From Bluffton to Hardeeville: The Fastest-Growing Corner of the Lowcountry

How are you doing? Enjoying the summer here in the South?

If you have driven along Highway 278 or Buckwalter Parkway lately, you have seen it too. You see cranes, cleared land, and new signs almost every week. The stretch from Bluffton through Okatie and out to Hardeeville is growing faster than any other part of our Lowcountry right now. People ask me all the time what is actually being built out there, so let me walk you through it.

Bluffton and Okatie: more choices close to town

Most of the new homes near town are on the New Riverside side of western Bluffton. Picture May River Road heading out toward the traffic circle: to your right is the Okatie Highway (170), straight ahead is the road toward Savannah, and to your left are the New Riverside communities. That whole area keeps adding new neighborhoods.

At Midpoint at New Riverside, Pulte is adding around 400 single family homes next to the homes already there, with a pool, pickleball, and walking paths. Stanley Martin is building Hamilton Grove, a smaller neighborhood of about 85 homes on 27 acres. Along the Okatie River, Pepper Hall is bringing more than 300 apartment homes. Livewell Terrace broke ground with 120 workforce apartments on Buckwalter Parkway, less than a mile from the new Beaufort Memorial hospital going up at the corner of Bluffton and Buckwalter Parkways, which is set to open in 2027. There is also Venture at Okatie Bluffs, a new apartment community near Highway 170 and Gibbet Road. And New Riverside Village is adding restaurants, so you do not have to drive far for a good dinner.

Hardeeville: the big story

Hardeeville is where the really large plans are. Carolina Station is a brand new community along Highway 278, on the land between the highway and Interstate 95, right next to Latitude Margaritaville. It is a 300 million dollar, 2,600 acre project with thousands of homes plus shops and restaurants, built by D.R. Horton, with the first homes expected in 2027.

Nearby, at Exit 8 on I-95 where Highway 278 meets Highway 17, the Southpoint project is clearing land for apartments, hotels, shops, and yes, a very large Buc-ee's, which is expected to open around 2031. Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head, the popular 55 and better community by Minto, has around 3,000 homes planned and is selling now. Hilton Head Lakes keeps growing too, with builders like Lennar and K. Hovnanian. And jobs are coming with it. A new manufacturing plant, TS Conductor, is hiring hundreds of people.

My honest take

I love that our area is drawing so many people. It tells me what I already know, that this is a wonderful place to live. At the same time, I hear the worry from long-time residents about traffic and about keeping the natural beauty that makes the Lowcountry special. Both things are true, and I think it is fair to hold them together. Growth is good when it is done with care.

For you, more building means more choices, especially if you want newer construction or a specific lifestyle community. It also means it pays to plan ahead. Prices, timelines, and the feel of each community are very different from Old Town Bluffton to a new street in Hardeeville. That is exactly the kind of thing I am happy to walk through with you, at your pace and with no pressure, whether you plan to move sooner or later.

If you are curious about a particular community or want to know which area fits your life and budget, reach out anytime. I know these neighborhoods well, and I would love to help you find the right one.

Warmly,
Loni, 

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