Moving to Hilton Head Island: Is It a Good Place to Live?
About 38,000 people live on Hilton Head year-round, many of them retirees. They come for the beaches, the golf and South Carolina’s low taxes on retirees, and weigh that against the price of homes, insurance and the hurricane season.
Is Hilton Head a Good Place to Live?
- Year-round residents
- about 38,000
- Typical house for sale
- about $1.65 million
- Typical condo for sale
- about $439,000
- Social Security
- not taxed by South Carolina
- Hurricane season
- June 1 to November 30
- Hospital
- one, with a 24-hour ER
For most people who move here, yes. Hilton Head has 12 miles of wide beaches, more than 60 miles of public bike paths and 20 golf courses, and South Carolina doesn’t tax Social Security. A home you live in is taxed at a much lower rate than a second home. The costs are housing, at a middle asking price of about $1.65 million for a house and $439,000 for a condo, coastal insurance, and the summer traffic and hurricane season that come with an island.
Why people move here
Beaches, bike paths and golf close to home. No state tax on Social Security, no state sales tax on groceries, and a 4% property assessment on the home you live in. Quiet most of the year, with no billboards or neon. Savannah’s airport is about an hour away.
The downsides of living on Hilton Head
Homes cost more than on the mainland, and year-round rentals are scarce. Wind and flood insurance add to the bill. US 278 is the only road on and off the island, and it’s slow on summer weekends. Hurricane season runs June to November, and the island has been evacuated before.
Where People Live on Hilton Head
Much of the island lies inside gated communities, each with its own property owners’ association, gate passes, design rules and a yearly fee on top of the mortgage. Outside the gates are older neighborhoods with lower prices and no association fee, plus condos and villas near the beaches. Compare all of them, with dues, gates and rental rules, in our Hilton Head neighborhoods guide.
Sea Pines
Harbour Town, the lighthouse and the south-end beaches. Homes for sale ask about $1.79 million. See Sea Pines real estate.
Palmetto Dunes
Oceanfront resort community by Shelter Cove. Homes for sale ask about $1.17 million. See Palmetto Dunes real estate.
Hilton Head Plantation
A large residential community on the north end, near the hospital. Homes for sale ask about $1.12 million. See Hilton Head Plantation real estate.
Sun City Hilton Head
Del Webb’s 55-and-over community near Bluffton, with its own golf and clubs. Homes for sale ask about $481,000. See Sun City Hilton Head.
Hilton Head vs Bluffton
Bluffton, across the bridges on the mainland, is where many people who work on the island live. Homes for sale in Bluffton ask a middle price of about $635,000, against about $1.65 million for a house on the island. Bluffton has newer neighborhoods, the big Buckwalter shopping area and Old Town on the May River; Coligny Beach is about 15 miles away by road. Rent isn’t cheaper there: the federal fair market rent for a two-bedroom is about $2,470 a month in Bluffton’s 29910, against about $1,940 to $2,040 on the island.
Both towns are in Beaufort County, so property taxes, the 4% legal-residence rate and the DMV are the same. See living in Bluffton and the cost of living in Bluffton.
Hurricanes, Flooding and Insurance
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and the peak is mid-August to mid-October. In 2016 Hurricane Matthew’s eye passed about 20 miles offshore; more than 100,000 trees came down and the island was closed to residents for days. The governor orders evacuations by zone, and Hilton Head is in Beaufort County’s coastal zone. See Hilton Head hurricanes.
A lender requires flood insurance for a home in a flood zone marked A or V, and a new flood policy usually waits 30 days before it covers you. Wind cover on the island often comes with a separate, higher hurricane deductible. Price both before you make an offer: see insurance on Hilton Head and flooding and flood zones.
