Travel + Leisure names Hilton Head No. 1 for year-round coastal living. Here’s why
Some beach towns are great to visit. Others are great for year-round living. Hilton Head is both.
Travel + Leisure magazine has named Hilton Head Island as the No. 1 beach town in the U.S. to live in year-round.
The island outranked Malibu, California, Naples, Florida and Charleston, South Carolina as the best beachy places to put down roots.
According to Caitlin Smith, a Realtor with Sequel Real Estate Group, the island is “ideal” for both full-time residents and second-home buyers.
She told Travel + Leisure that Hilton Head offers a “rare blend” of relaxed coastal living and world-class golf combined with “strong long-term property value.”
The island’s subtropical climate means warm summers and relatively mild winters, making it perfect for a walk on the beach any day of the year. (That doesn’t mean it hasn’t snowed on occasion in recent years, though.)
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The resort community also boasts a vast network of bike trails, top-tier amenities and a commitment to natural preservation, Smith told Travel + Leisure.
It’s not the first time the resort community has been recognized as a top beach town in the U.S.
In 2021, Travel + Leisure named Hilton Head the No. 1 island in the continental U.S. And the Condé Nast Traveler consistently ranks Hilton Head as the top island in the U.S., outranking islands in Hawaii and the Florida Keys.
Top 15 Beach Towns in the U.S.
Here’s the full list of the top beachy destinations to live year-round, according to Travel + Leisure magazine.
1: Hilton Head Island
2: Malibu, California
3: Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
4: La Jolla, California
5: Seaside, Florida
6: Virginia Beach, Virginia
7: Laguna Beach, California
8: Cape May, New Jersey
9: Naples, Florida
10: Charleston, South Carolina
11: Cannon Beach, Oregon
12: Vero Beach, Florida
13: Savannah, Georgia
14: Carpinteria, California
15: Newport, Rhode Island
