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South Carolina›Beaufort County

SheldonSC

A town of 610, settled in 1872.

Is Sheldon a good place to live?

Sheldon has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

610 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
YemasseeYemasseeSheldon
Getting set up

Moving to Sheldon: who provides what

Sheldon is unincorporated, so Beaufort County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerDominion Energy South Carolina16.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet5 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBeaufort CountyBeaufort County provides services here
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 code2994029940 100%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 Sheldon.

Housing

A home in Sheldon is worth about $2.31M, on Zillow’s estimate

Values rose 9.8% in the 12 months to September 2026. 89% of Sheldon households are owner-occupiers, against 65% in South Carolina’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns.

$2.31MZillow home value

Typical home value

Sheldon$2.31M
South Carolina$304K
+9.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April

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

Natural hazards

Sheldon has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from hurricanes

Federal disaster aid has reached households in Sheldon after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 98% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 69% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 9% to inland flooding.

98risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
98Very high riskLowerHigher
HurricanesInland floodingEarthquakes
2
federal disasters paid out here

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Work & commute

A smaller share of residents live below the poverty line in Sheldon than in most of South Carolina or the rest of the country

The average commute for Sheldon comes to 32 minutes. The town had 90 jobs in 2023, up 81 from 2013. Most working residents leave Sheldon for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are Beaufort (16%), Hilton Head Island (9%) and Burton (8%).

2%work in town
SheldonSouth Carolina townsU.S. towns
Below the poverty line2.3%17%9.6%
Average trip to work32 minutes24 minutes25 minutes
Working residents who work in town2.3%6.1%8%

Where working residents work

In Sheldon2%
Beaufort16%
Hilton Head Island9%
Burton8%
Walterboro3%
21 mi
median commute distance
90
jobs based in Sheldon
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

In Sheldon, expect mild winters and hot summers

Its typical July afternoon high is 92°F, where South Carolina’s towns sit at 91°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.

92°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter39–62°
Spring54–77°
Summer71–90°
Fall56–77°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Mar 23
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

A smaller share of adults in Sheldon have been diagnosed with depression than in the typical South Carolina or U.S. town

Sheldon: 16% of adults report frequent physical distress. Among 170 South Carolina towns, just 7 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Sheldon.

SheldonSouth Carolina townsU.S. towns
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)20%15%12%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)50%40%35%
Depression (CDC PLACES)17%23%23%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)86%80%79%
32 measures vs. South Carolina
5 better16 too close to call11 worse
What stands outSheldonSC
Fewer adults with depression16.5%22.3%
Fewer binge drinkers12.4%15.7%
More adults who have had a stroke6.3%3.9%
Beaufort County Memorial Hospital
13.9 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health

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

Nearby attractions

Old Sheldon Church Ruins and 21 more within 40 miles

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

All 57 attractions →
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Old Sheldon Church Ruins: Bill Fitzpatrick, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Pulaski National Monument: Edibobb, CC BY 3.0 · Sorrel–Weed House: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hunting Island State Park: The original uploader was Cdamgen at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Charlesfort-Santa Elena Site: Arman Manookian, Public domain · Penn School Historic District: Gilford Photography, Public domain

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Sheldon

15pages on Sheldon
After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of Sheldon

A commuter town

98% of working residents leave Sheldon for work

Where Sheldon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

16% → Beaufort Beaufort 16% 9% → Hilton Head Island Hilton Head Island 9% 8% → Burton Burton 8% 3% → Walterboro Walterboro 3% 3% → Port Royal Port Royal 3% 3% → Bluffton Bluffton 3% Sheldon · 2% stay
90jobs based in Sheldon
2%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

Questions about Sheldon

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Sheldon, SC a good place to live?

Sheldon has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.