Bluffton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Beaufort
Bluffton
Opportunity
70 · Top 23%
vs90 · Top 1%
Growth
52 · Top 46%
vs79 · Top 5%
Climate
73 · Top 37%
vs72 · Top 39%
Physical resilience
17 · Bottom 11%
vs17 · Bottom 11%
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 21%
vs70 · Bottom 33%
Schools
47 · Bottom 45%
vs66 · Top 32%
Access
80 · Bottom 22%
vs92 · Top 48%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 40%
vs65 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Beaufort | Bluffton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,747 | 33,157 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,220 | $111,281 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,044 | $63,413 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 561/sq mi | 636/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $345,400 | $492,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,212 | $2,256 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.5% | 83.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.0% | 2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.6% | 51.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 4.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 73 | 366 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.3 | 11.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -89.9% | -30.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 40°F | 40°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.0" | 48.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 36 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.1 min | 29.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.2 | 42.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.04 | 12.81 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 33.5% | 46.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 42.9% | 50.1% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Beaufort
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding, earthquake.
Bluffton
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Beaufort, SC · Bluffton, SC · How this is calculated: methodology