What is the rental vacancy rate in Hilton Head Island, SC?

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

The rental vacancy rate in Hilton Head Island, SC is 46.9% (±3.6 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 1.5% (±0.8 points).

11,786 (±387) homes, 39.1% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Hilton Head Island, the rental vacancy rate went from 23.3% in 2015–2019 to 46.9% in 2020–2024 (+23.6 percentage points), a measurable increase.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 46.9% (±3.6 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 1.5% (±0.8 points)
Vacant homes: 11,786 (±387)

Vacancy in Hilton Head Island against Beaufort County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Hilton Head Island	Beaufort County	South Carolina	United States
Rental vacancy rate	46.9% (±3.6 points)	19.4% (±2.1 points)	8.3% (±0.3 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.5% (±0.8 points)	0.9% (±0.4 points)	0.9% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	11,786 (±387)	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 Hilton Head Island, the rental vacancy rate is higher than in Beaufort County (19.4%).

It is also higher than in South Carolina (8.3%).

It is higher than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Hilton Head Island

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Hilton Head Island
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Hilton Head Island	—	46.9% (±3.6 points)	—
Bluffton	11 mi	0.0% (±2.1 points)	Lower
Port Royal	12 mi	2.6% (±2.4 points)	Lower
Shell Point	13 mi	18.8% (±24.5 points)	Lower
Tybee Island	14 mi	56.4% (±18.5 points)	Not measurably different
Burton	16 mi	2.8% (±4.8 points)	Lower
Beaufort	19 mi	10.4% (±7.1 points)	Lower
Laurel Bay	19 mi	8.3% (±4.9 points)	Lower
Hardeeville	19 mi	5.6% (±6.1 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Bluffton, SC (0.0%), Port Royal, SC (2.6%), Shell Point, SC (18.8%).

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.

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Questions about Hilton Head Island

Is it hard to find a rental in Hilton Head Island?

The rental vacancy rate in Hilton Head Island, SC is 46.9% (±3.6 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 Hilton Head Island tighter than it was?

In Hilton Head Island, the rental vacancy rate went from 23.3% in 2015–2019 to 46.9% in 2020–2024 (+23.6 percentage points), a measurable increase.

How many homes are vacant in Hilton Head Island?

An estimated 11,786 (±387) housing units, 39.1% 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 Hilton Head Island town, South Carolina (place:34045, 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.