FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 98% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Overall it grades C, 88th among South Carolina's 167 graded towns. Residents are healthier than 76% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 82% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is safety: it reports more crime per resident than 90% of U.S. towns, including 39 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Its National Register listings include Beaufort Historic District and Marshlands. Only 10 of South Carolina’s 152 towns score higher on civic life. Beaufort is home to Technical College of the Lowcountry.

StrongestAHistory A⁻Walkability A⁻HealthWeakestD⁻Hazard risk DSafety

What makes Beaufort stand out

Where Beaufort beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

Beaufort Historic District

HistoryA

Settled in 1711

14 places on the National Register

A history going back 315 years.

Jobs vs. working residents

Jobs here9,260

Residents who work4,338

Work

2.1 jobs for every working resident

A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 94% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023.

Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD⁻

Hurricanes and earthquakes at the top

FEMA National Risk Index.

Beaufort Historic District · National Register of Historic Places

Beaufort’s story

315 years in pictures

Beaufort Historic District is one of 3 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1711, comes before those of 99% of the South Carolina towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 879 in 1850, a low of 879 in 1850, 13,607 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1779 and 4 maps from 1944 on.

14 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1711Beaufort is settled

Explore the history →

How Beaufort grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Beaufort is from typical.

How grading works

Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listD⁻Open →SafetyDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.3 of 20; 7.4% of households have no car; 5.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA⁻Open →HealthBeaufort County Memorial Hospital 3.4 miles awayA⁻Open →SchoolsB⁺Open →Cost of livingC⁺Open →Jobs & income$61K median household incomeC⁺Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors8 miles of trailsC⁺Open →History35 notable people born hereAOpen →Civic life8.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB⁺Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Climate–Open →Housing market90 days on market–Open →Who lives here–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Beaufort: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Beaufort, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerDominion Energy South Carolina16.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterBjw&sa (Sc0720003) water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpBy addressTown’s hauler · day by addressTown site

SchoolsBeaufort County School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn South Carolina you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereBeaufort Board of Voter RegistrationBeaufort County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2024

ZIP codes29902, 29904, 29907, 2990629902 79% · 29904 15% · 29907 3% · 29906 3%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Beaufort.

Beaufort draws workers from Port Royal and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of South Carolina (mostly hurricanes).

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C⁺

About one in four working residents works right in Beaufort

9,260 jobs are based in Beaufort, 2.1 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 18.3 minutes, against 25.6 across South Carolina.

About one in 4 of Beaufort’s working residents works in town. At 18 minutes, Beaufort’s average trip to work is below both the South Carolina town median (24 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Beaufort has added 1,292 jobs, to 9,260 in 2023.

25%work in town

	Beaufort	South Carolina towns	U.S. towns
Working residents who work in town	25%	6.1%	8%
Average trip to work	18 minutes	24 minutes	25 minutes
Below the poverty line	13%	17%	9.6%
Work from home	8%	8.8%	11%

Where working residents work

In Beaufort25%

Burton8%

Port Royal6%

Hilton Head Island5%

Bluffton4%

12 mi

median commute distance

9,260

jobs based in Beaufort

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

A−

Walkability grade: more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns

Full pageBeaufort’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here9,260 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work25% work in Beaufort Commute times18 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 12 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

SchoolsB⁺

Public schools in Beaufort beat 74% of South Carolina districts

Its public schools are run by the Beaufort 01 school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Beaufort High, with 1,104 students.

74%of SC districts it outscoresB⁺School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Beaufort ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5	Grades PK–5	375	C⁺
Beaufort HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	1,104	A⁻

Full pageBeaufort’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsBeaufort 01 Vs. the neighborsBehind its 3 graded neighbors Every school7 schools · Beaufort High Questions“Are Beaufort’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D⁻

Hurricanes leads a very high hazard risk in Beaufort

FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 95% of South Carolina towns, with expected losses of about $1,467 per resident a year; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on. 134 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 19 properties have flooded more than once.

Since 1979, 134 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Beaufort. Only 8 of the 169 South Carolina towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Beaufort.

98risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

HurricanesEarthquakesInland flooding

134

paid flood claims since 1979

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageBeaufort’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery high risk Flood claims134 paid flood claims · Since 1979 Past disasters9 federal disasters · Paid out in Beaufort Get ready0.4 events a year, on average · Ready for hurricanes

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

SafetyD

Beaufort’s grade for safety is a D

Reported crimes fell from 580 to 300 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.

At 2.7 per 1,000 residents, Beaufort’s violent crime rate is where South Carolina’s towns sit at 4.3 and U.S. towns at 1.6. Beaufort reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 90% report less. The property crime rate in Beaufort is 18 per 1,000 residents.

10%of U.S. towns report more crimeDSafety Grade

	Beaufort	South Carolina towns	U.S. towns
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	2.7 per 1,000 residents	4.3	1.6
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	18 per 1,000 residents	21.7	9.9

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Beaufort2.7

South Carolina3.9

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Beaufort18

South Carolina17.2

U.S.15.5

10th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

50th

percentile among SC towns

violent crimes reported in 2025

261

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageBeaufort’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type2.7 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighborsBehind its graded neighbor Questions“Is Beaufort, SC safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

Who lives here

More young adults than South Carolina overall

Beaufort’s median age is 32.2 years. Beaufort has grown 15% since 2020, to 15,775 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 40% of Beaufort adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.

