Photo: Locust member · CC BY 4.0Hilton Head Island spent more per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities
Hilton Head Island’s town government spent $66.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,755 per resident.
What stands out about how Hilton Head Island is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,354 per resident in 2022: more than 69% of them
Hilton Head Island’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,354 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 26 South Carolina cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,122, and the middle half spent $798–$1,440. Hilton Head Island spent more than 69% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
South Carolina cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Hilton Head Island itself left out).
About $1,755 per resident a year, or $4.81 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 35%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 25% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Hilton Head Island reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,354 · 2023: $1,546 · 2024: $1,755. Per resident it went from $1,354 to $1,755 (up 30%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 39,619 to 38,069.
full-time in March 2025, up from 230 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,066 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.45% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Hilton Head Island’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Hilton Head Island’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Hilton Head Island →
Who’s in charge in Hilton Head Island
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Hilton Head Island’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on hiltonheadislandsc.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 153 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (38,069).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Beaufort County School District
Hilton Head Island’s K–12 school district, shared with Beaufort, Bluffton, Port Royal, Yemassee. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,357 per pupil, $10,143 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
South Carolina districts overall: 45% local, 43% state, 13% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Hilton Head Island’s votes are counted by county
South Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Hilton Head Island alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Beaufort County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican56.6%59,123 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat42.1%44,002 votesOthers: 1.2% (1,278 votes).
Most votes in Beaufort County: Donald J Trump
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Hilton Head Island lies in Beaufort County. Every 2024 race in Beaufort County is on the county’s page.
Beaufort County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Hilton Head Island.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: hiltonheadislandsc.gov ↗
- 2South Carolina HouseHilton Head Island is split between 2 districts
- 3South Carolina SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Carolina
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Hilton Head Island compares with the towns next door
Hilton Head Island spent $1,354 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island | $1,354 | $3,066 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Hilton Head Island’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Hilton Head Island’s government
How much does Hilton Head Island spend per resident?
About $1,755 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,354 was more than 69% of 26 South Carolina cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Hilton Head Island?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,066 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.45% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see hiltonheadislandsc.gov.
Who runs Hilton Head Island’s government?
See hiltonheadislandsc.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Hilton Head Island yet.
How did Hilton Head Island vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Hilton Head Island alone. Beaufort County, where 100% of Hilton Head Island lies, voted Trump 56.6%, Harris 42.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Hilton Head Island?
249 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.1M (about $25.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Hilton Head Island in the state legislature?
Hilton Head Island is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The South Carolina Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 46 (Tom Davis). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Hilton Head Island’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →