Living in
Port Royal.

If you're considering Port Royal, understand upfront that this is a military town—Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and Naval Hospital Beaufort anchor the economy and shape the character of the place. The median household income sits at $74,870 with a median home value around $347,000, which is reasonable for the Lowcountry, though you'll want to budget roughly $1,726 monthly for rent if you're not buying. The job market is steady with a 4.2% unemployment rate, and your commute will likely be short—averaging just 13.5 minutes—thanks to the compact geography and the fact that much of the employment is local.

Population has grown nearly 18% in recent years, which brings both vitality and growing pains; the town's been aggressively annexing land since 2000, reshaping its footprint from the historic Old Village core outward to Mossy Creek and beyond. What actually makes people stay is the genuine sense of community—the Old Village on Paris Avenue hosts regular Street Music events, there's a soft shell crab festival in late April and an oyster roast in October, and you're genuinely close to water-based recreation with the Spanish Moss Trail (a converted 14.9-mile rail trail) and nearby parks connecting you to Beaufort and the broader Lowcountry. The catch is the heat and humidity—summers are intense and the subtropical climate means you'll live with that year-round—but locals embrace the outdoors anyway, whether it's kayaking, fishing, or exploring the marshlands.