One Of America's Most Expensive Retirement Communities Is A Gorgeous Island In South Carolina
When people think about retiring to some sunny island somewhere, tropical escapes might come to mind. However, one stunning island hideaway for retirees isn't tropical at all, but subtropical — and located off the coast of South Carolina. Hilton Head Island is a Beaufort County barrier island easily accessible via plane, train, and automobile. It's a hop skip from the South Carolina mainland, as well as Savannah, GA. Hilton Head's main claim to fame comes in the form of 12 miles of beaches, as yet unspoiled by overzealous property development.
While some folks must weigh every decision regarding retirement with exhausting precision, including waiting until the best age to retire in order to attain maximum benefits, others may get to decide between the best and worst states to retire based on fun (and fun in the sun) factors alone. Hilton Head is also one of the richest cities in South Carolina, with amenities and accommodations to match. In addition to its jaw-dropping coastline, Hilton Head is home to impressive history, outdoor activities par excellence, great golf, fine dining, and a host of high-toned cultural experiences.
Hilton Head Island is the capital of Lowcountry luxury, and that distinction extends to its retirement communities. Multiple resort-style retirement communities, senior living facilities, and age-restricted dwelling options are on offer in Hilton Head, including several extremely plush and premium options.
Big perks for big money
If you retire in Hilton Head, you could have the Atlantic Ocean and the famed Harbour Town Golf Links as neighbors. Balmy weather with hot, humid summers and mild winters are the norm, and possibly a welcome alternative to the chilly temps in one of the supposedly worst places in Michigan to retire. Social Security benefits aren't taxed in South Carolina, and the state's much lower property tax rates than the rest of the country might allow Hilton Head retirees to have a little more luxury bang for their buck. Of course, it requires far more bucks than usual to live high on the hog in Hilton Head.
Per habitation data aggregator site, BestPlaces, Hilton Head's cost of living starts out at staggering heights, not even considering the more specialized costs of retirement living. BestPlaces ranks Hilton Head's cost of living as 4.3% higher than the rest of the United States, and 16.8% higher than the rest of South Carolina. Meanwhile, financial news publication, GoBankingRates, lists Hilton Head as the ninth most expensive U.S. city to retire in.
GoBankingRates finds the average annual homeowner expenditures for Hilton Head dwellers is $84,494, against a 2024 average home value of $1,012,359, and yearly mortgage costs of $63,942. The silver lining on this cloud is at least truly silver: The data also finds that a whopping 39.2% of Hilton Head's population is made up of folks aged 65 and up. This means that while it might be pricey to retire in Hilton Head, retirees are bound to make friends with fellow retirees out golfing, or inside one of Hilton Head's many cultural institutions.
Retirement resorts of Hilton Head Island
If Hilton Head is already one of the pinnacle resort islands in the United States, a few contenders might vie to take an elite slice of retirement resort cake. Hilton Head Plantation, a gated community, boasts homes in the neighborhood of $400,000 to $1 million. Four onsite golf courses and two nature conservancies can entertain retirees, who aren't busy enjoying the community's fishing areas and full-size marina.
A slightly more inexpensive Hilton Head Island retirement community can be found in Latitude Margaritaville: Hilton Head. For the small price of around $293,000 to $450,000 per home, residents 55 and over can blow out their flip flops on pop tops all over the Jimmy Buffet-brainchild's resort-like active retirement environment, from pickleball courts to nature trails. Luxury senior living communities in Hilton Head tend to focus on providing a coastal country club environment for residents. Once such community, TidePoint, offers homes in a similar price range to Hilton Head Plantation, while also offering health care facilities, skilled nursing, and assisted living options throughout their amenities-heavy community.
While Hilton Head is certainly a fairly luxurious place to retire, there are some ways to taste the good life without being completely on the hook for big bills until the end of your lifetime. Book a month or months-long stay at a short-term vacation rental in Hilton Head to get a taste of the good life once, or even once a year. Then, choose a vastly more affordable place to retire, and use whatever savings left to travel the world, or at least the country, on a budget best planned with more visions of beachside sunsets in mind.