Hilton Head Island real estate for sale
Homes, villas, and land on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and the facts that decide what a home will really cost you: the tax rate, the flood zone, and the community's rules.
Short answer: Hilton Head Island real estate for sale ranges from oceanfront and marsh-front homes to villas, condos, and lots, inside large gated communities such as Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes, Shipyard, and Hilton Head Plantation and in neighborhoods without gates such as Forest Beach and Folly Field. The Census Bureau puts the median owner-occupied home value at $687,400 (2020 to 2024 estimate). Before you buy, check three things listings rarely show: whether the home will be taxed at 4% or 6%, its flood zone and elevation, and its community's fees and rental rules.
What most listings won't tell you
Each of these changes what a Hilton Head home costs to own. Every one is sourced and checked for 2026.
Hilton Head neighborhoods
Gates, beach access, dues and fees at sale, rental rules, and the kinds of homes in each, from the communities' own documents.
How to buy a home on Hilton Head
Our buying guide covers the whole process in order: deciding how you'll use the home, what it costs to own, flood and wind insurance, rental permits, making an offer, the attorney closing, and the deadlines after you move in.
Common questions
What should I know before buying a home on Hilton Head Island?
Three things change what a Hilton Head home really costs: whether it will be your legal residence (taxed at 4%) or a second home or rental (6%, often two to three times the tax), its flood zone and elevation, and the fees and rules of its community. Check all three for every home before you make an offer. The buying guide walks through each step.
How much are property taxes on Hilton Head?
In 2026, a home in tax district 510 (most of the Town) pays 122.9 mills on 4% of its value as a legal residence, or 249.0 mills on 6% as a second home or rental. That's about $4,424 a year on a $900,000 legal residence and about $10,085 on the same home as a second home with the 25% exemption after a sale. Try your own numbers in the property tax calculator.
Is Hilton Head in a flood zone?
The island has every kind of FEMA flood zone, from low-risk X to high-risk AE and VE (VE adds wave hazard), so flood risk depends on the individual property and you need to check each one. The Town requires new and substantially improved homes to have the lowest floor at least 3 feet above base flood elevation or 13 feet above sea level, whichever is higher, and its CRS Class 5 rating gives flood insurance policies in the Town a 25% discount. See is Hilton Head in a flood zone.
Can I rent out my Hilton Head home?
Yes, if you get the Town's short-term rental permit for stays under 30 days and your community's rules allow it. The permit costs $150 per bedroom a year, runs May 1 to April 30, must be in an individual's name rather than an LLC's, and doesn't transfer to a buyer, so you'll apply for your own after closing. Renting more than 72 days a year also means the 6% tax rate. See the short-term rental permit.
What fees do you pay when you buy on Hilton Head?
Hilton Head adds a Town real estate transfer fee of 0.25% of the price to South Carolina's deed recording fee of $3.70 per $1,000, which by statute falls on the seller. Some communities charge their own fee at sale; Palmetto Dunes charges buyers 0.5%. The closing cost calculator works them out.
Who is the best real estate agent on Hilton Head?
The best agent for you is licensed in South Carolina, works on the island every day, knows the neighborhoods you're considering, and can tell you a home's tax rate, flood zone, community fees, and rental rules before you make an offer. Hilton Head For Sale, run by South Carolina broker Sterling Ashley Ingram, publishes exactly those facts for every major neighborhood on this site and checks them against the official sources. Whoever you choose, confirm their license on the SC LLR license lookup and ask how they'd check the things above for a specific home.