Hospitals and Doctors
Novant Health Hilton Head Medical Center, on the north end at 25 Hospital Center Boulevard, is the island’s only hospital and has its only 24-hour emergency room. Serious injuries go to Memorial Health in Savannah, the region’s Level I trauma center. Bluffton’s first hospital is due to take patients in early 2027. See Hilton Head hospitals and urgent care, doctors and Medicare on Hilton Head.
For later years, the island and Bluffton have independent living, assisted living and memory care: see senior living on Hilton Head.
Your First 90 Days
Relocating to Hilton Head starts with the state’s clock. South Carolina gives a new resident 45 days to get a South Carolina driver’s license and 45 days to register a car, after paying the county’s vehicle property tax. The nearest DMV is in Bluffton; there’s none on the island. Then apply for the 4% legal-residence rate on your home with the Beaufort County Assessor, by January 15 after the year you move in. The full checklist, with what to bring, is on moving to South Carolina.
Power comes from Palmetto Electric, and water from one of three public service districts, depending on the address: see Hilton Head utilities. For the move itself, see Hilton Head movers. At 65, ask the Auditor about the homestead exemption too.
Relocation Guides
A guide to Hilton Head Island's gated communities and neighborhoods — Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes, Hilton Head Plantation, and more — plus nearby Bluffton.
Is Hilton Head expensive? Home prices, rent, taxes, utilities and insurance on the island, and why lower taxes help retirees.
South Carolina doesn't tax Social Security. The 2026 income tax rates, the retirement and age-65 deductions, and property tax breaks for retirees.
The Beaufort County Treasurer, Assessor and Auditor: the 4% and 6% rates, the January 15 due date, penalties and how to pay a Hilton Head tax bill.
Insurance agencies on Hilton Head Island for home, flood, auto and business cover, and how wind pool and flood insurance work on the coast.
Hilton Head movers for local and long-distance moves: island moving companies and the Bluffton movers that come over, gated communities, stairs and cost.
Who supplies water, sewer, power, internet and TV on Hilton Head Island: the three PSDs, Palmetto Electric, Spectrum, Sparklight and an owner checklist.
There is no DMV on Hilton Head Island. The nearest SCDMV branch is in Bluffton: hours, REAL ID documents, and what you can renew online.
Every assisted living, independent living, memory care community and nursing home on Hilton Head Island, with ratings, phone numbers and a map.
Is Bluffton, SC a good place to live? Neighborhoods from gated golf to 55+, moving and retiring basics, schools, shopping, and the drive to the island.
Frequently Asked Questions
Updated
Is Hilton Head a good place to live?
For most people who move here, yes: 12 miles of beaches, more than 60 miles of bike paths, golf, and low taxes for retirees. The trade-offs are the price of homes and insurance, summer traffic on US 278 and the hurricane season.
Is Hilton Head a good place to retire?
Many retirees think so. South Carolina does not tax Social Security, gives deductions on other retirement income, and taxes a home you live in at 4% of its value instead of 6%. At 65 the homestead exemption takes the first $50,000 of the home’s value off the tax rolls.
What are the downsides of living on Hilton Head?
High home prices, scarce year-round rentals, wind and flood insurance, one road on and off the island that is slow in summer, and hurricane season from June to November.
How many people live on Hilton Head year-round?
About 38,000. The 2020 census counted 37,661, and the number swells in summer with visitors.
Is it cheaper to live in Bluffton or Hilton Head?
Buying is cheaper in Bluffton, where the middle asking price is well under half the island’s for a house. Renting is not: the federal fair market rent for a two-bedroom is higher in Bluffton’s 29910 than on the island.
What do I need to do after moving to Hilton Head?
Get a South Carolina driver’s license within 45 days and register your car within 45 days, after paying the county’s vehicle property tax. Then apply for the 4% legal-residence rate with the Beaufort County Assessor by January 15 after the year you move in.
Does Hilton Head get hurricanes?
Yes, though direct hits are rare. Hurricane Matthew passed about 20 miles offshore in 2016 and the island was closed to residents for days. The season runs June 1 to November 30.
