Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hilton Head Island, 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 Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Hilton Head Island | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,733 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 516.9 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.61% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 60.2 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 17,396 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hilton Head Island grew by 7.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 35,733 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hilton Head Island is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 34.7% of residents. That is 16.2 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,328 12.1% -9.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,811 13.5% -7.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,486 20.9% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 12,407 34.7% +16.2 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 51.0% of the people living in Hilton Head Island and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 49.0% South Carolina 48.8%
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Economy
Hilton Head Island has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Hilton Head Island | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $95,574 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.93% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hilton Head Island is about 38% higher than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Hilton Head Island | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $335,939 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,484 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.5% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hilton Head Island is about 18.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,484 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hilton Head Island spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 137 hours, about 5.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hilton Head Island | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.4 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.8 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 137 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,232 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 20.1% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,094 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,475 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Hilton Head Island is 16 minutes, shorter 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
Hilton Head Island has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Hilton Head Island | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.7% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.03 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Hilton Head Island has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Hilton Head Island | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.1 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.9% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 11.5% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Hilton Head Island, SC Compared With Nearby Cities
How Hilton Head Island, SC compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island, SC | 35,733 | $95,574 #2/2 | $335,939 #2/2 | 16.4 min #1/2 |
| Bluffton, SC | 29,398 | $100,726 | $365,880 | 25.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
What is the population of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina?
About 35,733 people live in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, in 17,396 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 60.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 23 years.
Is Hilton Head Island, South Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina has 517 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.0 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($335,939 against $95,574), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,484 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina?
Unemployment in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina is only 3.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina?
51.7% of adults in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 5 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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