Hilton Head Island Real Estate Market

An aerial view of oceanfront homes above the beach, with a golf fairway and marsh behind them

Hilton Head home prices, how many homes are for sale and how many have cut their price, from today’s MLS listings.

The Hilton Head Housing Market Now

Today’s listing figures are being refreshed. Search the island’s homes for sale on our real estate page.

Median Home Price by Community

Every gated community on and around the island has its own market. Where only a few homes are listed, one listing moves the median a long way, so read it beside the count. Our Hilton Head real estate page compares the same communities on dues, gates, rental rules and golf.

Hilton Head area homes for sale by community
Sea Pines0–38%
Palmetto Dunes0–45%
Hilton Head Plantation0–51%
Shipyard0–47%
Port Royal Plantation0–50%
Windmill Harbour0–36%
Indigo Run0–57%
Wexford0–71%
Palmetto Hall0–75%
Long Cove0–67%
Spanish Wells0–29%
Daufuskie Island0–49%
Moss Creek0–75%
Sun City Hilton Head (55+)0–51%
Latitude Margaritaville (55+)0–48%
Hilton Head Lakes0––

Bluffton Communities

Across the bridge, Bluffton’s gated communities run from Rose Hill’s older homes to Palmetto Bluff. Bluffton as a whole has 458 listings, lots included; see our Bluffton homes for sale page.

Bluffton homes for sale by community
Palmetto Bluff0–23%
Colleton River0–45%
Belfair0––
Berkeley Hall0–7%
Oldfield0–50%
Hampton Hall0–58%
Hampton Lake0–53%
Crescent Pointe0––
Rose Hill0–44%

Prices differ so much by community that the island-wide median says little about any one home. Compare a listing against its own community in the table above, and ask the agent how long it has been on the market and what it first asked.

Why So Many Homes Are for Sale on Hilton Head

Much of Hilton Head was built as second homes and vacation rentals, and that shapes the market. Owners sell when their plans change, not only when prices peak, and a condo bought to rent out is sold when the numbers stop working. Spread across more than a dozen gated communities, that adds up to a long list at any time of year.

What It Costs to Own a Home on Hilton Head

The asking price is only part of the cost. What you pay every year depends on whether the home is your legal residence, which community it is in and how close it is to the ocean.

Property tax
Assessed on 4% of value if it is your legal residence, 6% if it is a second home or a rental
Community dues
From $1,404 a year in Hilton Head Plantation to $8,775 in Moss Creek, before any club dues
Fees when you buy
Some communities charge one at a sale: Moss Creek’s $45,000 membership certificate, Long Cove’s $75,000 initiation fee, three years’ assessment in Indigo Run
Condo regime fee
Paid to the condo association on top of any community dues; it can cover the building’s insurance, roof and pools
Insurance
Flood and wind cover on top of a homeowner’s policy, and the largest bills near the ocean
Renting under 30 days
A Town of Hilton Head Island short-term rental permit, $150 per bedroom a year, plus a Town business license

Our guide to living in Hilton Head covers property taxes and the cost of living in more detail, and each community’s real estate page lists its own dues and fees.

Buying a Hilton Head Investment Property

If you are investing in Hilton Head real estate to rent it out by the week, start with the community’s rules, not the price. Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes, Shipyard, Spanish Wells and Daufuskie Island allow short stays. Hilton Head Plantation, Port Royal Plantation, Windmill Harbour, Indigo Run, Palmetto Hall, Long Cove, Moss Creek and Sun City Hilton Head set a minimum lease of a month or longer. Many villa complexes outside the gates were built as rentals too. On the island, any stay under 30 days needs a Town short-term rental permit and business license (Daufuskie’s rentals take a county permit instead), and a rental is taxed at 6% of its value.

Sea Pines real estate

Short stays allowed. Half its homes for sale are listed under $800K.

Palmetto Dunes real estate

Short stays allowed. Half its homes for sale are listed under $1.1M.

Shipyard real estate

Short stays allowed. Half its homes for sale are listed under $610K.

Spanish Wells real estate

Short stays allowed. Half its homes for sale are listed under $4.4M.

Daufuskie Island real estate

Short stays, county permit. Half its homes for sale are listed under $290K.

A local Hilton Head property management company can tell you what a home rents for before you buy, and our Hilton Head condos for sale page covers the villa complexes.

© 2026 REsides, Inc. We do not attempt to independently verify the currency, completeness, accuracy or authenticity of the data contained herein. All area measurements and calculations are approximate and should be independently verified. Data may be subject to transcription and transmission errors. Accordingly, the data is provided on an 'as is,' 'as available' basis only and may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. © 2026 REsides, Inc. All rights reserved. Certain information contained herein is derived from information which is the licensed property of, and copyrighted by, REsides, Inc. Data last updated: Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 7:01 AM EDT.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average home price on Hilton Head Island?

It depends on the kind of home: condos and villas cost far less than houses, and oceanfront homes far more. The median asking price by type and community is on this page.

Is Hilton Head a buyer’s or a seller’s market?

The usual measure is how many months the homes for sale would take to sell. Price cuts on the current listings are the quickest signal: the more sellers have come down, the more room a buyer has.

Is Hilton Head real estate a good investment?

For a vacation rental, it depends most on where you buy: Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes, Shipyard and Spanish Wells allow short stays, while most other gated communities set a minimum lease of a month or longer. A rental is also taxed at 6% of its value rather than 4%, and needs a Town short-term rental permit and business license.

How much are property taxes on a Hilton Head second home?

South Carolina taxes a second home or rental on 6% of its assessed value, against 4% for your legal residence, so the same home carries at least half as much tax again as a second home. A legal residence also skips the school operating millage on its first $100,000 of value, which widens the gap. The millage itself is set each year by the county, the school district and the Town.

Why are so many homes for sale on Hilton Head?

Much of the island was built as second homes and vacation rentals, so condos and villas far outnumber houses on the market, spread across more than a dozen gated communities and the villa complexes outside them. The number to watch is not the count but how many have cut their price.

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