
12. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Feel safe and secure living in one of the gated communities on Hilton Head. It’s a popular vacation spot, so if you enjoy golf, watch the Heritage Golf Classic. Hilton Head also has one of the biggest annual outdoor wine tastings on the east coast. They hold it on an island famous as a place where the slave descendants escaped to, The Gullah. Tourism is one of the main industries and there are also local military installations that also contribute to the economy. Something that sets Hilton Head Island apart from other places is that it prides itself on being eco-friendly. It is also ranked number 20 on the Forbes list of Best Small Places for Business and Careers.

The median home price is $329,000 and the household income $58,947. Unemployment is four percent and job growth is at 2.3 percent. The cost of living is six percent above the national average. Over 38 percent of the local population is college-educated. Hilton Head is 20 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and 95 miles southwest of Charleston. In 1663, Captain William Hilton discovered the island near the Port Royal Sound, so he named it after himself. The population of the island is around 37,000 people, but during peak season, it can be 10 times that number.