Hilton Head, SC
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Hilton Head Island, sometimes referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a Lowcountry
resort town A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding ...
and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and southwest of
Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
. The island is named after Captain William Hilton, who in 1663 identified a headland near the entrance to Port Royal Sound, which mapmakers named "Hilton's Headland." The island features of beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean and is a popular vacation destination. In 2004, an estimated 2.25 million visitors infused more than $1.5 billion into the local economy. The year-round population was 37,661 at the 2020 census, although during the peak of summer vacation season the population can swell to 150,000."Consolidated Municipal Budget Fiscal Year July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017,"
''Town of Hilton Head Island'', Accessed August 22, 2017.
Hilton Head Island is a primary city within the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort metropolitan area, which had an estimated population of 215,908 in 2020. The island has a rich history that started with seasonal occupation by Native Americans thousands of years ago and continued with European exploration and the Sea Island Cotton trade. It became an important base of operations for the Union blockade of the Southern ports during the Civil War. Once the island fell to Union troops, hundreds of ex-slaves flocked to Hilton Head, which is still home to many of their descendants, who are known as the Gullah (or Geechee). They have managed to hold on to much of their ethnic and cultural identity."Snapshots,"
''Sky Magazine (Delta)'', December 2007. Accessed December 24, 2007.
The Town of Hilton Head Island incorporated as a municipality in 1983 and is well known for its eco-friendly development.William W. Starr
"Graceful Growth,"
''Sky Magazine (Delta)'', December 2007. Accessed December 20, 2007.
The town's Natural Resources Division enforces the Land Management Ordinance which minimizes the impact of development and governs the style of buildings and how they are situated amongst existing trees. As a result, Hilton Head Island enjoys an unusual amount of tree cover relative to the amount of development. Approximately 70% of the island, including most of the tourist areas, is located inside gated communities."Hilton Head, way ahead of its time,"
''USA Today, September 1, 2006'' – Accessed February 14, 2007.
However, the town maintains several public beach access points, including one for the exclusive use of town residents, who have approved several multimillion-dollar land-buying bond referendums to control commercial growth. Hilton Head Island offers an unusual number of cultural opportunities for a community its size, including plays at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, the 120-member full chorus of the Hilton Head Choral Society, the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, an annual outdoor, tented wine tasting event on the east coast, and several other annual community festivals. It also hosts the RBC Heritage, a PGA Tour tournament played on the Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines Resort."Hilton Head Island an unquestionable golfing mecca,"
''CBS Sportsline.com'', April 9, 2007. Accessed May 8, 2007


History


New World discovery

The
Sea Pines The Sea Pines Resort or Sea Pines is located in Sea Pines Plantation, a 5,200-acre private residential gated community located on the southern tip of the island which comprises the town of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Sea Pines is home to f ...
shell ring can be seen near the east entrance to the Sea Pines Forest Preserve. The ring, one of at least 50 known to exist, is in diameter and is believed to be over 4,000 years old. Archeologists believe that the ring was a refuse heap, created by Indians who lived in the interior of the ring, which was kept clear and used as a common area. Two other shell rings on Hilton Head were destroyed when the shells were removed and used to make tabby for roads and buildings. The
Green's Shell Enclosure Green's Shell Enclosure is a historic archeological site located at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina. The site includes one of 20 or more prehistoric Indian shell middens in a shell ring, ri ...
, Sea Pines, and Skull Creek shell rings are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and are protected by law. Since the beginning of recorded history in the New World, the waters around Hilton Head Island have been known, occupied and fought for in turn by the English, Spanish, French, and Scots. A Spanish expedition led by Francisco Cordillo explored the area in 1521, initiating European contact with local tribes."A History Timeline of Hilton Head Island,"
''Town of Hilton Head Island Official Municipal Website'', Accessed July 6, 2007.
In 1663, Captain William Hilton sailed on the ''Adventure'' from Barbados to explore lands granted by King
Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...
to the eight Lords Proprietor. In his travels, he identified a headland near the entrance to Port Royal Sound. He named it "Hilton's Head" after himself."Reference Desk,"
''Beaufort County Public Library — Hilton Head Island'', Accessed May 19, 2007.
He stayed for several days, making note of the trees, crops, "sweet water", and "clear sweet air".


