South Carolina

Beaufort

187,117
2020 population
1790
first census record
24
census records

About Beaufort

Beaufort, South Carolina, first appears in the United States federal census in 1790, when it recorded a population of 18,753. At the most recent census, in 2020, its population stood at 187,117.

The county's recorded population has risen across the decades to its highest level in 2020.

On the ground today, 40 documented military engagements have been recorded within the county, among them Spanish Attack on Port Royal 1686, Yamasee War – Raid on Port Royal Island 1715, Yamasee War Battle at Pocotaligo 1715, and 78 places are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Population by decade

Census YearPopulationChart
2020187,117
2010162,233
2000120,937
199086,425
198065,364
197051,136
196044,187
195026,993
194022,037
193021,815
192022,269
191030,355
190035,495
189034,119
188030,176
187034,359
186040,053
185038,805
184035,794
183037,032
182032,199
181025,887
180020,428
179018,753
Source

Population data from the United States decennial census, U.S. Census Bureau (public domain).

Battles & engagements in Beaufort

Military engagements that took place in Beaufort, South Carolina.

Spanish Attack on Port Royal 1686
1686
Yamasee War – Raid on Port Royal Island 1715
1715
Yamasee War Battle at Pocotaligo 1715
1715
Yamasee War — Siege of Port Royal
1715
Yamasee War — Battle of the Combahee Ferry
1715
Yamasee War — Destruction of Port Royal
1715
Battle of Pocotaligo (Yamasee War opening)
1715
Governor Craven's Counter-Campaign 1715
1715
Pocotaligo Massacre (Yamasee)
1715
Yamasee War Opening Attacks (1715)
1715
Yemasee War - Pocotaligo Massacre 1715
1715
British Attack on Beaufort (SC)
1779
Battle of Port Royal Island (SC 1779)
1779
Battle of Port Royal Island
1779
Skirmish at Port Royal Island (1779)
1779
Skirmish at Purrysburg
1779
Battle of Port Royal Island (1779)
1779
Battle of Port Royal
1861
Occupation of Hilton Head Island — November 1861
1861
Action at Beaufort SC — Town Defense
1861
Battle of Port Royal Sound — Confederate Shore Batteries
1861
Union Seizure of Beaufort Inlet Area SC
1861
Union Seizure of Beaufort Arsenal SC
1861
Union Seizure of St. Helena Island
1861
Union Occupation of Daufuskie Island — November 1861
1861
Capture of Beaufort South Carolina
1861
Battle of Fort Royal Ferry
1861
Naval Action at Skull Creek — Hilton Head 1861
1861
Battle of Port Royal Sound — Full Engagement
1861
Battle of Port Royal Sound — Fort Beauregard Assault
1861
Battle of Port Royal Sound — Fort Walker Assault
1861
Occupation of Beaufort SC by Union Forces
1861
Action at Beaufort SC Arsenal — November 1861
1861
Union Seizure of Hilton Head Island
1861
Confederate Assault on Union Pickets — Daufuskie Island 1862
1862
Confederate Raid on Beaufort SC
1862
Confederate Counterattack at Beaufort SC — January 1862
1862
Battle of Pocotaligo — October 22 1862
1862
USCT Recruitment Operations — Beaufort SC 1862
1862
Action at Daufuskie Island SC
1862

Historic places in Beaufort

National Register of Historic Places listings in Beaufort, South Carolina.

Daufuskie Island Historic District
Hilton Head
Skull Creek
Hilton Head
Orange Grove Plantation
Frogmore
Coffin Point Plantation
Frogmore
Bluffton Historic District
Bluffton
Rear Lighthouse of Hilton Head Range Light Station
Hilton Head Island
Parris Island Drydock and Commanding Generals House
Parris Island
Verdier, John Mark, House
Beaufort
Eddings Point Community Praise House
Frogmore
McLeod Farmstead
Seabrook
SS WILLIAM LAWRENCE Shipwreck Site
Hilton Head Island
Penn Center Historic District
Frogmore
Callawassie Sugar Works
Okatie
Fort Frederick
Port Royal
Fort Fremont Battery (Boundary Increase)
St. Helena Island
Charlesfort-Santa Elena Site
Beaufort
Tombee Plantation
Frogmore
Fort Mitchel
Hilton Head
Church of the Cross
Bluffton
Fort Lyttelton Site
Beaufort
Fish Haul Archaeological Site (38BU805)
Hilton Head Island
Fort Fremont Battery (Additional Documentation)
St. Helena Island
Old Brass
Yemassee
Laurel Bay Plantation
Beaufort
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Other counties in South Carolina

Explore census history and historic records for more South Carolina counties.

ChesterChesterfieldClarendonColletonDarlingtonDillonDorchesterEdgefieldFairfieldFlorenceGeorgetownGreenvilleGreenwoodHamptonHorryJasperKershawLancasterLaurensLee
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Everything a full report reveals about Beaufort County, South Carolina

This page charts the census history of Beaufort County, South Carolina. A full Aubrey report for an address here pulls together everything the historical record holds about the ground, from the earliest settlement to the twentieth century:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Frequently asked about Beaufort

When does Beaufort first appear in the US census?
Beaufort, South Carolina first appears in the federal census in 1790, with a recorded population of 18,753.
What is the population of Beaufort?
At the most recent federal census (2020), Beaufort had a recorded population of 187,117.
Were any battles fought in Beaufort?
40 documented military engagements took place in Beaufort, including Spanish Attack on Port Royal 1686, Yamasee War – Raid on Port Royal Island 1715, Yamasee War Battle at Pocotaligo 1715.
How many historic places are in Beaufort?
78 sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Beaufort, South Carolina.
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