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Hilton Head Island, often referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States.<ref name=GNIS/> It is Template:Convert northeast of Savannah, Georgia (as the crow flies), and Template:Convert southwest of Charleston. The year-round population was 37,661 at the 2020 census,<ref name="Census 2020">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> although during the peak of summer vacation season the population can swell to 150,000.<ref name="Town_Fiscal_2016-2017">"Consolidated Municipal Budget Fiscal Year July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017," Template:Webarchive Town of Hilton Head Island, Accessed August 22, 2017.</ref> It is the principal city of the Hilton Head Island–Bluffton–Port Royal metropolitan area, which had an estimated population of 232,523 in 2023.<ref name=":02">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="PopEstCBSA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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 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.<ref name="Sky_Magazine_Dec_2007_Snapshots">"Snapshots," Template:Webarchive Sky Magazine (Delta), December 2007. Accessed December 24, 2007.</ref>
The island features Template:Convert 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.<ref>"Employment Fast Facts," Template:Webarchive Hilton Head Island — Bluffton Chamber of Commerce – Accessed January 31, 2007.</ref>Template:Update inline Hilton Head Island offers an unusual number of cultural opportunities for a community its sizeTemplate:According to whom, 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.<ref name="CBS_Sports">"Hilton Head Island an unquestionable golfing mecca," Template:Webarchive CBS Sportsline.com, April 9, 2007. Accessed May 8, 2007</ref>
Hilton Head Island was incorporated as a municipality in 1983 and is well known for its eco-friendly development.<ref name="Sky_Graceful_Growth">William W. Starr, "Graceful Growth," Template:Webarchive Sky Magazine (Delta), December 2007. Accessed December 20, 2007.</ref> 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.<ref>"20 Who Made a Difference," Template:Webarchive Lowcountry Now (Savannah Morning News), 2003 – Accessed February 16, 2007.</ref> As a result, Hilton Head Island enjoys an unusual amount of tree cover relative to the amount of development.<ref>Gale B. "Hilton Head: the canopy view," Template:Webarchive American Forests, November–December 1990. Accessed February 16, 2007.</ref> Approximately 70% of the island, including most of the tourist areas, is located inside gated communities.<ref name="USA_Today">"Hilton Head, way ahead of its time," Template:Webarchive USA Today, September 1, 2006 – Accessed February 14, 2007.</ref> 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.<ref>Whitney T. and Gordon J. "An Investigation of Sprawl Development and Its Effect on Transportation Planning: The Lower Savannah Region of Government," Template:Webarchive South Carolina State University — School of Engineering Technology and Sciences, 2001 – Accessed February 15, 2007.</ref>
HistoryEdit
New World discoveryEdit
The Sea Pines 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 Template:Convert 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, Sea Pines, and Skull Creek shell rings are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and are protected by law.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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.<ref>Carse R. (1981) Hilton Head in the Civil War: Department of the South (20th Anniv. Ed.), p. 1. Columbia, SC: The State Printing Company, Template:ASIN</ref>
A Spanish expedition led by Francisco Cordillo explored the area in 1521, initiating European contact with local tribes.<ref name="History_Town">"A History Timeline of Hilton Head Island," Template:Webarchive Town of Hilton Head Island Official Municipal Website, Accessed July 6, 2007.</ref> In 1663, Captain William Hilton sailed on the Adventure from Barbados to explore lands granted by King Charles II of England 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.<ref name="BC_HHI_Library">"Reference Desk," Template:Webarchive Beaufort County Public Library — Hilton Head Island, Accessed May 19, 2007.</ref> He stayed for several days, making note of the trees, crops, "sweet water", and "clear sweet air".<ref>"Island History," Template:Webarchive HiltonHeadIsland.com, Accessed May 19, 2007.</ref>
17th to 19th centuriesEdit
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.<ref name="Greer_History">Margaret Greer (1989) The Sands of Time — A History of Hilton Head Island, pp. 20–21. Hilton Head Island, SC: SouthArt, Inc., Template:ISBN.</ref>
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. 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. 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 while on a privateering venture in 1756. The chart<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>South Carolina Loyalists in the American Revolution by Robert Stansbury Lambert: University of South Carolina Press, 1987 - pg. 95</ref> In 1788, a small Episcopal 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.<ref name="BC_HHI_Library"/> 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 Template:Convert 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.Template:Sfn On October 29, 1861, the largest fleet ever assembled in North America moved south to seize it.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn The fort was renamed Fort Welles, in honor of Gideon Welles, the Secretary of the Navy.Template:Sfn
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 Template:Convert frontage and a floor area of Template:Convert.Template:Sfn
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).Template:Sfn A community called Mitchelville (in honor of General Ormsby M. Mitchel) was constructed on the north end of the island to house them.Template:Sfn
In an order from May 15, 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 accordingly. 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.<ref>Reconstruction in South Carolina, 1865-1877 by John Schreiner Reynolds pg. 4</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Leamington Lighthouse, also known as the Hilton Head Rear Range Lighthouse, was built in the 1870s on the southern edge of what is now Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 1890, the wealthy shipping magnate William P. Clyde purchased 9,000 acres on Hilton Head Island for use as a private hunting preserve.<ref name=Hefter>Template:Cite book</ref>
On August 27, 1893, the Sea Islands Hurricane made landfall near Savannah, with a storm surge of Template:Convert, and swept north across South Carolina, killing over 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.<ref>"The Sea Islands Hurricane" Template:Webarchive, The Victorian Era Online, Accessed May 19, 2007.</ref>
20th and 21st centuriesEdit
An experimental steam cannon 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 Template:Convert on the island (over 63% of the total landmass) for about $120,000 to be used as a private game reserve.<ref>Ragland R., "Landowner changed course of history," Template:Webarchive Carolina Morning News, May 3, 2002. Accessed June 13, 2007.</ref><ref>Herbert W., "Palace of Science," Template:Webarchive Prism Magazine, March 2003; Vol 20, No 7. Accessed June 13, 2007.</ref> 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.<ref>Coast Guard Beach Patrol During World War II, A Historic Photo Gallery, Accessed May 7, 2007.</ref>
In the early 1950s, three lumber mills contributed to the logging of Template:Convert of the island.<ref name="History_Town"/> The island population was only 300 residents.<ref name="History_Town"/> 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.<ref name="Sky_Graceful_Growth"/>
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.<ref name="History_Town"/> 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.<ref name="History_Town"/>
The beginning of Hilton Head as a resort started in 1956 with Charles E. Fraser 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Fraser was a committed environmentalist who changed the whole configuration of the marina at Harbour Town to save an ancient live oak.<ref name="USA_Today"/> 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.<ref>"Our Favorite Family Getaways" Template:Webarchive, Parents Magazine, June 2005. Accessed May 8, 2007</ref> Fraser was buried next to the tree when he died in 2002.<ref>"Charles Fraser eulogized as great dreamer" Template:Webarchive, Carolina Morning News, December 22, 2002. Accessed May 8, 2007.</ref>
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.<ref name="CBS_Sports"/> 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.<ref name="Celebrate_HHI_Feb_2008">"A Town is Born," Template:Webarchive Celebrate Hilton Head, February 2008. Accessed February 2, 2008.</ref> 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.<ref name="Celebrate_HHI_Feb_2008"/>
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 opened in January 1997. An indoor smoking ban in bars, restaurants, and public places took effect on May 1, 2007.<ref>Donnelly, Tim "Hilton Head approves smoking ban,"Template:Dead link The Island Packet, February 21, 2007 – Accessed February 21, 2007.</ref> Shelter Cove Towne Centre opened in 2014.
Fort Howell, Fort Mitchel, the Zion Cemetery and Baynard Mausoleum, Cherry Hill School, Daufuskie Island Historic District, Fish Haul Archaeological Site, Green's Shell Enclosure, Hilton Head Range Rear Light, Sea Pines, Skull Creek, SS William Lawrence Shipwreck Site, and Stoney-Baynard Plantation are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="nris">Template:NRISref</ref>
GeographyEdit
TopographyEdit
Hilton Head Island is a shoe-shaped island that lies Template:Convert by air northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and Template:Convert south of Charleston.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (40.19%) is water.<ref name="TigerWebMapServer"/>
Barrier islandEdit
Hilton Head Island is sometimes referred to as the second largest barrier island on the Eastern Seaboard after Long Island (which is not a barrier island but two glacial moraines).<ref>David Lauderdale, "We're the biggest barrier island, so why not try to be the best?"Template:Dead link The Island Packet, August 19, 2007. Accessed August 19, 2007.</ref> 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.<ref name="Tide_Treas_19">Ballantine T. (1991) Tideland Treasures. p. 19. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, Template:ISBN.</ref>
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 dunes behind the beach, maritime forests with wetlands in the interiors, and salt or tidal marshes on the lee side, facing the mainland. A typical barrier island has a headland, a beach and surf zone, and a sand spit.<ref name="Tide_Treas_11">Ballantine T. (1991) Tideland Treasures. p. 11. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, Template:ISBN.</ref>
All soils of Hilton Head Island outside of tidal marshes are sandy. Their drainage ranges from excessive to somewhat poor.<ref>https://nrcs.app.box.com/s/mtk8vlsftgkni0wgt9cez4qonc0fbj0a/file/982717225367 General Soil Map of Beaufort County, South Carolina</ref><ref>https://nrcs.app.box.com/s/mtk8vlsftgkni0wgt9cez4qonc0fbj0a/file/982718581423 Soil Survey of Beaufort and Jasper Counties, South Carolina, 1980.</ref>
WildlifeEdit
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,<ref>"Birding Areas," Template:Webarchive Hilton Head Audubon Society, Accessed June 28, 2007.</ref> 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.<ref name="Coast_Disc">"Sea Turtles on Hilton Head Island" Template:Webarchive, Coastal Discovery Museum, Accessed May 6, 2007.</ref> 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.<ref name="Coast_Disc"/> 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.<ref>Town Ordinance on Sea Turtle Protection Accessed May 6, 2007. Template:Webarchive</ref> 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.<ref>"Coastal Stock(s) of Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin: Status Review and Management," Template:Webarchive Proceedings and Recommendations from a Workshop held in Beaufort, North Carolina, September 13–14, 1993. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service. pp. 56–57.</ref><ref>"National Geographic Television Exposes the Dark Side of Dolphins in New National Geographic Special 'Dolphins: The Wild Side'," Template:Webarchive NationalGeographic.com, National Geographic Press Release, Show aired November 13, 1999, Retrieved November 13, 2007.</ref>
Particularly prominent in the ocean waters surrounding Hilton Head Island, the stingray 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,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
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, cobia, tarpon, and various shark species.<ref>"South Carolina Fishing," Template:Webarchive Atlantic Anglers, Accessed June 28, 2007.</ref>
ClimateEdit
Hilton Head Island has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), represented with humid, hot summers and mild winters. The hardiness zone is 9b on the side facing the ocean and 9a on the remainder of the island. [1]
| Climate data for Hilton Head Island | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average sea temperature °F (°C) | 57.9 (14.4) |
57.4 (14.1) |
58.1 (14.5) |
65.3 (18.5) |
72.3 (22.4) |
79.2 (26.2) |
82.9 (28.3) |
83.5 (28.6) |
81.7 (27.6) |
77.0 (25.0) |
69.1 (20.6) |
61.5 (16.4) |
70.5 (21.4) |
| Mean daily daylight hours | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12.1 |
| Source: Weather Atlas <ref name="Weather Atlas" /> | |||||||||||||
DemographicsEdit
2020 censusEdit
| CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 29,150 | 77.4% | |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,160 | 5.74% | |
| Native American | 46 | 0.12% | |
| Asian | 286 | 0.76% | |
| Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.01% | |
| Other/Mixed | 969 | 2.57% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5,045 | 13.4% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 37,661 people, 17,513 households, and 11,692 families residing in the town.
