Short answer: On the numbers that change what a home costs, Hilton Head Island has lower property tax millage than the Town of Bluffton (249.0 vs 284.0 mills at the 6% ratio for tax year 2026, Beaufort County Auditor) but charges a 0.25% Town transfer fee that Bluffton doesn't. Every NFIP flood policy in the Town of Hilton Head Island gets a 25% Community Rating System discount, while the Town of Bluffton isn't in FEMA's October 2026 CRS list. Both towns require a short-term rental permit: Hilton Head charges $150 per bedroom a year, Bluffton $325 per unit.
Key facts
- Millage, tax year 2026: Hilton Head district 510, 249.0 mills at 6% and 122.9 at 4%; Town of Bluffton district 610, 284.0 and 157.9; unincorporated Bluffton district 600, 248.0 and 121.9 (Beaufort County Auditor millage card).
- Town transfer fee: 0.25% of the price inside Hilton Head's Town limits. The Register of Deeds lists no municipal transfer fee for Bluffton.
- Flood insurance discount: Hilton Head is CRS Class 5, 25% off NFIP policies. The Town of Bluffton isn't in FEMA's October 2026 CRS list. Unincorporated Beaufort County is Class 5.
- Short-term rental permit: Hilton Head $150 per bedroom a year; Town of Bluffton $325 a year per unit (FY2027 fee schedule, effective July 1, 2026).
- Local accommodations tax: 3% in each town, plus the state's 7%.
- Wind pool area: all of Hilton Head is in the statutory coastal area (SC Code 38-75-310). It covers Beaufort County east of the west bank of the Intracoastal Waterway.
- Population, July 2025 estimate: Hilton Head 38,196; Bluffton 36,807, up from a 2020 base of 27,679 (Census Bureau).
- Same for both: Beaufort County, the 4% and 6% ratios, the deed recording fee, the school district levy, and one countywide hurricane evacuation zone.
Which one has higher property taxes?
The Town of Bluffton, by about 35 mills. Both towns are in Beaufort County and pay the same county levy (59.5 mills) and school levies (126.1 mills for school operations and 36.3 for school debt in tax year 2026). The difference is the local layer. On most of Hilton Head (district 510) it's the Town (19.4 mills) and the Hilton Head No. 1 Public Service District (7.7 mills). In the Town of Bluffton (district 610) it's the Town of Bluffton (36.0 mills) and Bluffton Fire (26.1 mills).
Here's what that means before credits and fees, using the Auditor's tax year 2026 rates:
| Market value | Hilton Head 510, 6% | Town of Bluffton 610, 6% | Hilton Head 510, 4% | Town of Bluffton 610, 4% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | $7,470 | $8,520 | $2,458 | $3,158 |
| $700,000 | $10,458 | $11,928 | $3,441 | $4,421 |
| $1,000,000 | $14,940 | $17,040 | $4,916 | $6,316 |
Unincorporated areas with a Bluffton address (district 600) are close to Hilton Head: 248.0 mills at 6% and 121.9 at 4%. Hilton Head's other in-Town districts run 241.3 to 251.3 at 6%. The math is market value times 4% or 6%, times mills, divided by 1,000. A second home or rental pays the 6% rate in either town, and the school operating levy makes the gap between 4% and 6% large in both. Try your numbers in the property tax calculator.
Does Bluffton have a transfer fee like Hilton Head?
Not a town one. The Town of Hilton Head Island charges 0.25% of the sale price on property inside its limits, $1,750 on a $700,000 home. State law bars local real estate transfer fees except those enacted before January 1, 1991 (SC Code 6-1-70), and Hilton Head's dates from 1990. The Beaufort County Register of Deeds lists the Hilton Head fee and no municipal transfer fee for Bluffton.
Both towns share the state and county deed recording fee, $3.70 per $1,000 of price. Private communities in either town can have their own transfer or capital fees, so check the community's documents. See the Hilton Head transfer fee and community transfer fees.
How do the flood insurance discounts compare?
Hilton Head has one and the Town of Bluffton doesn't, on FEMA's current list. FEMA's Community Rating System list effective October 1, 2026 shows the Town of Hilton Head Island at Class 5, which gives a 25% discount on NFIP policies. The only "Bluffton" on the list is Bluffton, Indiana. Beaufort County, which covers unincorporated areas, is also Class 5.
