What is the rental vacancy rate in Beaufort, SC?

Name: Vacancy rate in Beaufort, SC, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in Beaufort, SC is 10.4% (±7.1 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 1.7% (±2.6 points).

979 (±296) homes, 15.5% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Beaufort, the rental vacancy rate went from 9.1% in 2015–2019 to 10.4% in 2020–2024 (+1.3 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 10.4% (±7.1 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 1.7% (±2.6 points)
Vacant homes: 979 (±296)

Vacancy in Beaufort against Beaufort County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Beaufort	Beaufort County	South Carolina	United States
Rental vacancy rate	10.4% (±7.1 points)	19.4% (±2.1 points)	8.3% (±0.3 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.7% (±2.6 points)	0.9% (±0.4 points)	0.9% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	979 (±296)	20,844 (±935)	325,050 (±5,753)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Beaufort, the rental vacancy rate is lower than in Beaufort County (19.4%).

It is not measurably different from South Carolina (8.3%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Beaufort

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Beaufort
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Beaufort	—	10.4% (±7.1 points)	—
Burton	2.5 mi	2.8% (±4.8 points)	Not measurably different
Laurel Bay	3.7 mi	8.3% (±4.9 points)	Not measurably different
Shell Point	6.0 mi	18.8% (±24.5 points)	Not measurably different
Port Royal	7.2 mi	2.6% (±2.4 points)	Lower
Ridgeland	12 mi	2.8% (±4.5 points)	Not measurably different
Yemassee	17 mi	4.4% (±8.1 points)	Not measurably different
Hilton Head Island	19 mi	46.9% (±3.6 points)	Higher
Bluffton	21 mi	0.0% (±2.1 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Port Royal, SC (2.6%), Bluffton, SC (0.0%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Hilton Head Island, SC (46.9%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across Beaufort County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
1	Hilton Head Island	46.9% (±3.6 points)
2	Shell Point	18.8% (±24.5 points)
3	Beaufort	10.4% (±7.1 points)
4	Laurel Bay	8.3% (±4.9 points)
5	Burton	2.8% (±4.8 points)
6	Port Royal	2.6% (±2.4 points)
7	Bluffton	0.0% (±2.1 points)

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Beaufort

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Beaufort, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Beaufort beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Beaufort, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Beaufort

Is it hard to find a rental in Beaufort?

The rental vacancy rate in Beaufort, SC is 10.4% (±7.1 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Beaufort tighter than it was?

In Beaufort, the rental vacancy rate went from 9.1% in 2015–2019 to 10.4% in 2020–2024 (+1.3 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How many homes are vacant in Beaufort?

An estimated 979 (±296) housing units, 15.5% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Beaufort city, South Carolina (place:04690, in state:45).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.