Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Housing Market

What stands out in Hilton Head Island?

• 38.2% of homes are vacant: among the highest vacancy of 763 tracked cities. Tenants have choices. Budget extra vacancy.
• Population is down 5.8% over five years: among the steepest population decline of 763 tracked cities. A shrinking population thins demand over time.
• Listings spend a median 94 days on the market: among the longest times on market of 763 tracked cities. Stale listings are common. Sellers who have waited are open to offers.

What does a shrinking population mean for Hilton Head Island landlords?

The population in Hilton Head Island's ZIP codes fell 5.8% over five years. 38.2% of homes are vacant, higher than 98% of tracked cities. Households still grew 3.6% while the housing stock shrank 14.2%. Fewer people living in more households means rental demand has held up better than the population suggests. Check vacancy by ZIP before you buy.

Who will rent from you in Hilton Head Island?

Only 20 out of every 100 Hilton Head Island households rent. This is an owners' town. That share has held steady for five years. Renter households average 2.3 people. Two and three bedrooms fit the typical renter.

The median Hilton Head Island household earns $97,787 a year. Incomes here have grown 2.8% a year since 2019. Incomes and home prices are rising in step. A typical home costs 5.4 times the median income. That is the national middle. Neither cash flow nor appreciation is free here. At 30% of income, a tenant on the median income can pay about $2,445 a month.

To see what one Hilton Head Island address would rent for and cash flow, run it through the app.

How does Hilton Head Island compare with other South Carolina markets?

Ranked among the 11 South Carolina markets we track:

• Asking price: 3rd priciest of 11. Hilton Head Island is at $523,769. Closest: Greenville and Charleston.
• Buyer competition: 3rd least competitive of 10. Hilton Head Island is at 0.26 buyers per home. Closest: Sumter and Summerville.
• Time on market: the longest time on market of 11. Hilton Head Island is at a median of 94 days on market. Closest: Florence.
• Price cuts: the fewest price cuts of 11. Hilton Head Island is at 15% of sellers cutting. Closest: Greenville.

Is now a good time to buy in Hilton Head Island?

The median asking price is 41.9% below its May 2022 peak. Per square foot the gap is smaller: 18.9% below the May 2023 high. Part of the drop is smaller homes coming to market. Prices stopped falling about a year ago. They are flat now. Waiting will not get you a cheaper house. It might still get you a more motivated seller. Hilton Head Island prices rose in only 69 of the last 112 months. This market goes up and down. Timing matters here. Growth will not rescue a bad price.

This market is turning. Which way is not settled yet. Check the monthly numbers above before you commit.

How much can you negotiate in Hilton Head Island?

For every 100 homes still for sale, 26 are under contract. In 2017–2019 at this time of year it was 25. The rest are still waiting for a buyer. Few sellers are dropping their price. Asking prices are holding firm. Your discount will come from one stale listing.

Hilton Head Island listings spend a median 94 days on the market. That is 24% longer than a year ago. There are 716 homes for sale in Hilton Head Island. That is 6.1 times the tightest month on record, but below the peak of 1,416. Supply is steady against last year.

What to do about it

• Judge each listing on its own.
• Homes listed 180+ days ago with a price cut are where your discount is.
• Fresh, well-priced homes will not move on price. Do not waste offers on them.

What numbers should you underwrite a Hilton Head Island deal with?

• Price growth to assume — +2.1%/yr. Hilton Head Island grew 5.9% a year over the decade. Ignore that rate. Most of it landed in the 2020 and 2021 boom. Without the boom, Hilton Head Island grows about 2.1% a year. That is the number to type in. Prices fell 1.8% over the last year. Use it for timing. The five-year rate is the better guide.
• Months of carrying cost — 4. Budget at least 94 days of holding costs, the current median time on market, when you exit or refinance. That is 24% longer than a year ago.
• Odds you cut your price to sell — 1 in 7. 15% of Hilton Head Island listings have cut their asking price. Underwrite your exit below asking.
• Comp on price per square foot — $449/sqft. The typical Hilton Head Island listing shrank from 1,975 to 1,379 sqft since Jul 2016. So median price hides real growth: 79% per sqft versus 5% on the median. Comp on median price and you will overpay for small homes.

Read how population change affects rentals and how we read these numbers, then run the numbers on a deal.

What is the median home price in Hilton Head Island?

The median asking price in Hilton Head Island is about $524,000 as of Oct 2026, down 12.3% from a year ago. The typical listing is 6% smaller than a year ago, and asking price per square foot is down 1.8%. So the size of homes on the market explains much of the drop. This is the asking price on homes listed for sale. Sites that report sold prices or estimated home values will show a different number. Our Hilton Head Island figures cover the 4 ZIP codes with a Hilton Head Island mailing address, which can reach past city limits.

Is Hilton Head Island a buyer's or seller's market in 2026?

Neither side has the upper hand in Hilton Head Island right now. We compare Hilton Head Island with 2017–2019 at this time of year: there are 37% fewer homes for sale; listings spend 11% fewer days on the market; there are 26 pending sales per 100 listings, against 25 then.

Are Hilton Head Island home prices going up or down?

The median asking price is 41.9% below its May 2022 peak. Per square foot the gap is smaller: 18.9% below the May 2023 high. Part of the drop is smaller homes coming to market. Prices stopped falling about a year ago. They are flat now. Waiting will not get you a cheaper house. It might still get you a more motivated seller.

What is the best month to buy a house in Hilton Head Island?

Across 9 full years, Hilton Head Island asking prices ran lowest in February, about 4.7% below the year's average. They peaked in May. The most homes for sale show up in September, about 7% above the yearly average.

What is the fair market rent in Hilton Head Island?

HUD's fiscal year 2026 fair market rent for Beaufort County is $1,816 a month for 2 bedrooms and $2,177 for 3 bedrooms. The figures include tenant-paid utilities and cover the whole county.