Relocating to Myrtle Beach: The Complete Grand Strand Guide

People move to the Grand Strand for the obvious reasons — 60 miles of coastline, mild winters, 218 sunny days a year, and a cost of living below the national average. The deeper reasons are why they stay: a tax structure that's friendly to retirees and remote workers, three competing hospital systems instead of one, schools that produce graduates above the state average, an international airport that flies to most major cities nonstop, and a real-estate market where you still get more square footage per dollar than you would in coastal Florida or the Mid-Atlantic.

This guide is the long version of why our buyers move here, what they wish they'd known sooner, and how to make the process clean. If you'd rather just look at homes, start your search. Otherwise, work down the page — or jump straight to the section you came for.

Who Relocates to the Grand Strand

Retirees:

Retirees are the largest single relocation segment. South Carolina exempts Social Security from state income tax, allows a $10,000 retirement-income deduction at age 65+, and a separate Age 65 deduction of up to $15,000 against any income. Combined with no estate or inheritance tax and a primary-residence property tax assessed at 4%, the after-tax retirement income for someone moving from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Illinois is materially higher here. Read the full retiree guide.

Families Relocating for Work:

Families relocating for work — increasingly remote, increasingly mid-career — come for the climate and stay for the schools. Horry County Schools is South Carolina's third-largest district, with a 89.6% graduation rate (2024-25) and an average SAT of 1033 against the state's 1009. Carolina Forest, St. James, and the new HCS Scholars Academy (ranked #1 of 1,309 schools statewide) are the standouts. Read the family relocation guide.

Second Home Buyers:

Second-home buyers are the most price-sensitive of the three groups. The math on a Grand Strand second home is different from a primary residence — the 4% assessment ratio doesn't apply, and short-term rental rules vary meaningfully by municipality. Read the second-home buyer guide.

Quick Answers for Relocation Buyers

If you only read one section of this page, read this one.

Taxes: South Carolina does not tax Social Security and does not have an estate or inheritance tax. The state income tax was restructured in 2026 to a two-bracket system (currently 1.99% on the first $30,000 of taxable income and 5.21% above), with automatic future cuts tied to revenue growth. Primary residences are assessed at 4% for property tax; second homes and rentals are assessed at 6%. Full breakdown on taxes.

Cost of living: South Carolina runs about 5% below the national average overall. Housing is roughly 18–21% below the national average and healthcare runs ~20% below. The two coastal cost-of-living premiums to know about going in are home insurance (the SC Department of Insurance's coastal property reports document materially higher windstorm premiums than inland SC) and HOAs in oceanfront condos and gated communities. Full breakdown.

Climate: Annual mean temperature about 65°F. January averages a 55°F high and 36°F low; July averages an 87°F high and 76°F low. 49–53 inches of rain a year, ~218 sunny days, and USDA Hardiness Zone 8b — meaning palmettos, magnolias, and citrus grow here, and a vegetable garden runs three seasons. Full climate page.

Hurricanes: This is the question every relocation buyer asks. The honest answer: the Grand Strand has had four direct hits in the last 70 years (Hazel in 1954, Hugo in 1989, Matthew in 2016 brushing as a Cat 1, Ian in 2022 making landfall just south at Georgetown) plus catastrophic inland flooding from Florence in 2018. NHC climatology places the Carolinas coast at a tropical-system landfall of any category roughly every 5–7 years. The decisions that matter for buyers are the flood zone of the specific lot (VE on oceanfront, AE in inlets and along the Waccamaw, X for most of Carolina Forest and inland), the elevation, and the age and code of the structure. Full hurricane and flood-zone breakdown.

Healthcare: Three competing systems serve the Grand Strand — Grand Strand Medical Center (HCA) with the only Level I adult trauma center on the Strand; Tidelands Health (Georgetown Memorial and Waccamaw Community plus 70+ outpatient sites, now under MUSC controlling interest); and McLeod Health (Loris, Seacoast, and the brand-new McLeod Carolina Forest Hospital, which began admitting patients in January 2026 with full opening targeted for fall 2026). Academic-tier care is two hours south at MUSC Charleston. Full healthcare page.

Schools: Horry County Schools — 47,000+ students, 58 schools. Standouts: Carolina Forest High, St. James High, Socastee and Aynor (IB programs), and the HCS Scholars Academy ranked #1 in the state for 2024-25. Choice options include Coastal Leadership Academy and a new career-focused charter opening in 2026. Georgetown County School District covers the southern Strand, including Waccamaw High in Pawleys Island. Full schools page.

Jobs and the economy: Yes, tourism dominates. But it's not the only game. The 20 largest Horry County employers include the three hospital systems, Horry County Schools (~6,600 staff), Coastal Carolina University, Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Walmart, Publix, Food Lion, Hilton Grand Vacations, Adidas America, and Topgolf. Recent industrial wins include Ocean Craft Marine choosing Bucksport Marine Park for its US headquarters. Full jobs and economy page.

Getting here: Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) served 3.84 million passengers in 2024, making it the 2nd-busiest airport in South Carolina. Ten airlines fly out of MYR with about 60 nonstop destinations — and a $93.5 million, 6-gate Concourse A opened in December 2025. Drive times: Wilmington 1:30, Charleston 2:05, Charlotte 2:45, Raleigh 3:00, Atlanta 5:30, Washington DC 7:00. Full airport and drive-times page.

The Grand Strand at a Glance

The Grand Strand is a 60-mile stretch of South Carolina coastline running from Little River at the North Carolina border down through North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Garden City, Murrells Inlet, and Pawleys Island. Inland, we also work Carolina Forest, Forestbrook, Conway, and Aynor.

