Beaufort County · South Carolina · South · 38k residents
Hilton Head Island, SC: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Hilton Head Island: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the South Carolina median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,102/wk. South Carolina's corporate income tax rate is 5%. Commercial electricity averages 10.6¢/kWh.
Compare Hilton Head Island side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,102/wk
Corporate income tax
5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
56.1%
Commercial electricity
10.6¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Hilton Head Island's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
86/100
Heating
Ranks Hilton Head Island's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $687,400 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $175 |
| Property tax rate | 0.55% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,409/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,707/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.39% |
| Sales tax | 7.5% |
| Corporate income tax | 5% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,102/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56.1% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.6¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 38.7/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $125,760 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $81,400 |
| Wage: General manager | $102,770 |
| Wage: Customer service | $37,590 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $36,110 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $52,530 |
| Wage: Electrician | $57,030 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $33,880 |
| Cost of living index | 118 |
| Groceries index | 98 |
| Utilities | $175/mo |
| Transit pass | $45/mo |
| Gas price | $2.95/gal |
| Healthcare index | 95 |
| Childcare (per child) | $850/mo |
| Median household income | $94,657 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% |
| Population | 38k |
| Crime index | 65/100 |
| School rating | 5.0/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 97/100 |
| Avg. commute | 25 min |
| Sunny days / year | 220 days |
| July high | 91°F |
| January low | 41°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +2.7% |
| Home price MoM | +0.2% |
| Rent YoY | +6.2% |
| Rent MoM | +1.0% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +1.6% |
| Building permits YoY | +79.3% |
| Ocean coast | < 3 mi |
| Big lake | 134 mi |
| Mountains | 257 mi |
| Major airport | 26 mi |
| Ski resort | 276 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Bluffton, SC · 33k
- Port Royal, SC · 16k
- Charleston, SC · 154k
- North Charleston, SC · 120k
- Ladson, SC · 16k
Similar size
- Myrtle Beach, SC · 38k
- Spartanburg, SC · 39k
- Florence, SC · 40k
- Greer, SC · 42k
- Sumter, SC · 43k
Real listings in Hilton Head Island
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Hilton Head Island a good place to run a business?
- South Carolina's corporate income tax rate is 5%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,102/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.6¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Hilton Head Island, SC?
- Hilton Head Island indexes at 118 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,707/mo and a acs median home value of $687,400.
- How much does a house cost in Hilton Head Island?
- The acs median home value in Hilton Head Island is $687,400 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Hilton Head Island?
- A two-bedroom in Hilton Head Island rents for about $1,707/mo.