and farther from Hilton Head and Savannah. Our Beaufort day trip guide shows what a visit looks like.

Bluffton has more new construction than anywhere nearby: production builders in communities like New Riverside, gated golf and river clubs like Belfair and Palmetto Bluff, and 55-and-over communities led by Sun City Hilton Head. Beaufort’s homes are older on average, from historic houses downtown to neighborhoods on Lady’s Island and the sea islands across the bridges, with more waterfront and fewer golf clubs.

To shop Bluffton, start with Bluffton real estate and its live listings, or talk to one of the Bluffton realtors. Many agents sell in both towns.

From Old Town Bluffton it is about 15 miles to Coligny Beach on Hilton Head, about 24 miles to downtown Savannah and about 28 to the Savannah/Hilton Head airport. From downtown Beaufort the nearest beach is Hunting Island, about 17 miles, while Savannah is about 43 miles and the airport about 48, an hour or a little more. The two towns are about 29 miles apart, around 40 minutes on SC 170.

Choose Bluffton if you want Hilton Head’s beaches and golf close by, an easy run to Savannah and its airport, newer homes, or a 55-and-over or gated golf community. Choose Beaufort if you want a historic small town with a walkable downtown on the water, a slower pace, or you are stationed at the air station or Parris Island. Spend a day in each before you decide: they feel more different than the 40-minute drive between them suggests.