Harbor Island, SC

Harbor Island is a quiet, gated barrier island community about 14 miles east of downtown Beaufort in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. With only a couple hundred year-round residents, it has a relaxed, uncrowded feel centered around tidal creeks and miles of peaceful Atlantic beachfront. U.S. 21 runs right across the island, making it an easy drive to the grocery stores and local seafood spots on Saint Helena Island, as well as the lighthouse and trails at neighboring Hunting Island State Park.

Once an uninhabited stretch of maritime forest and marsh, the island evolved into a residential retreat made up of colorful beach cottages, low-rise villas, and single-family homes. Neighborhood life is built around the outdoors, with private beach boardwalks, crabbing docks, tennis courts, and neighborhood pools. It gives relocators the privacy and scenery of a secluded coastal getaway while keeping historic Beaufort's shops, medical centers, and restaurants just twenty minutes away.