HomeSouth CarolinaBeaufort County
Beaufort County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Beaufort County, South Carolina had an estimated 201,775 residents on July 1, 2024, up 7.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 187,098, across 576 square miles. County output reached $12.87 bn in 2024, 6,087 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 261 7(a) approvals worth $154.4 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Beaufort County
How many people live in Beaufort County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024195,289
- Households82,333
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$86,573
- Median age48.1
- Median gross rent$1,653 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$455,600
- Home value to household income5.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher46.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree19.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over142,290
- Population under 1834,071
- Share under 1817.4 percent
- Population 65 and over55,433
- Share 65 and over28.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64105,785
- Civilian labor force85,152
- Unemployment rate2.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over52.8 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties10th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included359th of 3,222
Beaufort County is the 10th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 5.3 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 28.4 percent against 17.4 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Beaufort County
Is Beaufort County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024201,775
- Census 2020 base population187,098
- Population change since the 2020 census base7.84 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20242,814
- Births, 20241,866
- Deaths, 20242,080
- Natural change, 2024-214
- Net domestic migration, 20242,048
- Net international migration, 2024969
- Total net migration, 20243,017
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202412,310
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents249th of 3,144
The county has grown 7.84 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Beaufort County
Where are people moving to Beaufort County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving8,152
- People arriving, from those returns15,087
- Tax returns filed by households leaving6,492
- Net household movement1,660
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.38 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$759.2 m
- Average income of an arriving household$169,823
- Average income of a leaving household$96,296
- Largest single originJasper County (377 households)
- Largest single destinationJasper County (568 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper County | 377 | 709 | $32.7 m |
| Charleston County | 204 | 335 | $23.8 m |
| Chatham County | 191 | 314 | $24.6 m |
| San Diego County | 156 | 372 | $12.6 m |
| Mecklenburg County | 116 | 218 | $29.8 m |
| Suffolk County | 112 | 209 | $17.2 m |
| Onslow County | 106 | 228 | $5.5 m |
| Foreign - APO/FPO ZIPs | 87 | 209 | $5.4 m |
Households arriving report $73,527 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Jasper County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Beaufort County
What is the Beaufort County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$12.87 bn
- County GDP, 2023$12.12 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.2 percent
- GDP change over five years37.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the South Carolina areas BEA publishes9th of 46
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes362nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$65,917
Output grew 6.2 percent in the latest year and 37.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Beaufort County
Employment by industry in Beaufort County
- Covered employment, annual average71,044
- Establishments reporting7,748
- Average annual pay$54,768
- Average weekly wage$1,053
- Accommodation and food services, employment13,483
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$32,521
- Retail trade, employment11,570
- Retail trade, average annual pay$38,313
- Health care and social assistance, employment7,391
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$59,255
- Construction, employment4,468
- Construction, average annual pay$70,533
- Other services, except public administration, employment4,188
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment3,862
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 13,483 | 642 | $32,521 |
| Retail trade | 11,570 | 809 | $38,313 |
| Health care and social assistance | 7,391 | 732 | $59,255 |
| Construction | 4,468 | 901 | $70,533 |
| Other services, except public administration | 4,188 | 600 | $48,111 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 3,862 | 526 | $47,530 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 3,611 | 1,204 | $94,287 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 3,143 | 175 | $36,113 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 13,483 jobs, 19.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Beaufort County
How many businesses are in Beaufort County?