17th to 19th centuries

In 1698, Hilton Head Island was granted as part of a barony to John Bayley of Ballingclough, County of Tipperary, Kingdom of Ireland. Another John Bayley, son of the first, appointed Alexander Trench as the island's first retail agent. For a time, Hilton Head was known as Trench's Island. In 1729, Trench sold some land to John Gascoine which Gascoine named "John's Island" after himself. The land later came to be known as Jenkin's Island after another owner.Margaret Greer (1989) ''The Sands of Time — A History of Hilton Head Island'', pp. 20–21. Hilton Head Island, SC: SouthArt, Inc., . In the mid-1740s, the South Carolina provincial half-galley ''Beaufort'' was stationed in a cove at the southern tip of Hilton Head to guard against intrusions by the Spanish of
St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afri ...
. The point and cove are named after Captain David Cutler Braddock, commander of the ''Beaufort''. Captain Braddock was a mariner and privateer of note in Colonial times. Earlier, he had been placed in command of the Georgia schooner ''Norfolk'' by James Oglethorpe, founder of Georgia, and helped chase the Spanish back to St. Augustine after their failed 1742 invasion of
St. Simons Island St. Simons Island (or simply St. Simons) is a barrier island and census-designated place (CDP) located on St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia, United States. The names of the community and the island are interchangeable, known simply as ...
. After relocating to Savannah in 1746, he served two terms in the Georgia Commons House of Assembly while earning a living as a highly active privateer. He drew a well-known chart of the
Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...
while on a privateering venture in 1756. The chart is in the Library of Congress. During the revolution there was only a very small population of farmers living on Hilton Head Island. This population was exclusively Loyalist, remaining allied to Parliament and the King throughout the entirety of the revolution. However, after the revolution they chose to simply "stay on" in South Carolina and make the best of living under the new republican form of government. In 1788, a small
Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...
church called the Zion Chapel of Ease was constructed for plantation owners. The chapel's old cemetery, located near the corner of William Hilton Parkway and Mathews Drive (Folly Field), is all that remains. Charles Davant, a prominent island planter during the Revolutionary War, is memorialized there. Davant was shot by Captain Martinangel of Daufuskie Island in 1781. This location is also home to the oldest intact structure on Hilton Head Island, the Baynard Mausoleum, which was built in 1846. William Elliott II of Myrtle Bank Plantation grew the first crop of Sea Island Cotton in South Carolina on Hilton Head Island in 1790. During the Civil War, Fort Walker was a Confederate fort in what is now Port Royal Plantation. The fort was a station for Confederate troops, and its guns helped protect the entrance to Port Royal Sound, which is fed by two slow-moving and navigable rivers, the Broad River and the Beaufort River. It was vital to the Sea Island Cotton trade and the southern economy. On October 29, 1861, the largest fleet ever assembled in North America moved south to seize it. In the Battle of Port Royal, the fort came under attack by the U.S. Navy, and on November 7, 1861, it fell to over 12,000 Union troops. The fort was renamed Fort Welles, in honor of Gideon Welles, the Secretary of the Navy. Hilton Head Island had tremendous significance in the Civil War and became an important base of operations for the Union blockade of the Southern ports, particularly Savannah and Charleston. The Union also built a military hospital on Hilton Head Island with a frontage and a floor area of . Hundreds of ex-slaves flocked to Hilton Head Island, where they could buy land, go to school, live in government housing, and serve in what was called the First Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers (although in the beginning, many were "recruited" at the point of a bayonet). A community called
Mitchelville Mitchelville was a town built during the American Civil War for formerly enslaved people, located on what is now Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It was named for one of the local Union Army generals, Ormsby M. Mitchel. The town was a populati ...
(in honor of General
Ormsby M. Mitchel Ormsby MacKnight (or McKnight) Mitchel (August 28, 1810, or possibly 1809,October 31, 1862) was an American astronomer and major general in the American Civil War. A multi-talented man, he was also an attorney, surveyor, professor, and publisher ...
) was constructed on the north end of the island to house them. In an order from May 15th of 1865, Major General Quincy Adams Gillmore, who was commanding the Department of the South with headquarters at Hilton Head declared that "the people of the black race are free citizens of the United States," whose rights must be respected accorindlgy. He issued an additional order while based in Hilton Head saying that any plantation owners who were found to have not informed African-Americans of their new status as free people would be "made liable to the pains and penalties of disloyalty, and their lands subject to confiscation" under the act establishing the Freedmen's Bureau. Martin Delany, the only black officer to reach the rank of major in the United States military during the Civil War, was also stationed at Hilton Head during this time. Th
Leamington Lighthouse
also known as the Hilton Head Rear Range Lighthouse, was built in the 1870s on the southern edge of what is no
Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort
In 1890, the wealthy shipping magnate
William P. Clyde William Pancoast Clyde (October 11, 1839 – November 18, 1923) was an American businessman who was the owner and president of the Clyde Steamship Company, a steamship and canal boat mercantile and passenger transportation business founded by h ...
purchased 9,000 acres on Hilton Head Island for use as a private hunting preserve. On August 27, 1893, the
Sea Islands Hurricane The 1893 Sea Islands hurricane was a deadly major hurricane that struck the Sea Islands which was near Savannah, Georgia on August 27, 1893.
made landfall near
Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...
, with a storm surge of , and swept north across South Carolina, killing over 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.


