Beaufort County ( BEW-fərt) is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 187,117. Its county seat is Beaufort and its largest community is Hilton Head Island.
Beaufort County is part of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal metropolitan statistical area. It is one of the South's fastest-growing counties, primarily because of development south of the Broad River clustered along the U.S. Highway 278 corridor. The county's northern portions also have grown steadily, due in part to the strong federal military presence around the city of Beaufort. The county's two portions are connected by the Broad River Bridge, which carries South Carolina Highway 170. Beaufort County has been identified as the most at-risk county in the contiguous United States for combined damage from climate change in the medium term, largely due to high wet-bulb temperatures, economic and farm crop damages, and sea-level rise.
Contents
History
From the early days of plantations, African slaves outnumbered the European minority in the colony. The plantations on the Sea Islands had large concentrations of slaves who had infrequent and limited interaction with white people. The islands were sites of the development of the Gullah culture, which preserved elements from a variety of West African roots; the people also developed the Gullah language, a creole language. The county was majority black until around the mid-20th century.
Union troops took control of Beaufort County and occupied the area beginning in 1861. Many slaves escaped and went to Union lines. In some cases, planters had moved inland for refuge, leaving their slaves on the Sea Islands. Slaves began to organize schools and other parts of their communities early in the war in this county, especially on the islands. The Army founded Mitchellville on Hilton Head by March 1863 as a village where black people could practice self-governance; by 1865, it had 1,500 residents. After the war, the Drayton family reclaimed this land for their own private use. In some cases, the Union Army allocated plots for blacks for housing and cultivating crops.
When freedmen were granted citizenship and the franchise after the American Civil War by constitutional amendments, most joined the Republican Party. Although not the only majority black state, South Carolina was the only Southern state during Reconstruction to elect a black majority of representatives to the state legislature. Beaufort County had many prominent black leaders, such as Robert Smalls, Jonathan Jasper Wright, William James Whipper, Julius I. Washington, and Thomas E. Miller.
Increasing violence during election campaigns in the state from 1868 on was used by white insurgents and paramilitary groups to suppress black voting; results were also dependent on fraud. In 1876, the Democrats regained control of the state legislature and governor's office, although results were disputed. While black Republicans continued to be elected to local office in Beaufort County and other areas through the next decades, in 1895, the Democrat-dominated state legislature passed a new constitution that effectively disfranchised most black citizens by making voter registration and voting more difficult. They were excluded from the political system and kept in second-class status for decades. In 1903, the county "was reported to have 3,434 literate black males to 927 whites", but due to the discriminatory practices, nearly all black citizens were barred from voting.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 923.48 square miles (2,391.8 km2), of which 347.44 sq mi (899.9 km2) (37.62%) are covered by water.
National protected areas
Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto (ACE) Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve (part)
Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park
State and local protected areas/sites
Auldbrass Plantation
Altamaha Towne Heritage Preserve
Bay Point Shoal Seabird Sanctuary
Charlesfort - Santa Elena Historic Site
Coffin Point Plantation
Coligny Beach Park
Daws Island Heritage Preserve
Fort Frederick Heritage Preserve
Greens Shell Enclosure Heritage Preserve
Hunting Island State Park
Joiner Bank Seabird Sanctuary
Old Island Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area
Old Sheldon Church Ruins
Sea Pines Forest Preserve
South Bluff Heritage Preserve
Spanish Moss Trail
Stoney Creek Battery Heritage Preserve
Stony Creek Bridge
Victoria Bluff Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area
Widgeon Point Preserve
Major water bodies
Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic Ocean)
Colleton River
Edisto River
Harbor River
Intracoastal Waterway
May River
Salkehatchie River
Adjacent counties
Colleton County – north
Jasper County – west
Hampton County – northwest
Major highways
US 17
US 17 Alt.
US 21
US 21 Bus.
US 278
US 278 Bus.
