Harbor IslandSC
In South Carolina, this town has 303 residents.
Is Harbor Island a good place to live?
83% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Harbor Island, against 23% in South Carolina’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Of the 170 South Carolina towns we compare, none has a higher median age than Harbor Island. Harbor Island has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Harbor Island lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 24% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
- Hunting Island State Park
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Moving to Harbor Island: who provides what
Harbor Island is unincorporated, so Beaufort County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Harbor Island.
Harbor Island stands out in South Carolina and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
Households in Harbor Island have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2016. FEMA puts nearly two thirds of the town’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 24% to coastal flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Mild winters and hot summers in Harbor Island
Harbor Island’s peak summer temperature is 90°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A smaller share of adults in Harbor Island smoke cigarettes than in the typical South Carolina or U.S. town
In Harbor Island, one in ten adults say their health is fair or poor. No town among the 170 in South Carolina we compare has a lower share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Harbor Island. The town does better than the South Carolina average on 24 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 3. Among 170 South Carolina towns, just one has a lower share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Harbor Island.
| Harbor Island | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 18% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 33% | 33% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 28% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.5% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Harbor Island | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.2% | 17.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 2.8% | 8.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14.5% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes in Harbor Island sell for about $345K
Among households in Harbor Island, 94% own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hunting Island State Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Angel Oak and 28 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Harbor Island. Close and well known come first.
30 mi Park & preserveAngel Oak
3 mi State parkHunting Island State Park
39 mi LandmarkFort Wagner
39 mi DamThe Battery
37 mi National MonumentFort Pulaski National Monument321K visitors a year
16 mi Ancient siteCharlesfort-Santa Elena SitePhoto credits
Angel Oak: Galen Parks Smith, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hunting Island State Park: The original uploader was Cdamgen at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Fort Wagner: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · The Battery: Eagledj, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Pulaski National Monument: Edibobb, CC BY 3.0 · Charlesfort-Santa Elena Site: Arman Manookian, Public domain
Everything we know about Harbor Island
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Harbor Island
About 0 of every 100 Harbor Island residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
303 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
About Harbor Island
Island east of Beaufort, South Carolina
Harbor Island is a small residential barrier island located 14 miles (22 km) east of Beaufort, South Carolina. It is one of the Carolina Sea Islands. Most of the island is tidal marsh, though approximately 800 acres (3.2 km2) of upland acreage exists on the northeastern portions. The residential portion of the island was listed as a census-designated place in the 2020 census, with a population of 209. The island is served by U.S. Route 21 (US 21), the only vehicular access route to the island and other nearby islands.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 0 ft
- ZIP code
- 29920
Questions about Harbor Island
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Harbor Island, SC a good place to live?
Harbor Island has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.