Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC Metro Area
The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area is made up of 2 counties in South Carolina: Beaufort and Jasper. About 242,966 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 12.5% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 242,966 12.5% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 2: 1 central, 1 outlying
- Land area
- 1,231 sq mi (3,189 km²)
- Time zone
- Eastern TimeUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July
- State
- South Carolina
- CBSA code
- 25940
Counties in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort County | Central | 204,433 | 84.1% |
| Jasper County | Outlying | 38,533 | 15.9% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central county, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal cities, largest first
- Hilton Head Island37,911 people
- Bluffton33,157 people
- Port Royal15,579 people
- Beaufort13,747 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Savannah, GA Metro Area29 mi southwest
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.