20th and 21st centuries

An experimental
steam cannon A steam cannon is a cannon that launches a projectile using only heat and water, or using a ready supply of high-pressure steam from a boiler. The first steam cannon was designed by Archimedes during the Siege of Syracuse. Leonardo da Vinci was al ...
guarding Port Royal Sound was built around 1900, in what is now Port Royal Plantation. The cannon was fixed but its propulsion system allowed for long-range shots for the time. In 1931, Wall Street tycoon, physicist, and patron of scientific research Alfred Lee Loomis, along with his brother-in-law and partner Landon K. Thorne, purchased on the island (over 63% of the total landmass) for about $120,000 to be used as a private game reserve. On the Atlantic coast of the island, large concrete gun platforms were built to defend against a possible invasion by the Axis powers of World War II. Platforms like these can be found all along the Eastern Seaboard. The Mounted Beach Patrol and Dog Training Center on Hilton Head Island trained U.S. Coast Guard Beach Patrol personnel to use horses and dogs to protect the southeastern coastline of the U.S. In the early 1950s, three lumber mills contributed to the logging of of the island. The island population was only 300 residents. Before 1956, access to Hilton Head was limited to private boats and a state-operated ferry. The island's economy centered on shipbuilding, cotton, lumbering, and fishing. The James F. Byrnes Bridge was built in 1956. It was a two-lane toll swing bridge constructed at a cost of $1.5 million that opened the island to automobile traffic from the mainland. The swing bridge was hit by a barge in 1974, which shut down all vehicle traffic to the island until the Army Corps of Engineers built and manned a pontoon bridge while the bridge was being repaired. The swing bridge was replaced by the current four-lane bridge in 1982. The beginning of Hilton Head as a resort started in 1956 with
Charles E. Fraser Charles Elbert Fraser (June 13, 1929December 15, 2002) was an American real estate developer whose vision helped transform South Carolina's Hilton Head Island from a sparsely populated sea island into a world-class resort. He graduated from the ...
developing Sea Pines Resort. Soon, other developments followed, such as Hilton Head Plantation, Palmetto Dunes Plantation, Shipyard Plantation, and Port Royal Plantation, imitating Sea Pines' architecture and landscaping. Sea Pines, however, continued to stand out by creating a unique locality within the plantation, called Harbour Town, anchored by a recognizable lighthouse. Fraser was a committed environmentalist who changed the whole configuration of the marina at Harbour Town to save an ancient live oak. It came to be known as the Liberty Oak, known to generations of children who watched singer and songwriter Gregg Russell perform under the tree for over 25 years. Fraser was buried next to the tree when he died in 2002. The Heritage Golf Classic was first played in Sea Pines Resort in 1969 and has been a regular stop on the PGA Tour ever since. Also in 1969, the Hilton Head Island Community Association successfully fought off the development of a BASF chemical complex on the shores of Victoria Bluff (now Colleton River Plantation). Soon after, the association and other concerned citizens "south of the Broad" fought the development of off-shore oil platforms by Brown & Root (a division of Halliburton) and ten-story tall liquefied natural gas shipping spheres by Chicago Bridge & Iron."A Town is Born,"
