CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

32.59° N · 80.19° W · GEOID 4564712

Seabrook Island

Charleston County, South Carolina · part of the Charleston, SC metro

Limited data population under 5,000

South CarolinaSeabrook Island, SCSeabrook IslandSeabrook Island

The short answer

Seabrook Island is home to 2,204 people. Median household income is $127,500 a year and median rent is $3,501 a month, 33.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $1,001,400, about 7.8x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$3,501
156% above the median place
Median household income
$127,500
59% above the median place
Median home value
$1,001,400
214% above the median place
Unemployment
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Seabrook Island

  • 45% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 99% of the 2,104 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 90 South Carolina places.
  • The median resident is 68.9 years old, older than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 101 South Carolina places.
  • Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 72 South Carolina places.
  • Households average 1.76 people, smaller than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 101 South Carolina places.
  • 51% of homes stand vacant, more than in 98% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 85 South Carolina places.

Many people here skip the commute entirely: 45% work from home, which keeps total commuting time lower than in 90% of places.

01

Moving to Seabrook Island

Charleston County gains about 5.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in27,049
Moved out25,330
Net+1,719

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Berkeley County, SC3,8785,708−1,830
Dorchester County, SC2,6374,144−1,507

Within South Carolina, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within South CarolinaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$104K
Leavers$76K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Charleston County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
9.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 6.7% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Charleston County report $104,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $76,400, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$140,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $3,501 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,543 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $1,001,400.
Getting to work
28 minutes each way on average; 45.4% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Siesta Key, FL matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
6.7%
239% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
9.9%
73% above the median place
Income of households moving in8
$104,019
47% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSeabrook IslandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year19.9%73% above
Moved from another state16.7%239% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure5.4above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$104,01947% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$76,4449% above
02

What it costs to live here

Vacant homes is 51.4%, above the median place (median 7.1%).

Seabrook Island33.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$140,040
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
33.0%
62% above the median place
Home price to income
7.8x
107% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
33%
over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$88,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Seabrook Island, $3,501 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.1 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Seabrook Island, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Longboat Key, FL26.6% vs 33.0%$31,300Compare
Pelican Bay, FL25.1% vs 33.0%$37,200Compare
The Pinehills, MA27.5% vs 33.0%$900Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Seabrook Island.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Seabrook Island? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
51.4%
above the median place (median 7.1%)
Homeownership1
95.8%
44% above the median place
Median home value1
$1,001,400
214% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSeabrook IslandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$3,501156% above
Rent to income133.0%62% above
Property tax rate10.4%56% below
Home price to income17.8x107% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure101.00% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,88417% above
HUD area median income4County figure$117,50010% above
Property tax paid (median)1$3,97022% above
Median home value1$1,001,400214% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.3%28% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure70.8%37% above
Homeownership195.8%44% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure53.4%6% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,54389% above
Vacant homes151.4%above (median 7.1%)
Median year built119881% above
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 0.0%, below the median place (median 4.9%).

Unemployment1
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)
Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Works from home1
45.4%
265% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$132,020 3.3×
Median household income$127,500 +59%
Mean commute28 min +13%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSeabrook IslandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$127,50059% above
Income per person1$132,020229% above
Unemployment10.0%below (median 4.9%)
Average annual pay6County figure$72,1989% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure5.8%57% above
Jobs6County figure283,98588% above
Poverty rate1County figure11.3%5% above
Mean commute128 min13% above
Works from home145.4%265% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 99.6%, 8% above the median place.

High school or higher1
99.6%
8% above the median place
Median age1
68.9
77% above the median place
Household size1
1.8
30% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher78.4% 2.4×
Homes with broadband98.9% +7%
Born abroad2.3% −74%
All 9 people measures
MeasureSeabrook IslandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,2046646th largest
Population change since 202075.8%above (median 1.1%)
Median age168.977% above
Bachelor's or higher178.4%144% above
High school or higher199.6%8% above
Household size11.830% below
Born abroad12.3%74% below
No health insurance1County figure8.3%30% above
Homes with broadband198.9%7% above
05

Life in Seabrook Island

222 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 44 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents4.5 −55%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k22.7 2.0×
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars33.9 +63%
Shops49.6 +64%
Arts, recreation and fitness7.5 +83%
Doctors' offices and clinics29.8 +48%
Child care centers2.4 +4%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Restaurants and bars per 10k9
33.9
63% above the median place
Shops per 10k9
49.6
64% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9
7.5
83% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureSeabrook IslandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure94above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure54,127above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure13.910% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure33.963% above
Shops per 10k9County figure49.664% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure7.583% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure29.848% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.44% above
Parks per 10k104.555% below
Playgrounds per 10k100.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1022.7103% above
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings11County figure222above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 99.6, 41% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Seabrook Island. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk14
99.6
41% above the median place
Natural hazard risk14
98.6
7% above the median place
Average temperature13
66°F
20% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSeabrook IslandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure91°F4% above
January average low13County figure39°F54% above
Average temperature13County figure66°F20% above
Annual precipitation13County figure50.1 in14% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure98.67% above
Hurricane risk14County figure99.641% above
Tornado risk14County figure71.013% below
Wildfire risk14County figure93.953% above
Heat wave risk14County figure82.78% below
Median air quality index15County figure479% above
Good air days15County figure60.8%11% below
08

Seabrook Island in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 33% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 33% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$3,501/mo (2024)$4,410/mo$3,620 to $5,380/mo+3.9%
Median household income$127,500 (2024)$161,000$136,000 to $190,500+4.0%
Median home value$1,001,400 (2024)$1,468,000$1,066,000 to $2,023,000+6.6%
Population2,171 (2025)2,2502,160 to 2,350+0.7%

The median home would be worth 9.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 7.9 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Seabrook Island

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Siesta Key, FL$3,501$115,854Compare
Skidaway Island, GA$3,501$136,156Compare
Longboat Key, FL$3,501$158,030Compare
Pelican Bay, FL$3,420$163,520Compare
Pelican Bay, FLLongboat Key, FLSkidaway Island, GASiesta Key, FLSeabrook Island, SCSeabrook IslandSiesta KeySkidaway IslandLongboat KeyPelican BaySeabrook IslandSiesta KeySkidaway IslandLongboat Key

Common questions

Is Seabrook Island a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 45% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 99% of the 2,104 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 90 South Carolina places. The median resident is 68.9 years old, older than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 101 South Carolina places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Seabrook Island expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 33.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $1,001,400.

What salary do you need to live in Seabrook Island?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $140,040 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Seabrook Island?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Siesta Key, FL, Skidaway Island, GA, Longboat Key, FL and Pelican Bay, FL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Seabrook Island with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Seabrook Island itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/seabrook-island-south-carolina

Citytistics. “Seabrook Island, South Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/seabrook-island-south-carolina/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.