Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
4.85×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs South Carolina
- 3.42×
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
moderate
Rent to income
26.9%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs South Carolina
- 25.5%
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
tight
Cap rate proxy
3.60%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs South Carolina
- 4.42%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+0.46%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs South Carolina
- 0.36%+0.10
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+0.43
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
strong
Permit pipeline
13.42
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs South Carolina
- 8.79+4.63
- vs U.S.
- 3.53+9.89
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
5.3%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs South Carolina
- 5.5%-0.2
- vs U.S.
- 4.5%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
balanced buyer mix
Investor loan share
9.8%
4,665 purchase loans · 24.4% denial rate · 2024
Share of financed home purchases going to investors. Above ~15% means landlords are outbidding owner-occupants; below ~8% is owner-dominated.
Benchmark
Investor purchase loans ÷ all purchase loans (CFPB HMDA LAR, annual)
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+71.6%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+2.1%
Median home value
$393,100
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,657 | $19,884 | 24.5% |
| 2 BR | $1,816 | $21,792 | 26.9% |
| 3 BR | $2,177 | $26,124 | 32.2% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
5.3%
Median household income
$81,015
What's being built
Total TTM
2,989
+30.0% YoY
Single-family
2,269
2–4 unit
33
5+ unit
687
All 2 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort County | 189,071 | $407,600 | $84,819 | 1,161 | |
| Jasper County | 29,444 | $269,400 | $63,503 | 1,828 | +60.4% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Hilton Head Island | 218,515 | $81,015 | 4.85× | 3.60% | +71.6% | 13.42 | 5.3% |
| Bellingham, WA | 226,523 | $80,989 | — | — | +49.5% | — | 5.2% |
| Gainesville, GA | 204,953 | $77,430 | — | — | +70.6% | — | 2.5% |
| Springfield, IL | 208,406 | $74,580 | — | — | +43.6% | — | 5.0% |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | 233,420 | $75,019 | — | — | +56.8% | — | 2.1% |
| Bend, OR | 199,352 | $85,509 | — | — | +48.7% | — | 5.0% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+1,028
+0.46% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Beaufort County, SC | 568 |
| Jasper County, SC | 377 |
| Chatham County, GA | 262 |
| Charleston County, SC | 231 |
| San Diego County, CA | 156 |
| Suffolk County, NY | 135 |
Who lives in Hilton Head Island
- Median age
- 47
- Bachelor's+
- 42.2%
- Owner-occupancy
- 75.8%
- Vacancy rate
- 20.7%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 44.4%
- Median household income
- $81,015
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.
Data sources
| Metric | Source | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| rent vs buy | HUD FMR + Census ACS + FRED MORTGAGE30US | current FY |