Edisto Island Real Estate

Edisto Island is a quiet community located approximately 50 miles south of Charleston. Originally inhabited by the Edistow Indians, the island was colonized by English settlers in the 1600s. The early settlers began cultivating rice, indigo, and, after the Revolutionary War, long staple cotton. Known as Sea Island cotton, these fine fields brought tremendous wealth and prosperity to Edisto Island. During the Civil War, plantation owners fled the land leaving many of the slaves behind. When the owners returned after the war, many of the slaves settled personal residences on the island and continued to work on the plantation as free men. Because the boll weevil ruined the cotton crops, Edisto shifted its industry to seafood supplies and agriculture farmland. Today, the island is a year round community with a mix of permanent residents, seasonal residents, and vacationers. Home prices on Edisto Island range in price from $300,000 for a condo or villa to more than $5 million for an oceanfront estate. Other properties include coastal cottages, townhomes, full plantations, and riverfront properties. Numerous marshfront and wooded homesites are available for those who wish to build their dream home in this peaceful paradise. Though Edisto Island’s demographic is mostly retirees, families with young children who live on the island are zoned for Jane Edwards Elementary School, Colleton Middle School, and Walterboro High School. Private school options include St. Paul’s Academy, Colleton Preparatory Academy, and Charleston Collegiate School. Read More