32.2median age · SC 40.2

	Beaufort	South Carolina towns	U.S. towns
Median age	32.2 years	38.9 years	40.5 years
Under 18	17%	22%	22%
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+	40%	23%	29%
Aged 65 or older	15%	17%	18%

BeaufortSouth CarolinaUnited States

SCU.S.

Ages · share of residents

20%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma4%

High school25%

Some college24%

Associate’s8%

Bachelor’s25%

Graduate15%

Women and men · all residents

47% women, 53% men

That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3 points. Across South Carolina, 51.3% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 71% are men (SC 51%).

Ages and education in Beaufort
	Beaufort	SC	U.S.
Under 10	11.2%	11.4%	11.6%
10 to 17	5.7%	10.1%	10.3%
18 to 24	18.5%	9.1%	9.1%
25 to 34	19.7%	12.8%	13.7%
35 to 44	7.3%	12.5%	13.2%
45 to 54	7.4%	12%	12.2%
55 to 64	15.2%	13.2%	12.7%
65 to 74	8.3%	11.4%	10.2%
75 and older	6.6%	7.4%	7%
No diploma	3.5%	9.9%	10.4%
High school	25.4%	28.2%	26%
Some college	23.5%	19.8%	19.1%
Associate’s	8%	10%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	25%	19.8%	21.6%
Graduate	14.6%	12.3%	14.1%

Full pageBeaufort by the numbersOpen the page

Ages32.2 median age · 15% are 65 or older Schooling40% have a four-year degree Homes62% own their home · Homeowners Income$61K a year · Median household income

Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates

HousingCost of living grade C⁺

A typical Beaufort home is worth about $412K

The typical Beaufort home is worth about $412,000, up 1.1% in a year, 36% above the South Carolina typical home. 62% of households own their home in Beaufort.

$412KZillow home value

	Beaufort	South Carolina towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	62%	65%	73%
Median rent	$1,212 a month	$1,058 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Beaufort$412K

South Carolina$304K

Market temperature

days on market

96.8%

sale-to-list price

+1.1%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in May

Full pageBeaufort’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 1.1% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 6.7 years of income Rents$1,212 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsAhead of 1 of its 3 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

HealthA⁻

Beaufort’s grade for health is an A−

Against the 9,234 U.S. towns with household incomes like Beaufort’s, it is healthier than 96%, so its A− isn’t only a matter of income.

Beaufort beats the South Carolina average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.

77%healthier than U.S. townsA⁻Health Grade

	Beaufort	South Carolina towns	U.S. towns
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)	19%	15%	16%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	32%	38%	36%
Feel lonely (CDC PLACES)	30%	33%	33%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	31%	37%	35%

32 measures vs. South Carolina

7 better23 too close to call2 worse

What stands out	Beaufort	SC
Fewer adults with diabetes	11.3%	13.9%
Fewer adults in fair or poor health	16.6%	20.1%
More binge drinkers	18.8%	15.7%

Beaufort County Memorial Hospital

3.4 mi away · emergency room

2 of 3

care shortages: primary care, mental health

83rd

percentile among SC towns

Full pageBeaufort’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore binge drinkers Hospitals & doctors nearby3.4 miles to an ER · Beaufort County Memorial Hospital How adults are doingFewer adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than SC on 7 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

OutdoorsC⁺

Beaufort has set aside 1% of its land for conservation

8.2 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Southside Park, at 39 acres.

#57for trails in SC

	Beaufort	South Carolina towns	U.S. towns
Conserved land	1%	1.8%	4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile	0.3 miles per square mile	0.3	0.4

conserved · 154 of 16,164 acres

8.2 mi

of trails · 0.3 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Southside Park	—	39
2. Pigeon Point Park	—	7
3. Barnwell Bluff	—	4

Full pageBeaufort’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map8.2 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk39 acres · Southside Park Conserved land1% conserved · 154 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Beaufort?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Climate

Mild winters and hot summers in Beaufort

Beaufort has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 41° and snow is almost unheard of.

91°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter42–62°

Spring57–76°

Summer73–89°

Fall60–77°

Dec 3

typical first frost

Feb 28

typical last frost

+1.1°

vs. the 20th-century average

91°

typical summer high

Full pageBeaufort’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 91°, January lows 41°Rain & snow48″ of rain a year · Snow is almost unheard of Heating & coolingBoth heating and cooling Then and now+1.1° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Nearby attractions

Mercer House and 27 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Beaufort. Close and well known come first.