''Celebrate Hilton Head'', February 2008. Accessed February 2, 2008.
These events helped to energize the community, and the Chamber of Commerce started drumming up support for the town to incorporate as a municipality. After the Four Seasons Resort (now Hilton Head Resort) was built along William Hilton Parkway, a referendum of incorporation was passed in May 1983, where Hilton Head Island became a town. The Land Management Ordinance was passed by the Town Council in 1987. Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort opened in 1996, and the
Cross Island Parkway The Cross Island Parkway is a parkway in New York City, part of the Belt System running along the perimeter of the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. The Cross Island Parkway runs from the Whitestone Expressway ( Interstate 678 or I-678) i ...
opened in January 1997. An indoor
smoking ban Smoking bans, or smoke-free laws, are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, that prohibit tobacco smoking in certain spaces. The spaces most commonly affected by smoking bans are indoor work ...
in bars, restaurants, and public places took effect on May 1, 2007.
Shelter Cove Towne Centre Shelter Cove Towne Centre, formerly The Mall at Shelter Cove, is a mixed-use lifestyle center located in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The center features two anchor stores, which include Belk and Kroger, a park, and two luxury apartment buil ...
opened in 2014.
Fort Howell Fort Howell is an earthworks fort built in 1864 during the American Civil War, located on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It was named in honor of Union Army Brigadier General Joshua B. Howell, and Its primary function was to protect Mitchelv ...
, Fort Mitchel, the Zion Cemetery and Baynard Mausoleum,
Cherry Hill School Cherry Hill School is a historic school for African-American students located at Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina. It was the first separate school building for African-American students on the island. Architecture is a sim ...
, Daufuskie Island Historic District,
Fish Haul Archaeological Site (38BU805) The Fish Haul Archaeological Site, an "address restricted" site located in Beaufort County, South Carolina, is significant because of its archaeological remains from two different eras. The pre-historic findings, which date from 1800 to 1300 B ...
,
Green's Shell Enclosure Green's Shell Enclosure is a historic archeological site located at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina. The site includes one of 20 or more prehistoric Indian shell middens in a shell ring, ri ...
, Hilton Head Range Rear Light,
Sea Pines The Sea Pines Resort or Sea Pines is located in Sea Pines Plantation, a 5,200-acre private residential gated community located on the southern tip of the island which comprises the town of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Sea Pines is home to f ...
, Skull Creek, SS William Lawrence Shipwreck Site, and
Stoney-Baynard Plantation Stoney-Baynard Plantation on Hilton Head Island, SC was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The listing included one contributing site on . It has also been known as Baynard Ruins and as Braddock's Point Plantation. The ...
are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


Geography


Topography

Hilton Head Island is a shoe-shaped island that lies by air northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and south of
Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land, and , or 40.17%, is water.