The geography matters because the Grand Strand is not one market. North Myrtle Beach is golf and family-vacation country (Barefoot Resort, Tidewater Plantation). Myrtle Beach proper is the largest city — most amenities, most tourism, highest density. Carolina Forest is master-planned inland with the strongest schools and the highest family-buyer demand. Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island are quieter, more residential, and skew older. Conway is the historic Horry County seat with a downtown, a university (Coastal Carolina), and lower prices. Each has its own page on this site — search all areas we cover.

What Real Estate Costs Here

Pricing varies enormously by submarket. Oceanfront condos in Cherry Grove or downtown Myrtle Beach start in the low $100,000s for efficiency units; family homes in Carolina Forest fall in the $400,000–$600,000 range; luxury estates along the Intracoastal Waterway start at $1M and run well into the multi-millions. The trade-off is straightforward — oceanfront has the strongest short-term rental income and the highest appreciation in seller's markets but the highest insurance, HOA, and maintenance costs; near-oceanfront often delivers the best cash-on-cash returns; inland communities like Carolina Forest deliver more square footage per dollar and stronger primary-residence demand.

For current pricing, browse homes for sale, condos, or filter by price range.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Myrtle Beach a good place to relocate to?

For most buyers moving from a higher-tax state in the Northeast, Midwest, or Mid-Atlantic, the financial case is strong. South Carolina exempts Social Security, offers a meaningful retirement-income deduction at 65+, has no estate or inheritance tax, and assesses primary residences at 4% for property tax. Combine that with a cost of living about 5% below the national average and a housing market 18–21% cheaper than the national average, and the after-tax dollars go further than they did wherever you're coming from. The buyers who don't love the move tend to be people who underestimated coastal home-insurance costs or who chose the wrong submarket for their lifestyle — both fixable with the right agent.

How does South Carolina tax retirement income?

Social Security is fully exempt from SC state income tax. Other retirement income (pensions, IRA distributions, 401(k) withdrawals) is taxed under the state's income tax rates, but residents 65+ can claim a retirement-income deduction of up to $10,000 plus a separate Age 65 deduction of up to $15,000 against any income, with a combined cap. The state has no estate or inheritance tax.

Is it safe to live in Myrtle Beach with hurricanes?

The Grand Strand has had four direct hurricane hits in the last 70 years and a handful of significant near-misses. NHC climatology places the Carolinas coast at a tropical-system landfall of any category roughly every 5–7 years. Modern coastal building code, the right flood zone, and proper insurance make the risk manageable — and we walk every relocation buyer through the flood-zone and elevation questions on the specific property before they make an offer.

Do I need flood insurance in Myrtle Beach?

If the property is in a FEMA-designated VE or AE zone (oceanfront, canals, inlets, the Waccamaw River corridor), most lenders will require it. If it's in Zone X (most of Carolina Forest and the inland communities), flood insurance is not federally required but is often a good idea anyway, particularly after Hurricane Florence demonstrated how far inland flooding can reach. We'll check the FEMA flood map on any property before you make an offer.

What's the difference between a primary residence and a second home for SC property tax?

South Carolina assesses owner-occupied legal residences at 4% and second homes, rentals, and investment property at 6%. To qualify for the 4% rate you have to establish SC domicile — that includes filing your SC tax return from the property's address, registering vehicles at that address, and limiting the property to your legal residence (max 5 contiguous acres, no more than 72 days of rental income per year). The tax difference is large enough that relocation buyers should plan the legal-residence question deliberately, especially if they're keeping a property up north.

What are the best neighborhoods for families relocating to Myrtle Beach?

Carolina Forest is the strongest combination of schools, master-planned amenities, and family-buyer depth. Forestbrook offers similar character at lower prices. North Myrtle Beach, parts of Surfside, and Murrells Inlet are also family-friendly. The right neighborhood depends on which school's attendance zone you're targeting and how far you're willing to drive to work or the beach.

Where do retirees relocate on the Grand Strand?

The split is roughly: golfers and resort-lifestyle retirees toward North Myrtle Beach (Barefoot, Tidewater, Grande Dunes) and the south end (Pawleys Island, Litchfield); walkability-minded retirees toward Market Common, downtown Conway, or North Myrtle Beach; lower-density, slower-pace retirees toward Murrells Inlet, Pawleys, and Garden City; condo buyers across the entire Strand.

What's the closest major airport?

Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) is the local airport — 3.84 million passengers in 2024, 10 airlines, ~60 nonstop destinations after the 2026 route additions. For destinations MYR doesn't serve nonstop, the closer alternatives are Wilmington ILM (1:30 drive), Charleston CHS (2:05), and Charlotte CLT (2:45) for international connections.

How long does it take to drive from Myrtle Beach to other major cities?

Wilmington NC about 1.5 hours. Charleston SC about 2 hours. Charlotte NC about 2:45. Raleigh NC about 3 hours. Atlanta about 5.5 hours. Washington DC about 7 hours. New York about 10 hours.

Where can I see what listings are available right now?

Browse all Myrtle Beach real estate.

Ready to Talk to Someone Who's Actually Done This?

Our team has helped relocation buyers move to the Grand Strand from every state in the Northeast, the Midwest, the West Coast, and from overseas. We know the questions before you ask them — and we'll tell you what we don't recommend, not just what's listed.

Browse agent profiles · Send us a message · Call our main line: 843.903.3550

Keep Reading

Taxes for relocation buyers

Cost of living

Climate, weather & hurricane risk

Healthcare and hospitals

Schools in Horry & Georgetown County

Jobs and the economy

Myrtle Beach airport and drive times

Retiring to Myrtle Beach

Relocating with a family

Buying a second home