2010 censusEdit
At the 2010 census,<ref name="GR2" /> there were 37,099 people, 16,535 households, and 10,700 families residing in the town, occupying a land area of Template:Convert. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 33,602 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.
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 (Template:Convert) than the town. The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Beaufort and Jasper counties, had a 2012 estimated year-round population of 193,882.<ref name="PopEstCounties">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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 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,<ref name="USCensusEcoEst2014">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.
AncestryEdit
As of 2020, the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Hilton Head Island were:<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/>
| Ancestry | Percent (2020) |
|---|---|
| English | 47.5% |
| Irish | 10.1% |
| German | 2.2% |
| Italian | 2.1% |
| American | 1.9% |
| Greek | 1.3% |
| Scotch-Irish | 0.9% |
| French (except Basque) | 0.7% |
EconomyEdit
According to Hilton Head Island's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the top employers in the town are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SERG Group Restaurants | 1,244 |
| 2 | Marriott Vacation Club | 580 |
| 3 | Sea Pines Resort | 536 |
| 4 | Hilton Head Medical Center & Clinics | 506 |
| 5 | Coastal Restaurants and Bars | 500 |
| 6 | Beaufort County School District | 438 |
| 7 | Greenwood Communities & Resorts | 287 |
| 8 | Publix Super Markets | 286 |
| 9 | Cypress of Hilton Head | 274 |
| 10 | Omni Hilton Head Resort | 230 |
Parks and recreationEdit
Public beach accessEdit
- Alder Lane Beach Access – 22 metered spaces<ref name="Island_Beaches">"Hilton Head Island Beaches," Template:Webarchive Official Town of Hilton Head Island Municipal Government Website, Accessed August 22, 2014.</ref>
- Burkes Beach Access – 13 metered spaces and additional free spaces located slightly farther from the beach.<ref name="Island_Beaches"/>
- Coligny Beach Park — parking is free — some parking reserved for annual beach passes from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.<ref name="Island_Beaches"/>
- 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.<ref name="Island_Beaches"/>
- Fish Haul Park — parking is free<ref name="Island_Beaches"/>
- Folly Field Beach Park – 51 metered spaces<ref name="Island_Beaches"/>
- Islanders Beach Park — annual beach pass parking only<ref name="Island_Beaches"/>
- Mitchelville Beach Park — parking is free<ref name="Island_Beaches"/>
Island parksEdit
- Alder Lane Beach Access<ref name="Island_Parks">"Hilton Head Island Parks," Template:Webarchive Official Town of Hilton Head Island Municipal Government Website, Accessed August 22, 2014.</ref>
- Audubon Newhall Preserve<ref>Audubon Newhall Preserve Template:Webarchive, South Carolina Trails. Accessed January 24, 2021.</ref>
- Barker Field<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Burkes Beach Access<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Broad Creek Boat Ramp<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Chaplin Community Park<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Coligny Beach Park<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Compass Rose Park<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Cordillo Tennis Courts<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Crossings Park & Bristol Sports Arena<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Driessen Beach Park<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Fish Haul Creek Park<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Folly Field Beach Park<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Green Shell Park<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Hilton Head Park (Old Schoolhouse Park)<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Islanders Beach Park<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Jarvis Creek Park<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Marshland Road Boat Landing<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Old House Creek Dock<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Sea Pines Forest Preserve<ref>The Sea Pines Forest Preserve Template:Webarchive. Accessed January 24, 2021.</ref>
- Shelter Cove Community Park<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
- Xeriscape Garden<ref name="Island_Parks"/>
GovernmentEdit
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.<ref name="Town_Fiscal_2007">"Consolidated Municipal Budget Fiscal Year July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2007," Template:Webarchive Town of Hilton Head Island, Accessed July 6, 2007.</ref> 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.<ref>"Town of Hilton Head Island Town Council and Manager" Template:Webarchive, Town of Hilton Head Island Municipal Government Website, Accessed July 6, 2007.</ref>
The mayor is Alan Perry.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
EducationEdit
SchoolsEdit
Public schoolsEdit
Public schools are operated by the Beaufort County School District, which covers the community.<ref name=SDMap2020>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} - Text list</ref>
- 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
Private schoolsEdit
- Hilton Head Preparatory School
- Hilton Head Christian Academy
- St. Francis Catholic School
- Heritage Academy
- Sea Pines Montessori Academy
- The Island Academy of Hilton Head<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
LibraryEdit
Hilton Head has a public library, a branch of the Beaufort County Library.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
InfrastructureEdit
AirportEdit
Hilton Head Island is served by the Hilton Head Airport 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is in nearby Savannah, Georgia.
Emergency servicesEdit
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.<ref name="Town_HHIFR">"Hilton Head Island Fire & Rescue Division," Template:Webarchive Town of Hilton Head Island Municipal Government Website – Accessed January 31, 2007.</ref> There are seven fire stations and one fire warehouse on Hilton Head Island.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Police services are contracted through Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.<ref name="Town_Fiscal_2007"/> The island is equipped with an enhanced 9-1-1 system.<ref name="Town_HHIFR"/>
Public transportationEdit
Hilton Head Island is served seasonally by The Breeze public trolley service which is provided by the Lowcountry Regional Transit Authority.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Notable peopleEdit
- Arthur Blank, owner NFL Atlanta Falcons and Home Depot, has a house in Sea Pines Resort<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="NYT_Oct_05">Template:Cite news</ref>
- William P. Clyde, owner and president of the Clyde Steamship Company<ref name=Hefter/>
- Patricia Cornwell, crime fiction author of Hornet's Nest (set in Charlotte) and others, a NY Times Best Selling Author<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Cranford Hollow, alternative country and rock band<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Bobby Cremins, former NCAA men's basketball coach, currently resides in Charleston, but maintains a home in Hilton Head<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Wilbur Cross, author<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Dan Driessen, former Major League Baseball player; Cincinnati Reds and others<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Jim Ferree, golfer on PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Poona Ford, NFL football defensive tackle, played for the Texas Longhorns in college
- Trevor Hall, reggae/folk rock singer-songwriter on Now 40, was raised in Hilton Head<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Ryan Hartman, NHL player<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Darrell Hedric, former head basketball coach at Miami University (Ohio), former NBA scout<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- John Jakes, author of historical fiction like North and South (set in Charleston), resides in Hilton Head, a NY Times Best Selling Author<ref name="NYT_Oct_05"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Michael Jordan, former NBA basketball player, had a house on Hilton Head from 1988 to 1999<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Sterling Knight, actor, singer, and dancer<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref>
- John V. Lindsay, former mayor of New York City, died in Hilton Head on December 19, 2000<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- John Mellencamp, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer-songwriter from Bloomington, Indiana<ref name="NYT_Oct_05"/>
- Mark Messier, Canadian former NHL player, part-time resident of Hilton Head<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Garry Moore, television variety-show and game-show host<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Charles W. G. Rich, U.S. Army lieutenant general<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Gregg Russell, children's singer, performed under the old oak tree in Harbour Town since 1976<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Serge Savard, former Montreal Canadiens defenseman and general manager<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Duncan Sheik, singer-songwriter of the 1997 Grammy-nominated song "Barely Breathing", writer of the hit Broadway show Spring Awakening, was raised in Hilton Head<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Stan Smith, tennis pro, 1972 Wimbledon, 1971 US Open and Davis Cup champion<ref name="NYT_Oct_05"/>
- Col. Benjamin H. Vandervoort, WWII hero, died in his home on Hilton Head in 1990 at the age of 75<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
- Kathryn R. Wall: author of mystery novels<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Lois Rhame West, First Lady of South Carolina (1971–1975), first woman to chair the Muscular Dystrophy Association<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Jayson Williams: former NBA basketball player, owns a home on Hilton Head<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
Template:Beaufort County, South Carolina Template:South Carolina Lowcountry Template:US state navigation box Template:Gullah topics Template:Authority control