SC 46
SC 116
SC 128
SC 170
SC 802
Major infrastructure
Hilton Head Island Airport
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, 187,117 people, 76,373 households, and 50,500 families were residing in the county. The median age was 47.3 years; 18.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 28.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.3 males age 18 and over.
Of the 76,373 households, 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The racial makeup of the county was 69.9% White, 14.9% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 5.7% from some other race, and 7.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 12.5% of the population.
81.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 18.6% lived in rural areas.
There were 98,068 housing units, of which 22.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.7% were owner-occupied and 25.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.3%.
2010 census
At the 2010 census, 162,233 people, 64,945 households, and 45,322 families were living in the county. The population density was 281.5 inhabitants per square mile (108.7/km2). There were 93,023 housing units at an average density of 161.4 units per square mile (62.3 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 71.9% white, 19.3% black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.2% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 12.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 15.5% were German, 13.4% were Irish, 13.1% were English, 5.4% were Italian, and 5.0% were American.
Of the 64,945 households, 28.5% had children under 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.2% were not families, and 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age was 40.6 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $55,286 and for a family was $65,071. Males had a median income of $41,059 versus $33,959 for females. The per capita income for the county was $32,731. About 7.4% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under 18 and 5.8% of those 65 or over.
2000 census
At the 2000 census, 120,937 people, 45,532 households, and 33,056 families lived in the county. The population density was 206 people per square mile (80 people/km2). The 60,509 housing units had an average density of 103 units per square mile (40 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 70.66% white, 23.98% black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.84% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. About 6.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 45,532 households, 30.4% had children under 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were not families. Around 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the age distribution was 23.3% under 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 102.0 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,992, and for a family was $52,704. Males had a median income of $30,541 versus $25,284 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,377. About 8.00% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 6.70% of those age 65 or over.
Law and government
Beaufort County is governed under the council-administrator form of government. Beaufort County Council is an elected body responsible for passing ordinances, setting county policies, and developing an annual budget for the administration of public services to citizens. The chairman is elected to a two-year term by council at the first meeting in January following a general election. The vice chairman is charged with carrying out the duties of the chairman in his or her absence. Council members serve four-year staggered terms. Each council member represents one of 11 districts within the county.
Politics
Beaufort County leans Republican and has voted for that party's presidential nominee in every election since 1980. Even in the first half of the 20th century, Beaufort was routinely one of the counties in South Carolina that gave the Republicans the highest percentage of the vote. In 1920, for example, Republican nominee Warren G. Harding won only 4% of the total vote in South Carolina, but 36% in Beaufort County.
Economy
In 2022, the gross domestic product (GDP) of Beaufort County was $10.8 billion (about $57,827 per capita). In chained 2017 dollars, the real GDP was $9.2 billion (around $48,930 per capita). From 2022 through 2024, the unemployment rate has fluctuated between 2.2 and 3.7%.
As of April 2024, some of the largest employers in the county included the Beaufort County School District, Food Lion, Kroger, Marriott, Publix, the United States Department of Defense, and Walmart.
Education
Colleges and universities
University of South Carolina Beaufort
Community, junior, and technical colleges
Technical College of the Lowcountry
K-12 education
Most of the county is in Beaufort County School District for kindergarten to grade 12. The Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station has its own system at the elementary school level; the Department of Defense Education Activity has two schools covering elementary and middle school for the base. High-school students on the base go to the county school district.
District-operated public high schools
Charter schools
Bridges Preparatory School
Private schools
John Paul II Catholic School
Hilton Head Christian Academy
Beaufort Academy
Communities
Beaufort County is included within the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 232,523 in 2023.
Cities
Beaufort (county seat)
Towns
Bluffton
Hilton Head Island (largest community)
Port Royal
Yemassee (partly in Hampton County)
Hardeeville (mostly in Jasper County)
Census-designated places
Burton
Dale
Daufuskie Island
Fripp Island
Harbor Island
Laurel Bay
Lobeco
Seabrook
Sheldon
Shell Point
Named islands
Some islands are also towns.