Relocating to Myrtle Beach With a Family

Families relocating to the Grand Strand are the second-largest segment we work with after retirees, and the segment that has grown the most since remote work became normal. The case for families is straightforward: schools above the state average, a master-planned community footprint that gives kids pools, amenity centers, and parks within walking distance, mild winters and outdoor lifestyle, and a cost of living that lets families live on one income or one-and-a-half incomes far more comfortably than they could in the Northeast or West Coast metros they're leaving.

This page covers the best family neighborhoods, how to think about schools, what kids actually do here, and the working-parent trade-offs to know before you pick a town.

Why Families Relocate to the Grand Strand

The pattern we see most often is a mid-career family with school-age kids, at least one parent working remotely or in a portable career (healthcare, education, sales, consulting). They're trading a 2,400-sq-ft suburban house in northern New Jersey for a 3,500-sq-ft house in Carolina Forest, keeping a comparable mortgage, and gaining a beach 15 minutes away and pools the kids can walk to.

The other pattern: a couple already drawn to vacation here for years finally pulling the trigger before the kids hit high school, taking advantage of the SC school choice options and the schools above the state average.

Best Family Neighborhoods on the Grand Strand

Carolina Forest (Master-Planned, Carolina Forest HS Zone)

The strongest combination of schools, amenities, and family-buyer depth on the Strand. Carolina Forest is a 9,000-acre master plan with 30+ subdivisions, most feeding Carolina Forest High School. Standout family-oriented neighborhoods:

Avalon — ~700 homes; 11-acre amenity center with jr-Olympic pool, ballfields, soccer, basketball, playground.
Berkshire Forest — 600 acres around a 32-acre lake; clubhouse, pool, fitness, tennis, plus private oceanfront beach club access.
The Bluffs on the Waterway — gated ~100-home enclave on the Intracoastal; two clubhouses, pool, tennis/pickleball, private boat ramp.
Plantation Lakes — 170 acres of stocked lakes with 15 miles of shoreline; amenity center, pools, fitness, tennis, basketball.
Waterford Plantation — sidewalk-lined community, Olympic pool, clubhouse, tennis, nature trail.
Walker's Woods — ~300-home Beazer community; clubhouse, pool, basketball, playground.
Wild Wing Plantation — resort-style with 3 pools, splash zone, 27-hole golf, 180-acre lake with private boat ramp.

Forestbrook (Socastee HS Zone)

Forestbrook is the value play next door to Carolina Forest. Same general buyer profile, similar square footage, lower prices — though without the brand-new master-plan polish. Feeds Socastee High School, which offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Strong neighborhood character with Forestbrook Park, ballfields, and established subdivisions.

Prince Creek / Burgess (St. James HS Zone)

Prince Creek is the major master-planned community in the Murrells Inlet area (Horry County side). Multiple HOA villages, TPC Myrtle Beach golf, pools, amenity centers. Burgess Elementary and the St. James cluster (St. James Elementary, Intermediate, Middle, High) form the school anchor. Browse Prince Creek.

North Myrtle Beach (NMB High School Zone)

The north end of the Strand is family-friendly with a more vacation-resort feel. Barefoot Resort and Tidewater Plantation are gated golf-resort options with pools, oceanfront cabanas, and walk-to-beach access. NMB High School draws from Ocean Drive Elementary and NMB Middle.

Surfside Beach and Garden City (Socastee or St. James HS, depending on address)

Walkable family beach towns. Surfside Beach proper ("The Family Beach") is a small municipality with the lowest tourist density on the central Strand — less spring-break energy, more year-round residential. Always confirm the school zone at the specific address since the HCS attendance line splits this area.

Conway (Conway HS Zone)

The historic county seat. Lower prices than the coastal communities, a real downtown, Coastal Carolina University, and Conway High School. For families willing to trade beach-proximity for more house and more land, Conway delivers. Browse Conway.

School Selection

Pick the school zone before you pick the house. The mailing address doesn't tell you the zone — the specific street address does, via the official HCS Zone Lookup. We can pull it on any listing.

The five HCS comprehensive high schools most relocation families look at:

Carolina Forest High — the largest, ~3,000 students, ~38% AP participation, strongest family-buyer pool feeding it.
St. James High — ~37% AP participation, anchors the Prince Creek/Burgess/Murrells Inlet HCS zone.
Socastee High — International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
North Myrtle Beach High — serves the north end including Barefoot and Tidewater.
Aynor High — smaller, rural, International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

Plus the HCS Scholars Academy (the public magnet for academically gifted students, ranked #1 of 1,309 schools in SC for 2024-25) and growing charter and private options. Full schools page.