Barrier island

Hilton Head Island is sometimes referred to as the second largest barrier island on the Eastern Seaboard after
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
(which is not a barrier island but two glacial moraines). Technically, however, Hilton Head Island is only a half barrier island. The north end of the island is a sea island dating to the Pleistocene epoch, and the south end is a barrier island that appeared as recently as the Holocene epoch. Broad Creek, which is a land-locked tidal marsh, separates the two halves of the island.Ballantine T. (1991) ''Tideland Treasures''. p. 19. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, . The terrain of a barrier island is determined by a dynamic beach system with offshore bars, pounding surf, and shifting beaches; as well as grassy
dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
s behind the beach, maritime forests with wetlands in the interiors, and salt or tidal marshes on the
lee Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...
side, facing the mainland. A typical barrier island has a headland, a beach and surf zone, and a sand spit.Ballantine T. (1991) ''Tideland Treasures''. p. 11. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, .


Wildlife

The Hilton Head Island area is home to a vast array of wildlife, including alligators, deer, loggerhead sea turtles, manatees, hundreds of species of birds, and dolphins. The Coastal Discovery Museum, in conjunction with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, patrols the beaches from May through October as part of the Sea Turtle Protection Project."Sea Turtles on Hilton Head Island"
, ''Coastal Discovery Museum'', Accessed May 6, 2007.
The purpose of the project is to inventory and monitor nesting locations, and if necessary, move them to more suitable locations. During the summer months, the museum sponsors the Turtle Talk & Walk, which is a special tour designed to educate the public about this endangered species. To protect loggerhead sea turtles, a town ordinance stipulates that artificial lighting must be shielded so that it cannot be seen from the beach, or it must be turned off by 10:00 p.m. from May 1 to October 31 each year. The waters around Hilton Head Island are one of the few places on Earth where dolphins routinely use a technique called "strand feeding", whereby schools of fish are herded up onto mud banks, and the dolphins lie on their side while they feed before sliding back down into the water. Particularly prominent in the ocean waters surrounding Hilton Head Island, the
stingray Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ( ...
serves as a fascination and painful natural encounter for many beachgoers. Small stingrays inhabit the quieter, shallow region of ocean floor just beyond the break of the surf, typically buried beneath a thin layer of sand. Stingrays are a type of demersal, cartilaginous fish common to the South Carolina coast as well as other areas on the Atlantic shoreline. Typically, stingrays avoid contact with humans unless they are accidentally stepped upon, a situation often ending in a stingray injury, where the stingray punctures the human with its poisonous barb. While these injuries are extremely painful, they are not usually life-threatening as long as they are properly attended to by a medical professional. The saltmarsh estuaries of Hilton Head Island are the feeding grounds, breeding grounds, and nurseries for many saltwater species of game fish, sport fish, and marine mammals. The dense plankton population gives the coastal water its murky brown-green coloration. Plankton support marine life including oysters, shrimp and other invertebrates, and bait-fish species including menhaden and mullet, which in turn support larger fish and mammal species that populate the local waterways. Popular sport fish in the Hilton Head Island area include the red drum (or spot tail bass), spotted sea trout,
sheepshead Sheepshead, Sheephead, or Sheep's Head, may refer to: Fish * '' Archosargus probatocephalus'', a medium-sized saltwater fish of the Atlantic Ocean * Freshwater drum, ''Aplodinotus grunniens'', a medium-sized freshwater fish of North and Central ...
, cobia, tarpon, and various shark species.


Climate

Hilton Head Island has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
- Köppen climate classification Cfa, represented with humid, warm summers and mild winters.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the
2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 37,661 people, 17,513 households, and 11,692 families residing in the town.


