Best In South Carolina Real Estate™: Hilton Head

Hilton Head Island leads South Carolina in the Top-to-Median Affordability Gap—1.6x higher than the median, according to ALEX Intelligence’s 2024 Lowcountry analysis. This isn’t just a price issue; it’s a structural divide in access to housing. Why does this matter? Because the widest affordability spread in the state isn’t just about cost—it’s about who can actually buy in. The data shows that even with strong wage growth, many residents face an increasingly unattainable path to homeownership. This trend is amplified by low turnover, rising rental supply, and constrained new construction. For context, Beaufort ranks #2, Port Royal #3, Bluffton #4, and Laurel Bay #5 in the same metric. The full analysis is available at: https://alex-companies.com/data/2026-11-01-hilton-head-spread-value-to-income-place Top-to-Median Affordability Gap, 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: danperry.com (CC BY 2.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=93841837; Slide 2: danperry.com (CC BY 2.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=93841851; Slide 3: formulanone from Huntsville, United States (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=74642248; Slide 4: Jeff Gunn from Atlanta, USA (CC BY 2.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=68349680 Source: https://alex-companies.com/data/2026-11-01-hilton-head-spread-value-to-income-place 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