What Kids Actually Do Here

The beach is the obvious one. Almost every family neighborhood on this list is 15–30 minutes from a public beach access. But the broader picture:

Outdoor and water. Beach, pool, boating, kayaking on the Waccamaw River, fishing (saltwater and freshwater), kiddie water parks (Mt. Atlanticus, Wild Water and Wheels), tubing, surfing lessons at Surfside.
Sports leagues. Youth soccer, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, swim teams, dance, gymnastics, martial arts — all active. Most neighborhoods have walking-distance fields or amenity centers.
The Myrtle Beach Sports Center hosts year-round basketball, volleyball, cheer, and youth tournaments — it's a national destination for travel teams.
Family attractions. Broadway at the Beach, Family Kingdom, Ripley's Aquarium, the Topgolf complex, Brookgreen Gardens (Murrells Inlet), Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and SkyWheel.
Summer camps. Several through HCS, the YMCA, churches, and the city/county parks departments — plus golf academies, surf camps, and tennis programs.
Year-round events. Sun Fun Festival, Carolina Country Music Festival, Festivals on the Waccamaw, Holiday boat parade, and many more.

Childcare and Pre-K

HCS runs full-day 4K and 5K (kindergarten) in most elementary schools — an enormous cost savings versus private childcare. Below 4K age, you're looking at private daycare (KinderCare, Primrose, locally owned centers), in-home options, or church-affiliated daycares. Rates run roughly $200–$350/week per child depending on age and program.

For families with a parent working remotely or part-time, the math on staying home with younger kids works much better here than in major metros. The full cost of two kids in daycare can run $30,000–$50,000/year — recovering even part of that on a Grand Strand mortgage is meaningful.

What Working Parents Trade Off

Being honest about what changes when you move here with a working career:

Tourist-season traffic on Hwy 17 between Murrells Inlet and Cherry Grove is real from May through September. If you commute along that corridor, pick a home that minimizes Hwy 17 time or uses S.C. 31 (Carolina Bays Parkway) as an inland alternative.
School redistricting happens periodically in the fastest-growing parts of HCS (Carolina Forest, St. James cluster). If you're buying specifically for a school zone, ask us about active or proposed redistricting before making an offer.
Job density is thinner than what you're used to in a major metro for specialized professional roles (large-company corporate finance, software engineering at FAANG-scale companies). Remote work has reshaped this but it's worth being honest about. Jobs and economy page.
Specialty kid activities — if your child is in elite-level competitive gymnastics, ice hockey, or specific niche programs, options are thinner than in a major metro. For travel sports, soccer, baseball, basketball, dance — the depth is excellent.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best neighborhoods in Myrtle Beach for families?

Carolina Forest is the strongest combination of schools, amenities, and family-buyer depth. Forestbrook offers similar character at lower prices. Prince Creek (Murrells Inlet, HCS side) and North Myrtle Beach are also family-friendly. The right neighborhood depends on which school zone you want and how far you're willing to drive to work or the beach.

Is Myrtle Beach a good place to raise kids?

Yes for most families. Schools above the state average, mild climate, beach lifestyle, depth of youth sports, master-planned communities with pools and amenities walking distance, and a cost of living that lets families breathe more easily than in higher-cost regions. The honest trade-offs are summer tourist traffic, thinner job density for specialized professional roles, and fewer options for elite-level niche kid activities.

How do I find the best school for my kids in Myrtle Beach?

Use the official Horry County Schools Zone Lookup with the specific street address you're considering — mailing addresses don't reliably indicate the zone. We can pull this on any listing. Then check the school's current SC Report Card, AP/IB programs, and any pending redistricting. Full schools page.

Where do families with kids live in Myrtle Beach?

Concentrated in master-planned communities feeding the top high schools: Carolina Forest (Carolina Forest HS), Forestbrook (Socastee HS), Prince Creek and Burgess areas (St. James HS), and parts of North Myrtle Beach (NMB HS). Conway also draws families looking for more house and more land at lower prices.

How much does childcare cost in Myrtle Beach?

Private daycare typically runs $200–$350/week per child depending on age and program. HCS public 4K and 5K (kindergarten) are full-day and largely free, which is a meaningful savings versus most major metros.

Are there enough activities for kids in Myrtle Beach year-round?

Yes. Beach and outdoor activities run nine months a year. Youth sports leagues are active across soccer, baseball, basketball, swim, dance, and more. The Myrtle Beach Sports Center hosts year-round indoor tournaments. The county and city parks departments run continuous programming. Family attractions (Broadway at the Beach, Ripley's, Topgolf, Brookgreen Gardens, Family Kingdom) cover the rest.

Can I work remotely from Myrtle Beach?

Yes. HTC fiber and Spectrum cable provide reliable high-speed internet across most of Horry County, with HTC fiber reaching 1 Gbps in most newer master-planned communities. The remote-work population has grown significantly since 2020. Jobs and economy page covers remote-work infrastructure.

Keep Reading

Back to the relocation guide

Schools in Horry & Georgetown County

Jobs and the economy

Cost of living

SC taxes for relocation buyers