Census-designated place · South Carolina
Fripp Island, South Carolina
Fripp Island, census-designated place, in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Fripp Island had 963 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 752 (±163). GEOID 4527565.
Residents, 2020 Census
963
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 752 ±163
Median household income
$102,778
±$25,046 (90% margin)
South Carolina: $69,324
Median home value
$671,300
±$52,613 (90% margin)
South Carolina: $259,000
Median gross rent
not published
South Carolina: $1,180
Where is Fripp Island and what county is it in?
Fripp Island is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Beaufort County, South Carolina. It covers 3.3 square miles of land, 295 residents per square mile in 2020.
Fripp Island is in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Fripp Island, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 963 residents in Fripp Island, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 752 (±163).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Fripp Island is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Fripp Island | Beaufort County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 752 ±163 | 195,289 | – |
| Households | 442 ±117 | 82,333 | – |
| Average household size | 1.70 ±0.17 | 2.28 | – |
| Housing units | 1,602 ±165 | 103,177 | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Fripp Island?
The median resident of Fripp Island is 65.1 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.8%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.8%.
| Measure | Fripp Island | Beaufort County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 65.1 ±1.8 | 48.1 | – |
| Under 18 years | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 17.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 50.3% ±9.6 pts | 28.4% | – |
| Male | 54.5% ±6.1 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.6% ±2.9 pts | 12.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.8% ±4.4 pts | 67.3% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±1.7 pts | 1.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.8% ±2.8 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.5% ±3.8 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.9% ±3.5 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.6% ±4.9 pts | 11.0% | – |
| With a disability | 14.6% ±5.1 pts | 13.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.9% ±3.2 pts | 8.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 99.6% ±0.7 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 57.2% ±9.1 pts | 46.0% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 26.1% ±6.1 pts | 19.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.7% ±4.9 pts | 85.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 7.4% ±4.8 pts | 7.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Fripp Island earn?
Half of Fripp Island's 442 households earn less than $102,778 a year (±$25,046), against $86,573 in Beaufort County and $69,324 in South Carolina.
| Measure | Fripp Island | Beaufort County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $102,778 ±$25,046 | $86,573 | – |
| Mean household income | $136,598 ±$21,386 | $126,267 | – |
| Per capita income | $78,729 ±$10,953 | $53,951 | – |
| People below the poverty line | 0.5% ±0.9 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 0.0% ±9.7 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 87.8% ±15.8 pts | 97.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.2% ±15.8 pts | 94.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Fripp Island?
Owners occupy 98.6% of Fripp Island's occupied homes and renters 1.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $671,300 by its owner (±$52,613).
| Measure | Fripp Island | Beaufort County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $671,300 ±$52,613 | $455,600 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 100.0% ±100.0 pts | 45.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,543 ±$559 | $2,030 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 98.6% ±2.2 pts | 75.9% | – |
| Renter-occupied homes | 1.4% ±2.2 pts | 24.1% | – |
| Housing units | 1,602 ±165 | 103,177 | – |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 84.5% ±18.8 pts | 19.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 85.8% ±4.9 pts | 64.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.4% ±2.2 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.3% ±1.1 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.3% ±1.7 pts | 16.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 4.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Fripp Island work and get to work?
68.6% of Fripp Island's workers drive alone and 21.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 30.3 minutes.
| Measure | Fripp Island | Beaufort County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 44.9% ±9.3 pts | 56.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.1% ±3.3 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 68.6% ±10.5 pts | 71.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.0% ±12.7 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±12.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 3.3% ±3.8 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 21.8% ±9.3 pts | 13.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.3 min ±11.6 | 23.6 min | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Fripp Island?
No census tract lies mostly in Fripp Island; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 12Beaufort County | 1,055 | $105,023 |
| Tract 9901Beaufort County | 0 | not published |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Fripp Island) · Census block assignment files
How does Fripp Island compare with other places in South Carolina?
Fripp Island is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
Fripp Island's figures with every place in South Carolina (CSV)
Every place in South Carolina, sortable · Compare Fripp Island with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Fripp Island?
25 of the 55 figures for Fripp Island on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Fripp Island are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.