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Fripp Island and Harbor Island, South CarolinaPhoto: US Government · Public domain
–Not graded
Health in Harbor Island · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Harbor Island residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Harbor Island, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Harbor Island. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Harbor Island

Cancer and high cholesterol run high in Harbor Island

1 in 7 adults have had cancer (14.5%), vs 8.6% across South Carolina. 44.8% of adults have high cholesterol, vs 38.1% across South Carolina. In all, Harbor Island runs above South Carolina on three of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 77% of residents are 65 or older (South Carolina 19%), and cancer and high cholesterol are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Harbor Island is an active town

Only 13.7% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 25.8% across South Carolina. Habits ↓

Harbor Island keeps up with checkups

It beats South Carolina on five of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (85.9% vs 80.6%) and dentist visits (83.5% vs 63.1%). Checkups ↓

Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the South Carolina figure falls outside Harbor Island’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Harbor Island adults…

Harbor Island runs below SC on 5 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.

15 of every 100 Harbor Island adults have had cancer
South Carolina: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 13–16.1%
Better than SCWorseAbout the sameSouth Carolina
Why age matters here

Harbor Island is an older town: 77% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across South Carolina. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Harbor Island as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Harbor Island77%
South Carolina19%
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with South Carolina

Share of adults, with the South Carolina figure marked.

Get no exercise 13.7%SC 25.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 23.1%SC 35.8%
Binge drink 16.1%SC 15.7%
Smoke cigarettes 6.5%SC 13.3%
0%10%20%30%40%
Harbor Island, betterHarbor Island, worseAbout the sameSouth Carolina
Where Harbor Island gets moving

0 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Harbor Island adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Carolina.

86%Yearly checkupSC 81%
84%Dentist visitSC 63%
94%Cholesterol checkSC 87%
80%Colon screeningSC 69%
83%MammogramSC 78%
86%Taking BP medsSC 80%
1 in 21
working-age adults has no health insurance
Harbor Island 4.8% · South Carolina 1 in 8 (11.8%)
Getting care

Care in and near Harbor Island

No hospital or community health center in Harbor Island itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERBeaufort County Memorial HospitalBeaufort · 14.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyBeaufort County Memorial Hospital★★★★★ · 14.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careBeaufort-Jasper-Hampton Comprehensive Health Services, IncorSaint Helena Island · 8.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
8.1 mi
Beaufort-Jasper-Hampton Comprehensive Health Services, Incor
7 sites · nearest in Saint Helena Island
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
14.6 mi
NH Beaufort
Beaufort · not rated
14.8 mi
Beaufort County Memorial Hospital
Beaufort · ★★★★★
ER
20.5 mi
Novant Health Hilton Head Medical Center
Hilton Head Island · ★★★★★
ER
25.4 mi
Hollywood Family Health Center
Hollywood · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
35.8 mi
Bon Secours-St. Francis Xavier Hospital
Charleston · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Harbor Island itself
✓ Dental careHarbor Island is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthHarbor Island is not a shortage area

Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Harbor Island; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

Mind & connection

How Harbor Island adults are doing

On 4 of 4 measures, Harbor Island does better than South Carolina.

1 in 5Harbor Island adults feel lonely
22% · SC 31.7% · Better than SC
1 in 7Harbor Island adults lack social or emotional support
14.5% · SC 23.6% · Better than SC
1 in 6Harbor Island adults have been diagnosed with depression
17.1% · SC 22.3% · Better than SC
1 in 10Harbor Island adults are in frequent mental distress
10% · SC 16.4% · Better than SC
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 5 Harbor Island adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 19
Harbor Island adults worry about having enough food
5.2% · SC 17.4%
Better than SC
1 in 24
Harbor Island adults worry about keeping their housing
4.2% · SC 13.3%
Better than SC
1 in 36
Harbor Island adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
2.8% · SC 8.9%
Better than SC
1 in 31
Harbor Island adults lack reliable transportation
3.2% · SC 8.6%
Better than SC

2.2% of Harbor Island adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.5% across South Carolina.

Around town

Harbor Island and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

21.5%

of Harbor Island adults live with a disability (South Carolina 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs10.6%
Thinking or memory7.8%
Hearing7%
Errands alone4.8%
Vision3%
Dressing or bathing2.5%
South Carolina

Questions about health in Harbor Island

Why doesn’t Harbor Island have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Harbor Island.

What hospital is closest to Harbor Island?

Beaufort County Memorial Hospital in Beaufort, 14.8 miles in a straight line from Harbor Island’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

Where can I get low-cost care near Harbor Island?

1 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Leroy E. Browne Medical Center in Saint Helena Island, 8.1 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Harbor Island.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The South Carolina figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.