Cost of living in Hilton Head Island research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Hilton Head Island is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in South Carolina, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Hilton Head Island is 136, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Hilton Head Island is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Hilton Head Island ranks as the #99 cheapest in South Carolina out of 99.
Hilton Head Island ranks as the #5,458 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Hilton Head Island is $520,700.
The median income in Hilton Head Island is $87,884.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Hilton Head Island has an overall cost of living index of 136, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to South Carolina, Hilton Head Island has a cost of living index that's 1.4x higher than South Carolina's index of 96.
The standard of living in Hilton Head Island ranks as #99 most affordable out of the 99 places we measured in South Carolina. By definition, that implies Hilton Head Island ranks as the #0 most expensive place in the Palmetto State.
For more reading on life in Hilton Head Island, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Hilton Head Island. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Hilton Head Island is 110.
The Groceries index in Hilton Head Island is 109.
The Health index in Hilton Head Island is 99.
The Housing index in Hilton Head Island is 206.
The Transportation index in Hilton Head Island is 95.
The Utilities index in Hilton Head Island is 103.
Living Expense | Hilton Head Island | South Carolina | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 136 | 96 | 100 | |
Services | 110 | 99 | 100 | |
Groceries | 109 | 100 | 100 | |
Health | 99 | 96 | 100 | |
Housing | 206 | 89 | 100 | |
Transportation | 95 | 90 | 100 | |
Utilities | 103 | 107 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in South Carolina, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Hilton Head Island is $520,700.
The Median Rent in Hilton Head Island is $1,380.
The Median Income in Hilton Head Island is $87,884.
The Home Value To Income in Hilton Head Island is 5.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Hilton Head Island is 0.19x.
Statistic | Hilton Head Island | South Carolina | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $520,700 | $181,800 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,380 | $970 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $87,884 | $58,234 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.9x | 3.1x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Hilton Head Island | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.08 | $1.06 |
Movie | $9.75 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $15.0 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $20.92 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $59.92 | $39.05 |
Item | Hilton Head Island | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.41 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.44 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.06 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $2.97 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.99 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.18 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.21 | $2.34 |
Item | Hilton Head Island | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $148.44 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $105.61 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $103.33 | $99.13 |
Item | Hilton Head Island | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.14 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $45.5 | $50.07 |
Item | Hilton Head Island | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $181.91 | $167.67 |
Phone | $184.31 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Hilton Head Island. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Bluffton, SC has a cost of living index of 114, 0.8x Hilton Head Island.
Wilmington Island, GA has a cost of living index of 107, 0.8x Hilton Head Island.
Beaufort, SC has a cost of living index of 104, 0.8x Hilton Head Island.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Hilton Head Island |
---|---|---|---|
Bluffton, SC | 27,596 | 114 | 0.8x |
Wilmington Island, GA | 15,521 | 107 | 0.8x |
Beaufort, SC | 12,899 | 104 | 0.8x |
Port Royal, SC | 12,734 | 108 | 0.8x |
Burton, SC | 7,818 | 96 | 0.7x |
Hardeeville, SC | 7,228 | 110 | 0.8x |
Whitemarsh Island, GA | 7,000 | 114 | 0.8x |
Laurel Bay, SC | 5,926 | 99 | 0.7x |