Beaufort : South carolina

The Old South lives on in the quaint seaside charm of Beaufort (pronounced b'yoofurt), South Carolina. Known as the “Queen of the Carolina Sea Islands”, this popular retirement community of 11,000 was discovered by the Spanish in 1514 and chartered by the British in 1711. It lies in the Sea Islands or “Low Country” area of South Carolina, just north of Hilton Head. 304 acres of the town have been designated as a National Historic Landmark. That history is reflected in the horse-drawn carriages that roll along streets in the town’s charming historic district that are overhung with Spanish moss.  The area offers a laid back atmosphere that most people find very relaxing. Beaufort is located in Beaufort County. Savannah is 39 miles away.

There are 3 major military installations here that provide a solid economic underpinning and a lowering of the average age in the area. Those include the U.S. Marine Corps Recruitment Depot at Parris Island, the Naval Air Station, and the Beaufort naval hospital.Here is more information about what it is like to retire in South Carolina. Photo of Homes in the Old Point neighborhood courtesy of Wikipedia and BeaufortTiger (public domain).

Watch this short Youtube video prepared by Angela Johnson:

The area has developing rapidly with many upscale communities aimed at  baby boomers and adults 55+ looking for vacation and retirement homes (see link at left). Most of these new planned communities are heavily oriented towards golf. There are many nice neighborhoods within Beaufort  such as Spanish Point, as well as in surrounding towns life Bluffton. For more detailed information about Beaufort see our Retire in Beaufort guide.
The housing crunch had slowed the pace of development here considerably.  Zillow reports the median home value is $295,876 in late 2021.

Tourism, the military's 3 installations here, and real estate are important to the economy.

Beaufort  has  many  art  galleries and has won numerous awards as an arts town.  Additionally  there  is  the  Arts  Council  of Beaufort County with its 12,000 square foot community arts center, the Beaufort Orchestra Society, the University of SC-Beaufort's Performing Arts Center, and the Penn Center. Festivals such as the Water Festival and the Shrimp Festival keep things interesting. Nearby Hilton Head Island has cultural opportunities, as does nearby Savannah.