Is Port Royal, SC a Good Place to Live?
Port Royal is a small city of 14,573 in South Carolina, with a median household income of $68,909 and a 1.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Port Royal stands out for an affordable cost of living, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Port Royal is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Port Royal 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: 95.7Port Royal's overall cost of living index is 95.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Port Royal costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Port Royal, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $292,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,476 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 36.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $68,909 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafePort Royal's violent crime rate is 129.9 per 100,000 residents — 66% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Port Royal is served primarily by Beaufort 01. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.2:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Port Royal, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Beaufort 01 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 20 | — |
| Middle Schools | 6 | — |
| High Schools | 6 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 36.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Port Royal sees average highs of 60.8°F in January and 91.1°F in July, with 51.0 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Port Royal, SC |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 60.8°F |
| Average High — July | 91.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 51.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Port Royal, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,573 | — |
| Median Age | 26.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 14.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 64.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 19.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 16.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 10.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Port Royal
Port Royal, SC is covered by 3 ZIP codes: