Bluffton and Hilton Head, or Nocatee and Ponte Vedra? The two coasts, side by side.
The South Carolina Lowcountry and the First Coast of Florida draw the same buyer: someone who wants a planned community near golf and an ocean beach, about three hours apart on I-95. Here is how the two compare on the things that decide it, from each state’s own numbers.
By Krista Fracke — Broker Associate, Christie's International Real Estate First Coast · 20+ years in Northeast Florida · 500+ closings · client reviews
The market right now: 379 single-family homes are currently for sale in Nocatee and Ponte Vedra Beach, with a median asking price of $819,000. See Nocatee homes for sale →
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The money, line by line
The biggest difference is how each state taxes you. South Carolina has an income tax; Florida does not. South Carolina, though, taxes a legal residence lightly: it is assessed at 4 percent of value instead of 6, and it pays no school operating millage. Florida taxes the home at full assessed value, with a homestead exemption of up to $50,000 and the Save Our Homes cap on how fast the assessment can rise.
For a retiree the income-tax gap narrows: South Carolina exempts Social Security and allows retirement-income deductions at 65. For a working household or a large investment income, Florida’s zero usually decides it.
| Bluffton / Hilton Head, SC | Nocatee / Ponte Vedra Beach, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax (2026) | 1.99% under $30,000; 5.21% above (minus $966) | None |
| Retirement income | Social Security exempt; up to $10,000 retirement deduction at 65 | No income tax |
| Tax on your home | Legal residence assessed at 4% of value, no school operating millage | Homestead exemption up to $50,000; assessment growth capped at 3% or inflation |
| Your car | Annual county vehicle property tax | No property tax on vehicles |
| Median home value (Census 2020–24) | Beaufort County $455,600; Hilton Head $687,400; Bluffton $492,100 | St. Johns County $489,200 |
| January low / July high | 40.1° / 91.8° (Beaufort) | 47.8° / 91.0° (St. Augustine) |
| Yearly rain | 45.0 inches | 50.6 inches |
Sources: SC Department of Revenue (H.4216, 2026 rates; retiree deductions), Beaufort County Assessor, Florida Constitution Art. VII and Fla. Stat. 193.155, Census ACS 2020–24, NOAA 1991–2020 normals. Not tax advice; your numbers depend on your income and county.
55+ and the club communities
Sun City Hilton Head in Bluffton is the region’s scale play: more than 5,725 acres, more than 18,000 residents, three golf courses, eight pools and a performing arts center, according to its owners’ association. Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head, in Hardeeville, is another 55+ community. On the Florida side the age-restricted options are smaller Del Webb neighborhoods inside larger towns, with Nocatee’s and Ponte Vedra’s amenities around them.
For golf and club life, the Lowcountry’s gated plantations set the tone: Sea Pines requires a gate pass to enter by car, bike or foot, and Palmetto Bluff spans about 20,000 acres with 32 miles of riverfront. Ponte Vedra mixes private and public: TPC Sawgrass takes public tee times up to 14 days ahead, while the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Marsh Landing and Sawgrass Country Club are for members and guests. Every Del Webb near Jacksonville, compared →
The beach, day to day
Hilton Head’s town beach parks charge visitors $3 an hour on weekdays and $5 on weekends from March through early September, paid by app, with Coligny free; island residents get a free permit, which Bluffton residents don’t. From Nocatee or Ponte Vedra the Atlantic is a short drive to county accesses like Mickler’s Landing, with 202 spaces, and St. Johns County keeps about 12 miles of beach open to driving. Every beach access near Ponte Vedra →
Storms and insurance
Both coasts plan for hurricanes. Matthew in 2016 pushed a 7.7-foot surge to Fort Pulaski near the Savannah River and flooded parts of Beaufort County; on the First Coast, Matthew and Irma in 2016 and 2017 set the modern benchmarks. South Carolina covers coastal wind through its Wind and Hail Underwriting Association, and Florida through Citizens and the private market. Check each home’s flood zone and get insurance quotes on both sides before you compare prices. Ponte Vedra Beach hurricane history →
The part nobody tells you
South Carolina’s light property tax applies only to your legal residence, and only after you apply for it. A second home in Bluffton or on Hilton Head is assessed at 6 percent and pays school operating millage, so a part-time owner’s tax bill can look nothing like a full-time neighbor’s. Florida’s homestead works the same way: the exemption and the cap belong to the home you live in.
This is the work I do every week. Weighing the Lowcountry against the First Coast? Send me your shortlist on both sides. I’ll set the Florida homes next to them line by line: taxes, fees, drive to the beach and to the airport.
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Broker Associate · Christie's International Real Estate First Coast · 20+ years · 500+ closings
Common questions
Is Bluffton or Nocatee better for taxes?
It depends on income. Florida has no state income tax; South Carolina’s 2026 rate is 1.99% under $30,000 and 5.21% above that, with Social Security exempt and retirement deductions at 65. South Carolina taxes a legal residence lightly (4% assessment, no school operating millage), while Florida taxes the home at assessed value with a homestead exemption and a 3% cap.
Is there a Florida community like Sun City Hilton Head?
Not at that scale near Jacksonville. Sun City Hilton Head covers more than 5,725 acres with more than 18,000 residents. The First Coast’s 55+ options are Del Webb neighborhoods inside larger planned communities such as Nocatee.
Which is warmer in winter, Hilton Head or St. Augustine?
St. Augustine. NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals put the January low at 47.8° in St. Augustine and 40.1° in Beaufort, South Carolina. July highs are close: 91.0° and 91.8°.
How far apart are Bluffton and Ponte Vedra Beach?
About three hours by car on I-95.
Florida tax math for a new resident →
Homestead, Save Our Homes and the move-in year.
Living in Nocatee →
The villages, the amenities and the fees.
Every Del Webb near Jacksonville →
The First Coast’s 55+ options compared.
Florida’s luxury coasts compared →
Ponte Vedra against the rest of Florida.
Charleston vs Jacksonville and the Beaches →
Taxes, tides, airports and hospitals compared.
Want the two coasts compared on your numbers?
Your income, your shortlist and how you’ll use the home. I’ll run the Florida side line by line.