The Town Files

Shell Point, South Carolina

Community in Beaufort County · population 2,281 (2020 Census)

Map: where Shell Point is in South CarolinaShell Point
Median home
$293,300
Household income
$81,630
Jan low / Jul high
40° / 92°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
14
Median age
53.2

Shell Point is a community of 2,281 people in Beaufort County, South Carolina. The median home is worth $293,300, above the typical South Carolina town ($183,100). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 100% of South Carolina towns, more seaside character than 99% of South Carolina towns, better for young professionals than 88% of South Carolina towns.

Shell Point in our rankings:

How Shell Point ranks

Percentile among South Carolina towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of South Carolina towns.

Shell Point lifestyle rankings vs other South Carolina townsRetirement70th pctFamilies28th pctQuiet24th pctWalkability60th pctFirst-time buyers100th pctYoung professionals88th pctVibrancy60th pctHip & trendy84th pctCollege town77th pctUpscale78th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside character99th pctCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving52nd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Shell Point is worth $293,300, above the typical South Carolina town ($183,100). Homes cost about 3.6 times the median household income of $81,630, which is more affordable than 45% of South Carolina towns. Median rent is $1,188 a month. 79.0% of households own their home.

Shell Point vs Beaufort County vs typical South Carolina townShell PointBeaufort CountyTypical South Carolina townHome value$293,300$455,600$183,100Household income$81,630$86,573$53,875Monthly rent$1,188$1,653$937
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of South Carolina towns with 500+ people.
HousingShell PointTypical South Carolina town
Median home value$293,300$183,100
Median rent$1,188$937
Median household income$81,630$53,875
Home value ÷ income3.6×3.4×
Homeownership79.0%68.0%
Median year built19881981
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Shell Point

PeopleShell PointTypical South Carolina town
Median age53.240.0
Age 65 and over29.2%17.9%
Under 1815.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher27.2%20.0%
Below the poverty line3.1%17.8%
Veterans31.8%—
Born outside the U.S.3.3%—
Work from home10.3%6.8%
Average commute19.9 min25.3 min
Homes with broadband83.6%87.8%

Weather in Shell Point

July highs average 91.8°F and January lows 40.1°F. About 45.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical South Carolina town: 0.8 in). Expect about 73 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 17 nights at or below freezing.

Shell Point monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°100°60°40°Jan64°43°Feb70°49°Mar77°56°Apr84°64°May89°71°Jun92°75°Jul90°74°Aug86°70°Sep78°59°Oct69°48°Nov63°43°DecPrecipitation (in)2.92.93.13.12.55.05.66.54.03.82.53.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Beaufort Mcas station (7.8 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shell Point since 1950, compared with 17 for the typical South Carolina town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on July 7, 2021 about 3.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 5, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Shell Point by decade01950s01960s11970s01980s11990s72000s22010s32020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 30 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on March 15, 2008.

Severe weather in Beaufort County since 1996

Storm events in Beaufort County since 1996 by typeHail121Flood3Tornado21Lightning66Heavy Rain3Waterspout2Flash Flood43Funnel Cloud1
NOAA Storm Events Database, Beaufort County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Beaufort County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 23, 2026Winter StormEM-3632: Severe Winter Storm
September 29, 2024HurricaneDR-4829: Hurricane Helene
September 29, 2024Tropical StormDR-4835: Tropical Storm Debby
September 26, 2024Tropical StormEM-3619: Hurricane Helene
August 5, 2024Tropical StormEM-3606: Hurricane Debby

Jobs and pay in Beaufort County

Beaufort County had 71,044 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,768 a year. Unemployment was 2.8% in 2023; in Shell Point itself the ACS puts it at 6.4%.

Largest industries in Beaufort CountyHotels & restaurants13,483 jobs · $32,521Retail11,570 jobs · $38,313Health care & social assistan…7,391 jobs · $59,255Construction4,468 jobs · $70,533Other services4,188 jobs · $48,111Administrative & support3,862 jobs · $47,530
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Beaufort County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Beaufort 2.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Shell Point

Shell Point questions

Is Shell Point, South Carolina a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Shell Point scores better for retirees than 70% of South Carolina towns and quieter than 24%. 29.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 53.2).

How much does a house cost in Shell Point?

The median owner-occupied home in Shell Point is valued at $293,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $81,630, so homes cost about 3.6 times income. Median rent is $1,188 a month.

What is the weather like in Shell Point?

July highs average 91.8°F and January lows 40.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.0 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Shell Point get tornadoes?

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shell Point since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on July 7, 2021. The typical South Carolina town has had 17.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Shell Point's Census boundary (GEOID 4565680). Comparisons use the median of South Carolina towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.