History

Bluffton was settled as a resort village for Lowcountry planters beginning around 1825, when wealthy plantation families built summer retreats on the high bluff above the May River to escape the heat and disease of their coastal rice and indigo plantations. The town was incorporated in 1852 and is one of the oldest planned communities in South Carolina. Much of Old Town was burned by Union troops during the Civil War in June 1863, yet a remarkable cluster of antebellum structures survived — including the iconic Church of the Cross (1854) on Calhoun Street, still an active Episcopal congregation. After the Civil War, Bluffton remained a quiet fishing and farming community for over a century. In the 1990s and 2000s, a major annexation drive expanded Bluffton from 1 square mile to 54 square miles, making it geographically one of the largest towns in South Carolina; its population grew from approximately 2,000 to over 30,000 residents in two decades.

Architecture & Housing Stock

Bluffton is one of South Carolina's largest municipalities by land area — 54 square miles, much of it annexed over the past two decades — spanning from the May River to Interstate 95 and encompassing everything from the 1-square-mile Old Town historic core to sprawling master-planned communities like Berkeley Hall, Belfair, Hampton Hall, and Sun City Hilton Head. The town population has grown from under 2,000 in 2000 to over 30,000 today, driven by spillover demand from Hilton Head Island and retirees from the Northeast and Midwest. The May River and its Lowcountry ecosystem anchor Bluffton's identity; the river is famed for its oyster harvesting, kayaking, and paddleboarding. Home prices range from mid-$200,000s in outer neighborhoods to $15M+ at Palmetto Bluff.

Active and recently sold homes in Bluffton range from $250,000 to $8,000,000, with floor plans spanning 800–8,000 square feet. View current listings →

• Historic Lowcountry Cottage Old Town Bluffton's vernacular: one- to two-story frame structures with brick pier foundations, full-width porches, weatherboard exteriors, and minimal ornament — reflecting the antebellum resort era.
• Master-Planned Community Single-Family Newer construction in gated subdivisions (Berkeley Hall, Belfair, Hampton Hall, Rose Hill, Hampton Lake, etc.) — ranging from golf-front cottages to luxury estates with private pools.
• Townhome and Villa Attached or condominium-style residences in newer master-planned communities, common in more affordable price brackets in outer Bluffton.
• Luxury Golf Community Estate Large single-family homes in private club communities (Palmetto Bluff, Belfair, Berkeley Hall, Colleton River) starting at $1.5M and reaching $15M+ for riverfront properties.

Median value sourced from primary data provider.