Housing Market in Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head's housing market resists a single citywide median more than most markets in this dataset -- Redfin's trailing-3-month figure was $767,000 as of August 2026, but that blends a roughly $765,000 median in Palmetto Dunes against a roughly $1.2 million median in Sea Pines, and a genuinely large share of the total housing stock isn't occupied full-time at all.
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Learn moreThe citywide figure, and why it undersells the real spread
Redfin's trailing-3-month median sale price for Hilton Head Island was $767,000 as of August 2026 (down 1.5% year-over-year; $415/sqft, down 1.7% YoY) -- 89% above the national median. Zillow's separate all-homes average value was $789,690 (up 2.9% YoY), using a different methodology than Redfin's median-sale-price figure. Neither figure describes any specific plantation's actual price level -- see below.
A real, wide spread by plantation/neighborhood
Sea Pines -- the island's oldest and largest gated community, developed starting in 1957 -- carried a median sale price around $1.2 million (trailing 3 months ending May 2026, down 7.8% YoY; a separate citation put it at $1,295,000). Palmetto Dunes, a mid-island resort/residential community, carried a notably lower $765,000 median sale price as of April 2026 (a separate citation put Palmetto Dunes' median LIST price at $1,025,000 in March 2026, up roughly 10% YoY from $932,500 in 2025 -- list and sale price are two different figures, not reconciled here). Whichever plantation a buyer is shopping, pull neighborhood-specific comparable-sale data rather than budgeting off the citywide median.
A large, real share of the island's housing isn't full-time-occupied
Sourced estimates for Hilton Head's vacant/seasonal housing share range from 28.32% (a 2021 ACS-derived figure) to 39.1% ("homes sitting vacant" per a separate citation) -- a real, disclosed spread reflecting how much of the island's housing stock functions as second homes or vacation rentals rather than genuine vacancy. Of the island's 34,665 total housing units, only about 2,500 are considered "affordable" per a 2018 town-commissioned housing study still cited in 2026 coverage -- see the jobs-economy topic page for the workforce-housing implications.
Rent figures also disagree by a meaningful margin
Median rent citations for Hilton Head ranged from $1,400 to $1,518 depending on source and methodology (gross vs. base rent), while Redfin's average ASKING rent was a notably higher $2,166 -- likely reflecting current listings rather than occupied-stock averages. See the renting topic page for the fuller picture.
Key takeaways
- Citywide, Redfin's trailing-3-month median sale price was $767,000 as of August 2026 (89% above the national median); Zillow's separate average-value figure was $789,690 -- neither describes any specific plantation.
- The real, disclosed spread by plantation: Sea Pines ran a roughly $1.2M median (down 7.8% YoY) against Palmetto Dunes' roughly $765,000 median -- confirm which specific community you're shopping in before budgeting.
- 28.32%-39.1% of the island's housing stock is estimated vacant/seasonal by disclosed sources -- driven mostly by second homes and vacation rentals rather than genuine vacancy.
- Only about 2,500 of the island's 34,665 total housing units are considered "affordable" per a 2018 town-commissioned study still cited in 2026 coverage.
- Median rent figures ranged $1,400-$1,518 depending on source/methodology, while Redfin's average asking rent was a notably higher $2,166 -- pull current, address-specific data before budgeting.
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