Beaufort, SC

Beaufort, South Carolina, looks like a movie set because it often has been one. Hollywood filmed The Big Chill, The Great Santini, The Prince of Tides and Forrest Gump here, drawn by the town's antebellum mansions, live oaks draped in Spanish moss and wide marsh views along the Beaufort River. Founded in 1711, Beaufort is the second-oldest city in South Carolina. Its roughly 13,000 residents enjoy one of the best-preserved historic downtowns in the South.

Beaufort is at the center of the Lowcountry. U.S. Highway 21 and SC 170 connect it to Port Royal, Lady's Island, the Sea Islands and Bluffton, and Interstate 95 is about 25 miles away. Hilton Head is less than an hour's drive, and Savannah and Charleston are each about an hour and a half away, so residents can easily reach the region's beaches, airports and cities.

Education options include the Beaufort County School District, with Beaufort High School and Battery Creek High School serving the area. The district also offers specialty programs and academies. The University of South Carolina Beaufort has a historic campus downtown, and the Technical College of the Lowcountry is based here. Both give residents college degrees and career training close to home.

History is on almost every street. Beaufort's National Historic Landmark District includes the Point and the Old Commons, where grand homes built during the cotton era still stand. Union forces occupied the town early in the Civil War, which spared many of these homes from destruction. Beaufort is also tied to the story of Robert Smalls. He was born enslaved in Beaufort, escaped to freedom by taking control of a Confederate ship, and later served in Congress. He bought the house where he had once been enslaved. Several sites of the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park are in and around downtown.

Life in Beaufort centers on the water. Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park stretches along the Bay Street riverfront, with swinging benches, a marina and views of the Woods Memorial swing bridge. The Spanish Moss Trail, a paved rail-trail, runs for miles through marshland toward Port Royal, and is popular with walkers, runners and cyclists. Boating, fishing and kayaking are part of everyday life, and the beaches of Hunting Island and Fripp Island are a short drive east.

The community calendar is full. The Beaufort Water Festival, held each July for more than 60 years, brings concerts, boat races and a grand finale to the waterfront. The Beaufort Shrimp Festival, the Beaufort International Film Festival and seasonal events in the historic district keep the town lively all year. Galleries, bookstores and locally owned restaurants line Bay Street.

The military plays a major role in Beaufort's economy. Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and Naval Hospital Beaufort bring thousands of service members, families and civilian jobs to the area. Healthcare at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, tourism, education and small business add to a steady local economy, and many retirees and remote workers have also chosen to settle here.

Housing ranges from historic homes in the Point and Old Commons to established neighborhoods, waterfront properties on the Beaufort River, newer communities in the surrounding area and golf and gated communities nearby. Beaufort attracts military families, retirees and professionals, and its historic district remains one of the most desirable places to live on the coast.

The Beaufort Police Department, the Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Department and city government maintain public safety and municipal services. City leaders continue to invest in the waterfront, downtown and infrastructure while protecting the historic character that makes Beaufort special.

Residents love Beaufort for its pace and beauty: walking under live oaks to dinner on Bay Street, watching boats on the river and living in a town where history and community still matter.

Beaufort, South Carolina, is the Lowcountry at its best. With its preserved historic district, active waterfront, military community and close access to beaches and Sea Islands, Beaufort remains one of the South's most beloved small cities to live, work and retire.