Beaufort County, SC

County

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2024 Population

195,289

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

48.1

1.91% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

9.63%

8.13% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$86,573

2.07% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$455,600

11.8% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

82,918

2.07% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Beaufort County, SC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95.2% of the residents in Beaufort County, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Beaufort County, SC are Technical College of the Lowcountry (393 degrees awarded in 2023) and University of South Carolina Beaufort (389 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Beaufort County, SC was $455,600, and the homeownership rate was 75.9%.

Most people in Beaufort County, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Beaufort County, SC was 2 cars per household.

Beaufort County, SC borders Colleton County, SC, Hampton County, SC, and Jasper County, SC.

United States South Carolina Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC

Population & Diversity

Beaufort County, SC is home to a population of 195k people, from which 95.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 7.73% of Beaufort County, SC residents were born outside of the country (15.1k people).

In 2024, there were 4.34 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (131k people) in Beaufort County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 30.3k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 9.67k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.2%

2024 Citizenship

95.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.2% of Beaufort County, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Beaufort County, SC was 95.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Beaufort County, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Beaufort County, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
131k ± 702
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
30.3k ± 760
Other (Hispanic)
9.67k ± 1.44k

12.4%

Hispanic Population

24.2k people

12.4% of the people in Beaufort County, SC are hispanic (24.2k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Beaufort County, SC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for South Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
63,986 ± 6,172 people
India
20,779 ± 3,532 people
Honduras
17,281 ± 3,222 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 63,986 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 20,779 and Honduras with 17,281.

Foreign-Born Population

7.73%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

15.1k people

7.67%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

14.7k people

As of 2024, 7.73% of Beaufort County, SC residents (15.1k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Beaufort County, SC was 7.67%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Beaufort County, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
5,852 ± 640
Gulf War (2001-)
4,390 ± 648
Gulf War (1990s)
2,484 ± 528

Beaufort County, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.33 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Beaufort County, SC.

Economy

The economy of Beaufort County, SC employs 82.9k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Beaufort County, SC were Retail Trade (11,232 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (10,541 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (8,547 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($250,001), Finance & Insurance ($82,386), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($72,291).

Employment

Occupations

82.9k

2024 Value

± 2,835

2.07%

1 Year growth

± 4.74%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Beaufort County, SC grew at a rate of 2.07%, from 81.2k employees to 82.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Beaufort County, SC, are Management Occupations (11,226 people), Sales & Related Occupations (11,155 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (7,404 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Beaufort County, SC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

82.9k

2024 Value

± 2,835

2.07%

1 Year growth

± 4.74%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Beaufort County, SC grew at a rate of 2.07%, from 81.2k employees to 82.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Beaufort County, SC, are Retail Trade (11,232 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (10,541 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (8,547 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Beaufort County, SC, though some of these residents may live in Beaufort County, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$51,611

Median earning men ± $2,977

$40,646

Median earning women ± $1,674

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($104,432), Information ($101,731), and Wholesale Trade ($81,827).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($62,967), Public Administration ($60,074), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($59,020).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

Y-Axis

2.54%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.26M people employed in South Carolina. This represents a 2.54% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

535
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
534
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
524
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$440k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$380k
Retail Trade
$361k
Accommodation and Food Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Beaufort County, SC awarded 782 degrees. The student population of Beaufort County, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,406 male students and 3,064 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Beaufort County, SC are White (399 and 52%), Black or African American (218 and 28.4%), Hispanic or Latino (96 and 12.5%), and Two or More Races (35 and 4.56%).

The largest universities in Beaufort County, SC by number of degrees awarded are Technical College of the Lowcountry (393 and 50.3%) and University of South Carolina Beaufort (389 and 49.7%).

The most popular majors in Beaufort County, SC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (101 and 12.9%), Registered Nursing (71 and 9.08%), and General Studies (58 and 7.42%).

The median tuition cost in Beaufort County, SC for a public four year colleges is $10,344 for in-state students and $21,390 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Beaufort County, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 69.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 26.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 4,470 (31.5% men and 68.5% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 4,470 students enrolled in Beaufort County, SC, 31.5% men and 68.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,321 records, of which 65.7% were women and 34.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
53 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
40 degrees awarded
General Psychology
53 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Beaufort County, SC was General Business Administration & Management with 53 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Beaufort County, SC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Technical College of the Lowcountry
393 degrees awarded
University of South Carolina Beaufort
389 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Technical College of the Lowcountry with 393 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 199 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Beaufort County, SC, which is 0.341 times less than the 583 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 399 degrees mean that there were 1.83 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 218 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($10,344) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($386) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,266) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Beaufort County, SC was $455,600 in 2024, which is 1.37 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $407,600 to $455,600, a 11.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Beaufort County, SC is 75.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Beaufort County, SC have an average commute time of 23.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Beaufort County, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 13.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Beaufort County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.88%.

Housing

Property

$455,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,790

$62,527

Median Property Taxes

±$2,236

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Beaufort County, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Beaufort County, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

75.9%

Homeownership

2024

67.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 75.9% of the housing units in Beaufort County, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 75.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Beaufort County, SC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$86,573

Median Household Income

± $3,024

82.3k

Number of Households

± 2,745

In 2024, the median household income of the 82.3k households in Beaufort County, SC grew to $86,573 from the previous year's value of $84,819.

The following chart displays the households in Beaufort County, SC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Beaufort County, SC is from South Carolina.

0.464

2023 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.102% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (71.8%)
Worked At Home (13.2%)
Carpooled (10.2%)

In 2024, 71.8% of workers in Beaufort County, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13.2%) and those who carpooled to work (10.2%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

23.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Beaufort County, SC have a shorter commute time (23.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.17% of the workforce in Beaufort County, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Beaufort County, SC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Beaufort County, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Beaufort County, SC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 13.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Beaufort County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.88%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

9.63% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Beaufort County, SC (18.1k out of 188k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 65 - 74, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Beaufort County, SC is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 14% of the children was living in poverty in Beaufort County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 8.1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 389 in Beaufort County, SC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 165 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

91.5% of the population of Beaufort County, SC has health coverage, with 34.5% on employee plans, 9.8% on Medicaid, 21.7% on Medicare, 20.9% on non-group plans, and 4.6% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Beaufort County, SC see 1,442 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,442 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 811 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 502 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,442 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Beaufort County, SC

Primary care physicians in Beaufort County, SC see an average of 1,442 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,442 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Beaufort County, SC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.5% under 18 years, 15.4% between 18 and 34 years, 35.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 29.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.49%

Uninsured

34.5%

Employer Coverage

9.8%

Medicaid

21.7%

Medicare

20.9%

Non-Group

4.6%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Beaufort County, SC grew by 0.908% from 8.41% to 8.49%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Beaufort County, SC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 53.2 in Beaufort County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Beaufort County, SC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 27.9% in Beaufort County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Beaufort County, SC.