- Establishments, all industries6,087
- Employment at those establishments59,121
- Annual payroll$2.78 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents31.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Beaufort County
Building permits in Beaufort County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,638
- Declared construction value permitted$816.4 m
- Single family units authorized1,030
- Multifamily units authorized608
- Multifamily share of units37.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$498,382
- Units authorized per 1,000 households19.9
Single-family homes are 62.9 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Beaufort County
SBA loans in Beaufort County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded261
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$154.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$591,504
- Median 7(a) approval$300,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,327,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,552
- Jobs per approval9.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active57
- Distinct industries receiving approvals113
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms39
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter201
- Franchise loans44
- Franchise share of approvals16.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (21)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (36)
- 504 approvals recorded34
- 504 gross approval dollars$34.6 m
- Average 504 approval$1,016,529
- Median 504 approval$479,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval17.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.8
- Most active CDCProvident Business Financial Services, Inc. (11)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$188.9 m
The average approval of $591,504 sits well above the median of $300,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 14.9 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Beaufort County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Beaufort County
Do SBA loans in Beaufort County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded40
- Paid in full39
- Charged off1
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans2.5 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure178
- Status: Cancelled29
- Status: Paid in full39
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed14
Of the 40 loans that have reached a final outcome, 2.5 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Beaufort County
SBA lending by place in Beaufort County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending10
- Hilton Head Island, approvals94
- Bluffton, approvals88
- Beaufort, approvals54
- Port Royal, approvals7
- Okatie, approvals5
- Hilton Head, approvals4
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island | 94 | $58,729,400 |
| Bluffton | 88 | $36,261,200 |
| Beaufort | 54 | $46,164,600 |
| Port Royal | 7 | $5,667,800 |
| Okatie | 5 | $1,767,500 |
| Hilton Head | 4 | $1,082,000 |
| Saint Helena Island | 3 | $800,000 |
| Daufuskie Island | 3 | $420,000 |
| 2 other borrower cities | 3 | $3,490,000 |
Hilton Head Island accounts for 94 approvals against 88 in Bluffton. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Beaufort County
How large is Beaufort County?
- Land area576 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties26th of 46
- Width, east to west34.3 mi
- Height, north to south43.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land339
- Establishments per square mile10.57
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Beaufort County
Flood risk in Beaufort County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Beaufort County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 450025
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 5
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class4
- Radon levels in Beaufort County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Beaufort County (community 450025), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 5, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Beaufort County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Beaufort County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Beaufort County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024195,289
- Households82,333
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$86,573
- Median age48.1
Common questions
Beaufort County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Beaufort County, South Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 201,775 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 195,289, in 82,333 households, ranking 10th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Beaufort County's population growing?
The population has grown 7.84 percent since the 2020 census base of 187,098, to 201,775 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,866 births against 2,080 deaths, with net migration of 3,017. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Beaufort County?
$86,573. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $455,600, which is 5.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,653 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Beaufort County?
6,087 establishments, employing 59,121 people with an annual payroll of $2.78 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Beaufort County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 13,483 jobs, 19.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 71,044 jobs at an average annual pay of $54,768, or $1,053 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Beaufort County?
261 7(a) approvals totaling $154.4 m since FY2020, across 57 lenders, with a median approval of $300,000, plus 34 504 approvals worth $34.6 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Beaufort County get paid back?
Of the 40 loans that have reached a final outcome, 39 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge-off rate of 2.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Beaufort County?
1,638 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $816.4 m. Multifamily was 37.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Beaufort County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Beaufort County come from?
The largest single origin is Jasper County, with 377 households. Arriving households report an average income of $169,823 against $96,296 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Beaufort County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Beaufort County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Beaufort County
Cities and places in Beaufort.
16 Census places lie wholly or partly in Beaufort County. All 16 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island | town | 37,911 | 94 | Wholly in this county |
| Bluffton | town | 33,157 | 88 | Wholly in this county |
| Port Royal | town | 15,579 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Beaufort | city | 13,747 | 54 | Wholly in this county |
| Burton | CDP | 6,912 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Laurel Bay | CDP | 5,882 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ridgeland | town | 3,764 | None recorded | 8.4 percent here, 91.6 percent Jasper County |
| Shell Point | CDP | 1,439 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Yemassee | town | 1,178 | None recorded | 63.6 percent here, 36.4 percent Hampton County |
| Seabrook | CDP | 799 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Fripp Island | CDP | 752 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Daufuskie Island | CDP | 619 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Sheldon | CDP | 610 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dale | CDP | 411 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Harbor Island | CDP | 303 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lobeco | CDP | 109 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 13 of the county's 261 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Beaufort County, the largest being Okatie (5), Hilton Head (4), Saint Helena Island (3). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.