2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 37,099 people, 16,535 households, and 10,700 families residing in the town, occupying a land area of . The population density was 882.0 people per square mile (340.4/km2). There were 33,602 housing units at an average density of 798.9 per square mile (308.3/km2). Although the town occupies most of the land area of the island, it is not coterminous with it; there is a small part near the main access road from the mainland, William Hilton Parkway, which is not incorporated into the town. Hilton Head (the island) therefore has a slightly higher population (48,407 in Census 2000, defined as the Hilton Head Island Urban Cluster) and a larger land area () than the town. The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Beaufort Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes
Beaufort Beaufort may refer to: People and titles * Beaufort (surname) * House of Beaufort, English nobility * Duke of Beaufort (England), a title in the peerage of England * Duke of Beaufort (France), a title in the French nobility Places Polar regions ...
and Jasper counties, had a 2012 estimated year-round population of 193,882. The racial makeup of the town was 82.9% White, 7.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 7.3% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.8% of the population. Of the 16,535 households, 18.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.66. In the town, the population was spread out, with 18% under the age of 20, 4.4% from 20 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 28.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.5 males. According to a 2014 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $68,437, and the median income for a family was $85,296. Males had a median income of $51,463 versus $36,743 for females. The per capita income for the town was $45,116. About 5.4% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.


Ancestry/Ethnicity

The largest self-identified ancestry/ethnic groups on Hilton Head Island as of 2020 are:


Economy

According to Hilton Head Island's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the town are:


Parks and recreation


Public beach access

* Alder Lane Beach Access – 22 metered spaces"Hilton Head Island Beaches,"
''Official Town of Hilton Head Island Municipal Government Website'', Accessed August 22, 2014.
* Burkes Beach Access – 13 metered spaces and additional free spaces located slightly farther from the beach. * Coligny Beach Park — parking is free — some parking reserved for annual beach passes from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. * Driessen Beach Park – 207 long term parking spaces — some parking reserved for annual beach passes from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. * Fish Haul Park — parking is free * Folly Field Beach Park – 51 metered spaces * Islanders Beach Park — annual beach pass parking only * Mitchelville Beach Park — parking is free


Island parks

* Alder Lane Beach Access"Hilton Head Island Parks,"
''Official Town of Hilton Head Island Municipal Government Website'', Accessed August 22, 2014.
* Audubon Newhall Preserve * Barker Field * Burkes Beach Access * Broad Creek Boat Ramp * Chaplin Community Park * Coligny Beach Park * Compass Rose Park * Cordillo Tennis Courts * Crossings Park & Bristol Sports Arena * Driessen Beach Park * Fish Haul Creek Park * Folly Field Beach Park * Green Shell Park * Hilton Head Park (Old Schoolhouse Park) * Islanders Beach Park * Jarvis Creek Park * Marshland Road Boat Landing * Old House Creek Dock * Sea Pines Forest Preserve * Shelter Cove Community Park * Xeriscape Garden


Government

The Town of Hilton Head Island incorporated as a municipality in 1983 and has jurisdiction over the entire island except Mariner's Cove, Blue Heron Point, and Windmill Harbor."Consolidated Municipal Budget Fiscal Year July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2007,"
''Town of Hilton Head Island'', Accessed July 6, 2007.
The Town of Hilton Head Island has a Council-Manager form of government. The Town Manager is the chief executive officer and head of the administrative branch and is responsible to the municipal council for the proper administration of all the affairs of the town. The Town Council exercises all powers not specifically delegated to the Town Manager. The Mayor has the same powers, duties, and responsibilities as a member of the Town Council. Also, the Mayor establishes the agenda for Town Council meetings, calls special meetings, executes contracts, deeds, resolutions, and proclamations not designated to the Town Manager, and represents the town at ceremonial functions. Town departments include Building & Fire Codes, Business License, Code Enforcement, Finance, Fire & Rescue, Human Resources, Legal, Municipal Court, Planning, and Public Projects & Facilities. The town had a budget of $74,753,260 for fiscal year 2006/2007. It consists of three separate fiscal accounting funds: the General Fund, the Capital Projects Fund, and the Debt Service Fund. The General Fund is the operating fund for the town and accounts for all financial resources of the town except the Capital Projects Fund and the Debt Service Fund. The Capital Projects Fund is used to acquire land and facilities, and improve public facilities, including roads, bike paths, fire stations, vehicle replacement, drainage improvements, and park development. The Debt Service Fund accounts for the accumulation of resources and the payment of debt. On June 5, 2007, the Town Council approved a $93,154,110 budget for fiscal year 2007/2008 on the first reading with a vote of 6–0. The most recent budget, for the 2010/2011 fiscal year is $74,299,720 Office holders as of December 2020:


