What is the median household income in Isle of Palms?

The median household income in Isle of Palms, SC is $160,417 according to the most recent US Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates. The unemployment rate is 0.7%.

What is the weather like in Isle of Palms, SC?

Isle of Palms has an average high temperature of 59.2°F in January and 91.1°F in July. Annual precipitation averages 52.4 inches and annual snowfall averages 0.3 inches.

Isle of Palms, SC Cost of Living, Crime & Is It a Good Place to Live? (2026)

Q: Is Isle of Palms, SC affordable or expensive?

Isle of Palms's cost of living index is 112, where 100 represents the national average. This means Isle of Palms is 12% more expensive than the average US city. The median home value is $1,065,500 and the median rent is $3,103 per month.

Q: What is the crime rate in Isle of Palms, SC?

Isle of Palms has a violent crime rate of 137.1 incidents per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 1325.1 per 100,000. The national average violent crime rate is approximately 380 per 100,000.

Q: What are the schools like in Isle of Palms, SC?

School district data for Isle of Palms is sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Is Isle of Palms, SC a Good Place to Live?

Isle of Palms is a small town of 4,347 in South Carolina, with a median household income of $160,417 and a 0.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.

Strengths: Isle of Palms stands out for lower-than-average crime, a well-educated population.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices. Whether Isle of Palms is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Isle of Palms city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 112.5

Isle of Palms's overall cost of living index is 112.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Isle of Palms costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.

Metric	Isle of Palms, SC	National Avg
Median Home Value	$1,065,500	$244,900
Median Monthly Rent	$3,103	$1,163
Homeownership Rate	90.0%	65.9%
Median Household Income	$160,417	$74,755

Crime & Safety

Very Safe

Isle of Palms's violent crime rate is 137.1 per 100,000 residents — 64% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime

137.1 /100k

Property Crime

1325.1 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric	Isle of Palms, SC	National Avg
School District	N/A	—
Elementary Schools	N/A	—
Middle Schools	N/A	—
High Schools	N/A	—
Student/Teacher Ratio	N/A	16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher	71.7%	35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher	99.7%	91.1%

Weather & Climate

Isle of Palms sees average highs of 59.2°F in January and 91.1°F in July, with 52.4 inches of annual precipitation and 0.3 inches of snow per year.

Metric	Isle of Palms, SC
Average High — January	59.2°F
Average High — July	91.1°F
Annual Precipitation	52.4"
Annual Snowfall	0.3"

Demographics

Metric	Isle of Palms, SC	National Avg
Population	4,347	—
Median Age	51.7	38.9
Unemployment Rate	0.7%	3.7%
Avg Commute Time	28.4 min	26 min
White (non-Hispanic)	96.8%	59.3%
Black or African American	0.0%	13.6%
Hispanic or Latino	0.6%	18.9%
Asian	2.1%	6.3%
Under 18	16.8%	22.2%
65 and over	30.3%	16.8%

Nearby Cities

Sullivan's Island, SC 5 mi Mount Pleasant, SC 7 mi James Island, SC 12 mi Awendaw, SC 13 mi Charleston, SC 13 mi

ZIP Codes in Isle of Palms

Isle of Palms, SC is covered by 1 ZIP code:

29451

Isle of Palms vs Other Cities

Isle of Palms, SC vs Sullivan's Island, SC Isle of Palms, SC vs Mount Pleasant, SC Isle of Palms, SC vs James Island, SC Isle of Palms, SC vs Awendaw, SC Isle of Palms, SC vs Charleston, SC

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Isle of Palms, SC affordable or expensive?

Isle of Palms's cost of living index is 112, where 100 is the national average. That puts Isle of Palms roughly 12% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $1,065,500 and median rent is $3,103/month.

What is the crime rate in Isle of Palms, SC?

Isle of Palms's violent crime rate is 137.1 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1325.1 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

What are the schools like in Isle of Palms?

School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.

Is Isle of Palms, SC a good place to live?

Isle of Palms, SC has a population of 4,347, a median household income of $160,417, and an unemployment rate of 0.7%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.

What is the weather like in Isle of Palms?

Isle of Palms averages 59.2°F in January and 91.1°F in July. Annual rainfall is 52.4 inches with about 0.3 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).

What ZIP codes are in Isle of Palms?

Isle of Palms, SC is covered by 1 ZIP code: 29451.

What is the population of Isle of Palms?

The population of Isle of Palms, South Carolina is 4,347 with a median age of 51.7. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.

What are the pros and cons of living in Isle of Palms?

Key numbers for living in Isle of Palms: cost of living index 112 (100 = US average), median home $1,065,500, median household income $160,417, crime index 47 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Isle of Palms side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.