Sullivan's Island — Town

Sullivan's Island is widely regarded by Charleston-area locals as the region's most coveted — and most exclusive — beach community, holding the title of South Carolina's most expensive zip code with median home prices near $4 million. Its ban on short-term rentals (no Airbnbs) is frequently cited as the single biggest reason it maintains a genuine neighborhood feel compared to Isle of Palms, but that same insularity fuels controversy: activists have accused the town of deliberately eliminating visitor parking to discourage outsiders, with summer traffic on the Ben Sawyer Bridge and Middle Street drawing consistent complaints. For those who live there or can afford to visit, the payoff is pristine, uncrowded beaches, a walkable Middle Street dining scene (Obstinate Daughter, Poe's Tavern, Mex 1), and a golf-cart-and-flip-flops pace of life that locals describe as a 'perpetual vacation.'