HousingPermits

Metro area in South Carolina

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC

The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal metro area authorized 3,077 new housing units in 2025, the third-largest total of the 191 metro areas under 250,000 residents. The housing bust cut annual permits by 92%, from 4,848 at the 2004–2006 high to 412 in 2010, the deepest drop among the 8 metro areas based in South Carolina. Per 1,000 residents it authorized 13.5 units a year in 2021–2025, 2.9 times the national rate of 4.7.

01,5003,0004,5006,0002004: 3,058 units (2,794 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 262 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 4,848 units (4,194 single-family, 52 in 2–4 unit, 602 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 3,735 units (3,556 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 167 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 2,735 units (2,142 single-family, 45 in 2–4 unit, 548 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 2,014 units (1,187 single-family, 40 in 2–4 unit, 787 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 434 units (416 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 18 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 412 units (362 single-family, 14 in 2–4 unit, 36 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 637 units (418 single-family, 14 in 2–4 unit, 205 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 599 units (512 single-family, 14 in 2–4 unit, 73 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 1,202 units (1,156 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 46 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 1,426 units (1,426 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 2,102 units (1,688 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 414 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 1,784 units (1,675 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 109 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 2,275 units (2,034 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 241 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 2,336 units (2,308 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 24 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 2,886 units (2,346 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 528 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 2,977 units (2,975 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 3,698 units (2,693 single-family, 3 in 2–4 unit, 1,002 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 2,951 units (2,639 single-family, 58 in 2–4 unit, 254 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 2,954 units (2,642 single-family, 38 in 2–4 unit, 274 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 3,046 units (2,414 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 608 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 3,077 units (2,390 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 687 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252005 high · 4,8482010 low · 41202,0004,0006,0002004: 3,058 units (2,794 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 262 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 4,848 units (4,194 single-family, 52 in 2–4 unit, 602 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 3,735 units (3,556 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 167 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 2,735 units (2,142 single-family, 45 in 2–4 unit, 548 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 2,014 units (1,187 single-family, 40 in 2–4 unit, 787 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 434 units (416 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 18 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 412 units (362 single-family, 14 in 2–4 unit, 36 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 637 units (418 single-family, 14 in 2–4 unit, 205 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 599 units (512 single-family, 14 in 2–4 unit, 73 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 1,202 units (1,156 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 46 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 1,426 units (1,426 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 2,102 units (1,688 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 414 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 1,784 units (1,675 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 109 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 2,275 units (2,034 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 241 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 2,336 units (2,308 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 24 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 2,886 units (2,346 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 528 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 2,977 units (2,975 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 3,698 units (2,693 single-family, 3 in 2–4 unit, 1,002 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 2,951 units (2,639 single-family, 58 in 2–4 unit, 254 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 2,954 units (2,642 single-family, 38 in 2–4 unit, 274 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 3,046 units (2,414 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 608 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 3,077 units (2,390 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 687 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252005 high · 4,848

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Houses or apartments

In Hilton Head Island, 81% of the units authorized in 2021–2025 were single-family houses and 18% were in buildings of five or more units, against 34% nationally. The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Birmingham (18% in five-plus buildings). Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2021 (1,002), single-family houses in 2005 (4,194).

2021–202581.3%81%0.8%18.0%18%2004–200690.6%91%0.6%8.9%9%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202581.3%81%0.8%18.0%18%2004–200690.6%91%0.6%8.9%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 8 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Hardeeville, with 6,014 units or 38% of the total, followed by Bluffton town with 2,931.

  • Hardeeville38% (6,014 units)
  • Bluffton town19% (2,931 units)
  • Beaufort County (unincorporated)17% (2,647 units)
  • Beaufort9.5% (1,492 units)
  • Hilton Head Island town7.4% (1,160 units)
  • Port Royal town6.3% (992 units)
  • Jasper County (unincorporated)2.3% (365 units)
  • Ridgeland town0.8% (125 units)

Share of the units authorized in the metro area, 2021–2025.

Boom, bust and since

Hilton Head Island authorized the most units in 2005 (4,848); 2025 reached 64% of that. Its peak year is shared by 105 other metro areas, among them Champaign, Bellingham, Prescott Valley. The 2021–2025 pace of 3,145 units a year is 19% below the 2004–2006 pace. Permits rose 5 years in a row up to 2021.

Where in the metro

Beaufort County accounted for 59% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Jasper County for 41%.

  • Beaufort County59% (1,219 in 2025)
  • Jasper County41% (1,858 in 2025)

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Lake Charles, LA5464.621%
Binghamton, NY4681.867%
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC3,07713.518%
Champaign-Urbana, IL9133.160%
Macon-Bibb County, GA5112.40.9%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Hilton Head Island beside Binghamton

Every yearly figure behind the chart, split by building size: yearly-units.csv. State view: South Carolina. Counting rules.