Bluffton, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bluffton, SC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Bluffton | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,398 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 539.2 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 6.54% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.1 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,422 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bluffton grew by 108.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 29,398 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bluffton is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.0% of residents. That is 3.1 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,622 19.1% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,069 24.0% +3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,656 19.2% -0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,164 17.6% -0.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below South Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.4% of the people living in Bluffton and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 49.6% South Carolina 48.8%
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Economy
Bluffton has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Bluffton | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $100,726 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.15% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bluffton is about 45% higher than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Bluffton | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $365,880 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,161 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.7% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bluffton is about 14.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,161 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bluffton spend about 51 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 212 hours, about 8.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bluffton | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.4 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 50.8 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 212 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,558 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.0% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 17,067 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,848 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Bluffton is 25 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in South Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Bluffton has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Bluffton | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.3% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.56 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Bluffton has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Bluffton | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.2% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.5% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Bluffton, SC Compared With Nearby Cities
How Bluffton, SC compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluffton, SC | 29,398 | $100,726 #1/2 | $365,880 #1/2 | 25.4 min #2/2 |
| Hilton Head Island, SC | 35,733 | $95,574 | $335,939 | 16.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bluffton, South Carolina.
How big is Bluffton, South Carolina by population?
About 29,398 people live in Bluffton, South Carolina, in 11,422 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 40.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Bluffton, South Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Bluffton, South Carolina has 539 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.2 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Bluffton, South Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.6 times the median household income ($365,880 against $100,726), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,161 a month takes about 26% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Bluffton, South Carolina?
Unemployment in Bluffton, South Carolina is only 2.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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