Okatie and Sun City, Bluffton: homes, schools and commute

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the Town of Bluffton’s neighborhoods list (PDF) and GIS subdivision and facility layers, the Beaufort County School District’s attendance zone maps, Zillow Research, Palmetto Breeze and OpenStreetMap.

North of U.S. 278, around S.C. 170, is the Okatie area, named on the maps in the town’s comprehensive plan. It is outside the Town of Bluffton: the town’s neighborhood list puts Sun City among “Residents of Greater Bluffton, Unincorporated Part of Beaufort County,” and its GIS map lists Sun City, Berkeley Hall, Eagles Pointe, Oldfield and Riverbend under county jurisdiction. Those five make up the area in this guide, about 11 square miles on the town’s map. OpenStreetMap maps Sun City as a locality.

What this means for you

• Zoned high school: May River High, on the district’s zone maps.
• Home value: $485,317 in ZIP 29909 in August 2026, according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
• Nearest interstate exit: I-95 Exit 8 (U.S. 278), about 8.6 miles by road from Sun City.

Part of our Bluffton neighborhoods guide.

Where it is

U.S. 278 and S.C. 170 (Okatie Highway) run through the area, with Bluffton Parkway, Buckwalter Parkway and New River Parkway at its southern edges, according to OpenStreetMap. Jones Estate and Buckwalter are to the south. About 98% of the area on the town’s map is in ZIP code 29909 and 2% in 29927, the Hardeeville ZIP code. Because it is unincorporated, permits go to Beaufort County, not the town; see our building permits and zoning guide.

Schools

The area is in the Beaufort County School District. Shares are of sample points across the five mapped communities checked against the district’s 2024-25 zone maps; ratings are South Carolina’s 2025 report card ratings, as the district announced them. Look up any school on SC School Report Cards.

The district says Okatie Elementary has been rated Excellent four years in a row. Confirm with the school; more in our schools guide.

Home values

The typical home value in ZIP 29909 was $485,317 in August 2026, down 1.5% from $492,829 in August 2025, according to the Zillow Home Value Index. The index is a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price, and it covers all of ZIP 29909. The town-wide Bluffton figure was $500,379, down 0.6% on the year. More in our home prices guide.

Unincorporated parcels pay no Town of Bluffton levy. Check a parcel’s tax district in the auditor’s tax district locator; rates are in our property taxes guide.

Colleges, parks and golf

From the town’s facility layer:

• University of South Carolina Beaufort, Hilton Head Gateway Campus, 1 University Blvd.
• Technical College of the Lowcountry, 100 Community College Drive.
• Berkeley Hall golf course, 106 Lancaster Blvd.
• Bluffton Township Fire District Station 34, 25 William Pope Drive, at the area’s edge.

No town or county park is mapped inside the five communities. Buckwalter Regional Park and Okatie Regional Park are to the south in Buckwalter. More in our parks and trails guide.

Getting around

• Bus: Palmetto Breeze Route 512, between Buckwalter Place and the Hardeeville Walmart, stops at Food Lion Okatie and Berkeley Place/Cinemark on weekdays, according to Palmetto Breeze.
• Interstate: I-95 Exit 8 (U.S. 278) is about 8.6 miles by road from Sun City, the shortest trip to the interstate of any area in this guide.
• Old Town: about 10.8 miles to the town’s main offices at 20 Bridge St.
• Airports: about 19.8 miles to Hilton Head Island Airport and 28.8 miles to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

Distances are on the OpenStreetMap road network, measured with the OSRM routing engine. They are distances, not drive times. More in our getting around guide.

Groceries and everyday stores

From OpenStreetMap, inside or next to the area:

• Publix, 112 Nickle Plate Road
• Walmart Supercenter, 4400 Highway 278
• CVS Pharmacy, 40 D Mark Cummings Road

How to check an address

Look up the parcel, its county and its tax district in Beaufort County’s property search and the auditor’s tax district locator, then confirm the zoned schools with the district.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sun City Hilton Head in the Town of Bluffton?

No. The Town of Bluffton lists Sun City among the neighborhoods of greater Bluffton that are not in the town limits, in unincorporated Beaufort County. Most of the area mapped here uses ZIP code 29909.

What schools serve Okatie and Sun City?

Okatie Elementary, Bluffton Middle and May River High, for the Sun City, Berkeley Hall, Eagles Pointe, Oldfield and Riverbend areas on the town’s map, according to the Beaufort County School District’s zone maps. Okatie Elementary was rated Excellent for 2025.

Which colleges are in Okatie?

The University of South Carolina Beaufort’s Hilton Head Gateway Campus, 1 University Blvd., and the Technical College of the Lowcountry, 100 Community College Drive, are both inside the area on the town’s facility map.

Is Sun City a good place to live?

Here are the facts. The Okatie and Sun City area on the town’s map covers about 11 square miles north of U.S. 278 along S.C. 170, about 8.6 miles by road from I-95 Exit 8. It is zoned for May River High, rated Good for 2025, and the typical home value in ZIP 29909 was $485,317 in August 2026, according to Zillow.