Best In South Carolina Real Estate™: Hilton Head

Hilton Head Island leads South Carolina in home affordability relative to income, with a 7.3x value-to-income ratio—the highest in the Lowcountry. This metric, derived from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2024, and published by ALEX Intelligence on October 28, 2026, reveals a market where housing costs consume over seven years of median household income. This is not a sign of collapse, but of exclusion: the market is no longer for everyone. It’s for those who can pay. What does this mean for long-term growth, new development, and wealth distribution in the Lowcountry? Home Value to Income Ratio, top 6 (ALEX Intelligence — U.S. Census Bureau 2024) #1 Hilton Head Island — 7.3x #2 Beaufort — 5.6x #3 Port Royal — 4.6x #4 Bluffton — 4.4x #5 Laurel Bay — 4.3x #6 Burton — 3.6x Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Slide 1: Jeff Gunn from Atlanta, USA (CC BY 2.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=68349680; Slide 2: Geoffrey.landis (CC BY-SA 4.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=99237559; Slide 3: Farragutful (CC BY-SA 4.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=57132169; Slide 4: danperry.com (CC BY 2.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=93841867 Source: https://alex-companies.com/data/2026-10-28-hilton-head-value-to-income-place-mkt View and join any or all of our communities — AI, quantum, and real estate: https://alex-companies.com/reports/linkedin-groups If there's an AI, quantum, or real estate community you'd like to see us convene, tell us — this portfolio grows by request. Real Estate Strategy & Intelligence Leader. Democratized Blue Ocean Strategist & Operator. Diane Hart Alexander, MBA, MHA Chair & CEO, ALEX Companies Designated Broker, Alexander Tiffany Southwest, LLC dba ALEX.realestate, et.al. Texas License #574877-B · Broker License #565194-BB [email protected] · +1 713.591.9902