Lowcountry resort coast where retiree in-migration reshapes the electorate
Rapid population growth driven by affluent retirees and second-home buyers has shifted this coastal South Carolina metro's demographic profile steadily over the past decade, making voter composition harder to project from historical baselines.
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort | 195K | R+14.5 | 44,002 | 59,123 | 104,403 | 21.3% |
| Beaufort | 175K | R+14.5 | 44,002 | 59,123 | 104,403 | 21.3% |
| Beaufort | 148K | R+14.5 | 44,002 | 59,123 | 104,403 | 21.3% |
| Beaufort | 121K | R+14.5 | 44,002 | 59,123 | 104,403 | 21.3% |
| Jasper | 32K | R+9.6 | 8,144 | 9,900 | 18,227 | 3.7% |
| Jasper | 27K | R+9.6 | 8,144 | 9,900 | 18,227 | 3.7% |
| Jasper | 22K | R+9.6 | 8,144 | 9,900 | 18,227 | 3.7% |
| Jasper | 21K | R+9.6 | 8,144 | 9,900 | 18,227 | 3.7% |
| Group | Local | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 63.8% | 57.4% |
▶Black / African American(10) | 22.4% | 12.2% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(19) | 10.8% | 19.3% |
Multiracial / Other | 1.7% | 4.0% |
▶Asian(6) | 1.0% | 6.0% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(9) | 0.6% | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.3% | 0.9% |
Catholic-Evangelical edge: +7.5pp (vs national 4.5pp). A moderate religious balance between Catholic and Evangelical traditions.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18.5% | 44.6% | — | — | |
| 13.5% | 32.6% | — | — | |
| 4.4% | 10.5% | — | — | |
| 3.0% | 7.3% | — | — | |
| 2.0% | 4.9% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 1.3% | 3.2% | — | — |
Non-religiousPopulation | 58.5% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area? 741,621 residents across 8 counties.
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate vs Governor | R+25.1 | R+17.0 | 8.1pp |