Beaufort County, SC: income, rent and loan options

Beaufort County by the numbers

The latest five-year Census estimate puts Beaufort County's population at 195,289; only 9 of South Carolina's 46 county-level areas are larger. Packed into 576 square miles, that is close to 339 residents for every square mile of land. For statistical purposes it belongs to the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area, as delineated by the Office of Management and Budget in July 2023. Largest place: Hilton Head Island, about 37,911 residents (19% of Beaufort County); 14 Census places in all.

Where Beaufort County differs from the rest of South Carolina

Where Beaufort County lands at the extremes of South Carolina's county rankings:

• On the ACS unemployment rate, Beaufort County sits near the bottom of South Carolina at 2.6%, the lowest of 46. Low unemployment does not lower your rate; your credit does.
• Beaufort County ranks 2nd highest of 46 South Carolina counties for median gross rent: $1,653/mo, against $1,180/mo statewide. High rent is the first thing a lender's ratio will see.
• The share of adults with a bachelor's degree: 46% in Beaufort County. Only 1 of 46 South Carolina counties are higher. Student loan payments count in a debt-to-income ratio, so list them.

Beaufort County housing compared with South Carolina

$1,653 a month is the median gross rent in Beaufort County, 40% above the state. 53% of renting households spend 30% or more of income on rent, and 25% spend half or more. Home values center on $455,600, or 5.3 years of median income. Homeowners 76%, renters 24%.

At a $455,600 median value, many Beaufort County owners hold equity. Using it lowers cost only if you can carry the risk (equity vs. unsecured). High rent burdens leave little slack. If you are borrowing to consolidate, make sure the new payment is lower than the ones it replaces.

Household income in Beaufort County

At $86,573, the typical Beaufort County household income is 32% above the median U.S. county ($65,681). That places it 3rd among South Carolina's 46 county-level areas.

On the low end, 16% of Beaufort County households report under $35,000; at the top, 43% report $100,000-plus. Beaufort County counts about 18,811 residents below the poverty line, 9.6% of the population. For a borrower in Beaufort County, the county median is only context: a lender looks at the income you can document, so pay stubs, benefit letters or tax returns matter more than any average.

How Beaufort County residents earn a living

Education and health care employs 20% of working residents, the largest share; retail trade is next with 14%. Compared with South Carolina, the county leans toward arts, lodging and food service (13% against 9%). ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 2.6% in Beaufort County. About 72% drive to work alone and 12% have trips of 45 minutes or more. 4.3% of households have no vehicle.

Industry shapes paperwork. Salaried and public jobs are easy to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners in Beaufort County should have bank statements and tax returns ready.

Beaufort County, Jasper County and other neighbors

Jasper County is closest, 20 miles from center to center; the sixth, Bryan County, is 50 miles off. Bryan County leads the group on income ($103,408), Hampton County trails ($44,711), and Beaufort County out-earns 4 of the six. The list crosses into Georgia, where different lending rules and regulators apply.

Beaufort County towns compared

The table lists the 14 largest of 14 Census places in Beaufort County, by population. Together all 14 hold about 118,230 people, so roughly 39% of residents live outside any named place. Among places of 500 or more people, median income runs from $54,345 in Laurel Bay to $156,090 in Daufuskie Island. Rent is cheapest in Shell Point ($1,188) and steepest in Bluffton ($2,256). None of the 14 has its own city guide, so this page covers all of them.

A CDP is a named community without its own municipal government.

Beaufort County households compared

Bachelor's degree or higher: 46% of Beaufort County adults. Health coverage gaps: 8.5% of Beaufort County residents are uninsured.

Budget math at the Beaufort County median

Lenders compare monthly debt payments with gross monthly income, the debt-to-income ratio. For a Beaufort County household at the medians it works out like this; treat it as an illustration only.

• Monthly gross at the median, Beaufort County: $7,214
• 23% goes to median rent ($1,653)
• 43% debt-to-income limit: $1,449 left for all other debt payments

Car, student loan and card payments come out of that room first. Try your own numbers in the calculator.

Reading the Beaufort County data as a borrower

A few patterns in the Beaufort County data, and the practical point behind each:

• Older households. A 48.1 median age means fixed-income borrowing is common; a fixed payment and short term limit risk.
• Higher earners. 43% of households clear $100,000; shop at least three lenders and pick the shortest term.
• Beaufort County rent burden. 53% of renters are cost-burdened; ask your landlord about a payment plan before borrowing for rent.

Before you sign

Quick steps for Beaufort County:

• Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
• Shop at least three lenders, including one Beaufort County-area credit union.
• A South Carolina license check takes minutes; do it first.
• Ask about early-payoff penalties.

Lender oversight for Beaufort County

No county office licenses personal lenders. For Beaufort County, check the South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions. The Consumer Finance Division of the State Board of Financial Institutions handles consumer-credit questions as well. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accepts complaints nationwide. The South Carolina page has statewide figures to set beside Beaufort County's.

More guides for Beaufort County

No city in Beaufort County has its own guide yet; the state page is next up.

• South Carolina state guide