By Roman Udvornocky, Brokers Real Estate
Sun City Hilton Head is the largest 55+ community in the Lowcountry, a Del Webb community that has been growing off Highway 278 and SC-170 in the Okatie area of Bluffton since construction began in 1995. I spend a lot of time showing homes there, and the questions I hear most are always the same: which part of Sun City, what do the fees really add up to, and what kind of home do you get for the money? Here is my plain-English guide.
Where it is and how big it is
Sun City sits about 13 miles west of Hilton Head Island, straddling the Beaufort and Jasper county line, with Bluffton ZIP codes 29909 and 29910. It covers more than 5,000 acres of woods and lagoons. Del Webb now counts well over 8,500 homes, and the community is home to roughly 14,000 to 15,000 residents. It is a legally age-restricted 55+ community, so plan to review the age-occupancy rules in the governing documents with your agent before you write an offer.
The three sides of Sun City
Locals tend to talk about Sun City in three parts rather than one big map:
- The original side. This is the established heart of the community, built out from the mid-1990s on. It is where you find Pinckney Hall, the 540-seat Magnolia Hall performing arts center, the Yemassee Crafts Center, the Lakehouse, Lake Somerset (a 20-acre fishing lake) and most of the resale inventory. Homes here range from villas and attached homes to single-family homes, with many sections named after their original plats.
- Riverbend. A section of custom-built homes, many on larger lots, with its own clubhouse, pool and a community dock on the Okatie River.
- Sun City West. The newest area, in the western half of the community off Sundance Drive. Its gate opened to residents in January 2025, and its new two-building amenity campus is now open. This is where Del Webb is building most of today's new homes.
Amenities
Del Webb describes more than 165,000 square feet of amenity space and more than 200 clubs and organizations. The highlights:
- Golf: three 18-hole courses operated by Troon: Hidden Cypress and Okatie Creek (both designed by Mark McCumber) and the executive-length Argent Lakes. Golf is paid separately through annual memberships or daily fees, not through HOA dues.
- Clubhouses and halls: Pinckney Hall, Magnolia Hall, the Lakehouse with its indoor pool, and the new Sun City West clubhouse (about 42,150 square feet, with space for gatherings of up to 500 people).
- Fitness and courts: fitness centers on both sides, Har-Tru tennis courts, bocce, croquet lawns and pickleball. The new Sun City West fitness building adds an indoor pool, an indoor track and indoor courts for pickleball, tennis, volleyball and basketball, plus an outdoor amphitheater and sun deck.
- Dining: on-site restaurants and pubs, including the Clubhouse at Okatie Creek, the Argent Lakes pub and the new Brackish Bar and Lounge in Sun City West. Restaurant line-ups change, so check current hours when you visit.
- Outdoors: nature trails, lagoons, a dog park and the Riverbend dock on the Okatie River.
HOA fees and what they cover
This is where buyers most often get surprised, so I like to lay it out clearly. Fees are set each year by the Sun City Hilton Head Community Association; always get the current schedule and the specific home's resale certificate before you commit.
- Base assessment (2026): $2,820 per year, billed quarterly at $705. It covers security and roaming patrol, roads, upkeep and insurance of the amenity buildings, pools, fitness centers, courts, trails and Riverbend amenities, plus two resident activity cards per home.
- Neighborhood assessments: many villa and cottage sections add their own quarterly assessment, mostly for lawn care and exterior maintenance. These vary widely by section, from roughly $200 to about $1,400 per quarter, so two homes a block apart can carry very different monthly costs.
- One-time buyer fees on resales (2026): a new member fee of two-thirds of one percent of the purchase price, a $3,500 community enhancement fee and a $300 administrative transfer fee. On a $500,000 resale, that is a bit over $7,100 at closing.
- Golf: separate annual plans, from a few hundred dollars for nine-hole plans to several thousand for premium couples memberships.
When I prepare a buyer's numbers for a Sun City home, I add the base assessment, the section assessment and the one-time fees together so there are no surprises at the closing table.
Home styles
Sun City offers a wider range of homes than most people expect. Resale homes run from roughly 1,000-square-foot villas and attached homes to single-family homes of 3,000 square feet and more, many with lagoon or golf views. Nearly all are single-story, with two-car garages common.
In Sun City West, Del Webb is currently building four collections, according to its website in late October 2026:
- Duets (attached homes, about 1,357 square feet and up): from about $336,000
- Scenic (about 1,345 square feet and up): from about $449,000
- Distinctive (about 1,600 square feet and up): from about $552,000
- Echelon (about 2,179 square feet and up): from about $687,000
Builder base prices do not include lot premiums or options, and they change often. If you are touring new construction, bring your own agent on your very first visit to the sales center; it costs you nothing and keeps someone in your corner during the contract, design and inspection stages.
New or resale?
New homes come with builder warranties, today's floor plans and the newest amenities next door. Resale homes on the original side usually offer mature landscaping, established neighborhoods, a short walk or cart ride to the original amenity hubs, and a quicker move-in. Resales also carry the one-time buyer fees above, so compare total cost, not just list price.
Nearby
Sun City is a short drive from shopping and medical offices along Highway 278 and SC-170, about 25 minutes from the bridge to Hilton Head Island, and within easy reach of Savannah and its airport. For more about the surrounding area, see my guide to Okatie, the Lowcountry's quietly booming middle market.
Thinking about a home in Sun City Hilton Head? I am happy to walk you through the sections, pull the current fees for any home you like, and set up showings. Contact us here.
Brokers Real Estate | 10 Burr Way, Bluffton, SC 29910.
Sources: Del Webb, Sun City Hilton Head; Del Webb, Sun City Hilton Head HOA; Sun City Hilton Head Community Association; Troon, Sun City Hilton Head golf; Island Packet, Oct. 2024; Wikipedia. Fees and prices as of November 2026 and subject to change.