Sweet Carolina

On Kiawah Island, a Luxury Migration.

In 2021, United Van Lines released their annual migration report, which tracks state-to-state moving patterns. South Carolina, the so-called Palmetto State, ruled the roost; it ranked second in the country, with 64 percent of inbound moves. 

Where is everyone going within South Carolina? For starters, they’re heading to Kiawah Island, a
barrier island 25 miles from Charleston, which is experiencing a real estate boom of its own. Through
September 2021, island-wide sales were $705 million, up from $405 in 2020 and $209 in 2019 — a 57 percent increase year-over-year and a 237 percent increase from 2019. 

The island is a luxury paradise, for primary homeowners (who comprise about 20 percent) and secondary homeowners alike. The Kiawah Island Club, exclusive to the Kiawah Island property
owners, offers members access to two of the top 100 residential golf courses in the country; a well-appointed spa; a beach club designed by Robert A.M. Stern; and bespoke restaurant concepts, like the B-Liner at the Beach Club, a seafood-centric space highlighting the culinary creativity of James Beard Award-winning chef Mike Lata. Memberships are available with the purchase of an exclusive selection of homes and homesites. 

Homes on the island — within and outside of the Kiawah Island Club — range in price from about $300,000 (one-bed, one-bath) to about $14 million (six-bed, seven-bath, oceanfront), with lots for
custom builds also available. Fewer than 2 percent of properties are currently available for sale. The median single-family home sales price was $1.9 million for the first half of 2021, up 42 percent from the first half of 2020. 

The price tags guarantee a community unsullied by razed lots or disrupted beaches. That’s because a thread of conservancy thrums through Kiawah; homebuyers can expect regular encounters with any of the thousands of species that call the island home, from bald eagles to white-tailed deer to bobcats to loggerhead turtles to bottlenose dolphins. A miniscule property tax rate, paired with a clean aesthetic — new buildings are subject to the Architectural Review Board, which provides guidelines for environmentally friendly design — makes this island a paradise for those seeking an escape from the north. 

In fact, the conservation aspect of Kiawah is unique and compelling. Kiawah Island employs two resident wildlife biologists and engages in wildlife programs designed to assist native species. The Lights Out for Turtles program ensures that the beachfront, which is home to nesting Loggerhead turtles, remains dark within the designated season. Biologists monitor the health of the native bobcat population, and tour guides at the island’s nature center offer bespoke natural experiences that emphasize the importance of symbiosis between humans and the natural landscape. Thirty miles of paved bike trails provide ample opportunity to view the island. 

It may be the beach that is most impressive, though, ten miles of spectacular shoreline beyond a line of dunes that is close to every neighborhood on the 
island. The magnificent homes, which fade into the landscape (by design), are only a backdrop to the lush, abundantly natural surroundings. And, as the numbers indicate, Kiawah is surging. It may not be a well-kept secret any longer, but, for second
homeowners, it’s still paradise.