Naval Hospital Beaufort is between Port Royal, South Carolina, and Beaufort, and near Hilton Head and Bluffton. Port Royal has about 11,000 people; Beaufort has about 13,000 people; and Hilton Head has about 38,000 (with a summer population of up to 275,000). The nearby city of Bluffton also has about 13,000. Other nearby small communities include Burton and Laurel Bay, all in Beaufort County, which has a population of about 162,000 people.

It is about 1.5 miles from NH Beaufort to Port Royal; this takes about 3 minutes to commute; the city of Beaufort is about 4 miles away, taking 10 minutes to commute.

Local Housing Rental Prices: The average apartment rent in the Beaufort County area ranges from $700 to $1200 per month, with a median of about $900 per month.

Local Housing Purchase Prices: The average price for a house in Beaufort County is about $380,000, compared to $218,000 for South Carolina.

Short Description of the Area: Beaufort County is in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, near the Atlantic Coast and near sea level. This is one of the longest settled areas of the original Thirteen Colonies, dating back to the early 1700s, and was one of the early Patriot sites of the American Revolution. The area is generally flat, with islands, wetland, and estuary waters. Tourism and natural scenic beauty increases the summer population considerably. The local permanent resident population includes a mix of people descended from British, Spanish, French, African, and Native groups; one of the more famous local cultures are the Gullah descendants of African and Native people.

Climate and Weather: The area has a warm, humid climate. Winter are mild, with temperatures ranging from the low 60s to high 30s; summers are warm and humid, with temperatures in the low 90s to low 70s. The area is generally humid, especially in summer, but this is moderated to an extent by being on the sea coast. Ocean storms do come ashore from time to time, including major Atlantic tropical depressions and, occasionally, hurricanes.