Education


Schools


Public schools

* Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center (Pre K — K) * Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts (Grades 1–5) * Hilton Head Island International Baccalaureate Elementary School (Grades 1–5) * Hilton Head Island Middle School *
Hilton Head Island High School Hilton Head Island High School (shortened to Hilton Head High, HHIHS, or HHH) is a State school#United States, public high school within the Beaufort County School District, located in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States. The high s ...


Private schools

*
Hilton Head Preparatory School Hilton Head Preparatory School (HHP) is a private school for junior kindergarten through 12th grade, located in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States. It belongs to the South Carolina Independent School Association, and is accredited b ...
*
Hilton Head Christian Academy Hilton Head Christian Academy (HHCA) is a private, college preparatory Christian school for kindergarten through 12th grade, located in Bluffton, South Carolina, United States. History HHCA was founded in 1979 and sits on a 27.7 acre campus in t ...
* St. Francis Catholic School * Heritage Academy * Sea Pines Montessori Academy * The Island Academy of Hilton Head


Library

Hilton Head has a
public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...
, a branch of the Beaufort County Library.


Infrastructure


Airport

Hilton Head Island is served by the
Hilton Head Airport Hilton Head Island Airport is on Hilton Head Island, in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Also known as Hilton Head Island Airport, it is owned by Beaufort County. In the spring of 2019, United Airlines began seasonal service to ...
which is owned by Beaufort County. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines serve the airport. In the first half of 2019, the airport saw a 225% increase in passengers arriving and departing, when compared with the same time period one year prior. This was attributed to new air service and added seat capacity, made possible by the airport's 2018 runway expansion.


Emergency services

Hilton Head Island Fire & Rescue began operations July 1, 1993, as a consolidation of the former Sea Pines Forest Beach Fire Department, the Hilton Head Island Fire District, and the Hilton Head Island Rescue Squad."Hilton Head Island Fire & Rescue Division,"
''Town of Hilton Head Island Municipal Government Website'' – Accessed January 31, 2007.
There are seven fire stations on Hilton Head Island. Police services are contracted through Beaufort County Sheriff's Office. The island is equipped with an enhanced
9-1-1 , usually written 911, is an emergency telephone number for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Palau, Argentina, Philippines, Jordan, as well as the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), one of eight N11 codes. Like other emergency nu ...
system.


Public transportation

Hilton Head Island is served seasonally by The Breeze public trolley service which is provided by the Lowcountry Regional Transit Authority.


Notable people

* Arthur Blank: owner NFL
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
and Home Depot, has a house in Sea Pines Resort *
William P. Clyde William Pancoast Clyde (October 11, 1839 – November 18, 1923) was an American businessman who was the owner and president of the Clyde Steamship Company, a steamship and canal boat mercantile and passenger transportation business founded by h ...
: owner and president of the Clyde Steamship Company *
Patricia Cornwell Patricia Cornwell (born Patricia Carroll Daniels; June 9, 1956) is an American crime writer. She is known for her best-selling novels featuring medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, of which the first was inspired by a series of sensational murders in ...
: crime fiction author of ''Hornet's Nest'' (set in Charlotte) and others, a NY Times Best Selling Author *
Cranford Hollow Cranford Hollow is an American Rock band from Hilton Head, South Carolina. Background Formed in 2011 as Cranford and Sons, the band consists of vocalist/guitarist John Cranford, bassist Phillip Sirmans, drummer Randy Rockalotta, and fiddler/voc ...
: alternative country and rock band * Bobby Cremins: former NCAA men's basketball coach, currently resides in Charleston, but maintains a home in Hilton Head * Wilbur Cross: author * Dan Driessen: former Major League Baseball player;
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
and others * Jim Ferree: golfer on PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour * Trevor Hall: reggae/folk rock singer-songwriter on Now 40, was raised in Hilton Head * Ryan Hartman: professional hockey player *
Darrell Hedric Darrell Hedric (born June 9, 1933) is an American basketball head coach and scout, most noted as the coach of the Miami University (Ohio) basketball team from 1970 to 1984. Early history Hedric was born and raised in Franklin, Ohio. He was a stan ...
: former head basketball coach at Miami University (Ohio), former NBA scout * John Jakes: author of historical fiction like ''North and South'' (set in Charleston), resides in Hilton Head, a NY Times Best Selling Author *
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
: former NBA player, had a house on Hilton Head from 1988 to 1999 *
John V. Lindsay John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, mayor of New York City, and candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regular ...
: former mayor of New York City, died in Hilton Head on December 19, 2000 * John Mellencamp: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer-songwriter from Bloomington, Indiana; did #1 song " Jack and Diane" in 1982 *
Mark Messier Mark John Douglas Messier (; born January 18, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League (NHL). His playing career in the NHL lasted 25 years ( 1979– 2004) with the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rang ...
: Canadian former NHL hockey player, part-time resident of Hilton Head * Garry Moore: television variety-show and game-show host * Gregg Russell: children's singer, performed under the old oak tree in Harbour Town since 1976 * Serge Savard: former Montreal Canadiens defenseman and general manager, ref * Duncan Sheik: singer-songwriter of the 1997 Grammy-nominated song "
Barely Breathing Bareilly () is a city in Bareilly district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is among the largest metropolises in Western Uttar Pradesh and is the centre of the Bareilly division as well as the historical region of Rohilkhand. The city ...
", writer of the hit Broadway show '' Spring Awakening'', was raised in Hilton Head *
Stan Smith Stanley Roger Smith (born December 14, 1946) is an American former professional tennis player. Smith is best known to non-tennis players as the namesake of a popular brand of tennis shoes. A world No. 1 player and two-time major singles cham ...
: tennis pro, 1972 Wimbledon, 1971 US Open and Davis Cup champion * Col. Benjamin H. Vandervoort: WWII hero, died in his home on Hilton Head in 1990 at the age of 75 *
Kathryn R. Wall Kathryn R. Wall is an American author of mystery novels. She has lived in Hilton Head, South Carolina, since 1994 when she moved there with her husband Norman. She wrote her first novel, ''In For a Penny'', after retiring from her 25-year career a ...
: author of mystery novels *
Lois Rhame West Lois Rhame West (September 5, 1921 – May 6, 2014) was an American health and physical fitness advocate, activist, and philanthropist. She served as First Lady of South Carolina from 1971 until 1975 during the administration of her husband, Gover ...
: First Lady of South Carolina (1971–1975), first woman to chair the Muscular Dystrophy Association * Jayson Williams: former NBA basketball player, owns a home on Hilton Head


See also

* List of municipalities in South Carolina


References

*


External links


Town website
{{Authority control Gullah culture Gullah history Gullah country Hilton Head Island–Beaufort micropolitan area Towns in Beaufort County, South Carolina Seaside resorts in the United States Towns in South Carolina Populated coastal places in South Carolina Islands of South Carolina Islands of Beaufort County, South Carolina Barrier islands of South Carolina South Carolina Sea Islands