So the discount depends on which government has jurisdiction, not the mailing address. A home with a Bluffton address in unincorporated Beaufort County can get the county's 25% discount, while one inside the Town of Bluffton can't. Flood risk itself depends on the parcel, so look up the zone and elevation certificate for each home. See the Hilton Head CRS discount.
Wind insurance can differ too. South Carolina's wind pool covers the coastal area defined by statute, which in Beaufort County is everything east of the west bank of the Intracoastal Waterway. All of Hilton Head is inside it. Mainland Bluffton is generally west of the waterway, so ask your insurance agent which market applies to a specific address. See the SC wind pool.
How do short-term rental rules differ?
Both towns require a permit for rentals under 30 days, and neither permit transfers to a new owner. The details differ:
| Rule | Town of Hilton Head Island | Town of Bluffton |
|---|---|---|
| Annual permit fee | $150 per bedroom | $325, paid in addition to business license tax |
| Business license | Required | Required before the permit |
| Parking | No more than 6 exterior spaces | 1 off-street space per bedroom |
| Response time | Act within 1 hour of a complaint | Agent able to reach the property within 1 hour |
| Who can apply | An individual, not an LLC | Not stated on the Town's page |
| Limits per lot | None stated | One rental unit per lot in listed zoning districts |
| Local accommodations tax | 1% plus 2% beach preservation fee | 3% of gross revenue |
In either town, the community's covenants can restrict rentals further. See the Hilton Head rental permit.
How different is the housing?
Quite different, by Census data. These are US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 five-year estimates, the latest available for both towns:
| Measure (ACS 2020 to 2024) | Hilton Head Island | Bluffton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 30,112 | 13,882 |
| Single-family detached share | 47.3% | 79.1% |
| Buildings with 20+ units share | 19.8% | 3.4% |
| Built 2010 or later | 8.1% | 60.9% |
| Vacant units (includes seasonal homes) | 39.1% | 6.4% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $687,400 (+/- $30,316) | $492,100 (+/- $27,672) |
Hilton Head has more villas and condos, more homes from the 1970s and 1980s, and a large share of second homes. Bluffton's housing is mostly newer single-family homes. Hilton Head has 41.4 square miles of land, Bluffton 52.1 (Census 2025 Gazetteer). Census medians cover only owner-occupied homes and aren't asking prices; see Hilton Head home prices.
What's the same in both?
A lot. Both are in Beaufort County, so the Assessor, Auditor, Treasurer and Register of Deeds are the same, and so is the school district levy. The 4% legal residence application, the 72-day rental limit, the homestead exemption and the deed recording fee follow state law in both. All of Beaufort County is a single hurricane evacuation zone with no county shelters, and anyone driving off Hilton Head uses the US 278 bridges. See the US 278 project.
The one thing to check every time is the tax district on the County record. A Bluffton mailing address can be inside the Town of Bluffton or in unincorporated Beaufort County, and some mainland communities sold as "Hilton Head" are outside the Town of Hilton Head Island. The district decides the millage, the transfer fee, the rental permit and the flood discount.
How we help
For any home on either side of the bridges, we'll pull the County record to confirm the tax district, estimate the tax at 4% and 6% with that district's millage, check the flood zone and the community's rental rules, and show the transfer fees that apply.
Questions
Is Moss Creek in Hilton Head or Bluffton?
It's on the mainland, outside the Town of Hilton Head Island, even though it's often listed as a Hilton Head neighborhood. The Town's transfer fee and rental permit don't apply there. Check the tax district on the County record to see which millage and local rules do.
Is the 4% primary residence rate the same in both towns?
Yes. The 4% ratio is state law, and both towns are in Beaufort County, so you apply to the same County Assessor. The resulting bill differs because the millage differs: 122.9 mills on most of Hilton Head and 157.9 in the Town of Bluffton for tax year 2026.
Does Bluffton charge a beach preservation fee?
Not according to its fee schedule, which lists a 3% local accommodations tax. Hilton Head's 3% is split into a 1% accommodations tax and a 2% beach preservation fee. The state's 7% applies in both.
Sources
- Millage card, tax year 2026, Beaufort County Auditor (checked October 2026)
- Document recording, Beaufort County Register of Deeds (checked October 2026)
- CRS eligible communities, effective October 1, 2026, FEMA (checked October 2026)
- Short-term rentals and Master fee schedule, FY2027 adopted, Town of Bluffton (checked October 2026)
- Short-term rental permit, Town of Hilton Head Island (checked October 2026)
- ACS 2020 to 2024 five-year estimates, selected housing characteristics (DP04), US Census Bureau (checked October 2026)