All 56 attractions →

35 mi MuseumMercer House

31 mi National MonumentFort Pulaski National Monument321K visitors a year

34 mi MuseumSorrel–Weed House

11 mi Ancient siteCharlesfort-Santa Elena Site

17 mi State parkHunting Island State Park

39 mi State parkWormsloe Historic Site

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Mercer House: Kyle Kesselring from Canal Winchester, OH, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Pulaski National Monument: Edibobb, CC BY 3.0 · Sorrel–Weed House: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Charlesfort-Santa Elena Site: Arman Manookian, Public domain · Hunting Island State Park: The original uploader was Cdamgen at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Wormsloe Historic Site: Bubba73, CC BY-SA 3.0

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Beaufort

20pages on Beaufort

The big questions

SchoolsB⁺Beat 74% of SC districts · 7 schools SafetyD2.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA⁻Better than SC on 7 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingC⁺$412K typical home · up 1.1% in a year Work & commuteC⁺$61K median household income · 9,260 jobs here Natural hazardsD⁻FEMA risk higher than 98% of U.S. communities · hurricanes

Out and about

OutdoorsC⁺8 mi of trails · 1% conserved land PlacesAttractions56 nearby · Reconstruction Era National Historical Park under 1 mi LibraryB⁺Beaufort County Library CollegesTechnical College of the Lowcountry, in town

The story

HistoryASettled 1711 · 14 on the National Register Famous people35 born in Beaufort Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 93 residents Climate91° summer highs

Day to day

News25 recent stories about Beaufort WeatherHandbookZIP code 29901, 29902, 29903 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of Beaufort

Technical College of the LowcountryCommunity college · Public · BeaufortIn town$6,156 in-state tuition

About 3 of every 100 Beaufort residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

College town

Technical College of the Lowcountry calls Beaufort home

Technical College of the Lowcountry1,298 students on campus

Admission: Open
Net price: $14,724
Graduate: 18%

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

14 places in Beaufort on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Beaufort Historic DistrictNational Historic Landmark

MarshlandsNational Historic Landmark

Robert Smalls HouseNational Historic Landmark

William Barnwell House

Famous people from Beaufort

35 notable people were born in Beaufort.

See all 35 →

Joe FrazierAmerican boxer · 1944–2011

Robert SmallsAmerican politician and former slave · 1839–1915

Candice GloverAmerican singer · born 1989

Clementa C. PinckneyAmerican politician · 1973–2015

Alan ForneyAmerican rower · born 1960

Stephen ElliottAmerican politician, botanist · 1771–1830

About Beaufort

City in South Carolina, United States

Official town website ↗

Beaufort ( BEW-fərt) is a city in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States, and its county seat. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 13,607 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Hilton Head Island metropolitan area. Beaufort is located on Port Royal Island, in the heart of the Sea Islands and South Carolina Lowcountry. The city is widely known for its scenic location and for preserving the historic character of its antebellum architecture. The prominent role of Beaufort and the surrounding Sea Islands during the Reconstruction era after the U.S. Civil War is memorialized by the Reconstruction Era National Monu…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1711
Area: 34 sq mi
Elevation: 10 ft
ZIP code: 29901, 29902, 29903
Area code: 843

Beaufort’s neighbors

4 towns share a border with Beaufort.

Explore the map →

BurtonPort RoyalLaurel BaySeabrookBeaufort

Burton

SW · 8% of Beaufort workers commute here

Visit

Port Royal

S · 6% of Beaufort workers commute here

Visit

Laurel Bay

Visit

Seabrook

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	SC rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Beaufort	#88	C	C⁺	D	B⁺	A⁻
Burton	#52	B⁻	B	—	B⁺	B⁻
Port Royal	#35	B	C⁻	B⁻	B⁺	A
Laurel Bay	#98	C	C⁺	—	B⁺	B⁺
Seabrook	—	—	—	—	—	—

Burton and Laurel Bay report no FBI crime data of their own. Seabrook isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Beaufort with a neighbor →

Questions about Beaufort

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Beaufort, SC a good place to live?

Beaufort grades C overall, better than 35% of U.S. towns and #88 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades A− for health, D for safety and B+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.

Is Beaufort, SC safe?

Within South Carolina, it does better than 50% of towns.

Is Beaufort, SC expensive?

That is 5 years of the area's median household income ($83,304 across the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.

What is Beaufort, SC known for?

35 notable people were born here, including Joe Frazier and Robert Smalls.

Post to Beaufort

Check your email

BeaufortSC

What should you know before moving to Beaufort?

What makes Beaufort stand out

Jobs vs. working residents

315 years in pictures

How Beaufort grades

Moving to Beaufort: who provides what

The data

About one in four working residents works right in Beaufort

Where working residents work

Public schools in Beaufort beat 74% of South Carolina districts

Hurricanes leads a very high hazard risk in Beaufort

Beaufort’s grade for safety is a D

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

More young adults than South Carolina overall

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

Women and men · all residents

A typical Beaufort home is worth about $412K

Typical home value

Beaufort’s grade for health is an A−

Beaufort has set aside 1% of its land for conservation

Mild winters and hot summers in Beaufort

Typical low → high °F

Mercer House and 27 more within 40 miles

Everything we know about Beaufort

Colleges nearby

Technical College of the Lowcountry calls Beaufort home

Landmarks

Famous people from Beaufort

About Beaufort

Beaufort’s neighbors

Questions about Beaufort