Pros and Cons of Living in Georgetown
Georgetown's core trade-off pairs genuine, deep historic character and comparative affordability against a real, current major economic disruption and an above-national-average crime rate.
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Learn morePro: genuine, deep, National Register-documented history and comparative affordability
As SC's third-oldest city (founded 1729), Georgetown carries real, documented historic character -- an original grid downtown on the National Register -- paired with housing that reads genuinely more affordable than several other Grand Strand markets in this batch, and a lower Georgetown County sales-tax floor (7% vs. Horry County's 8%).
Pro: real, direct in-city hospital access
Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital provides real, direct in-city healthcare access as part of a broader three-county hospital and outpatient network.
Con: a real, current, major economic disruption
International Paper's complete Georgetown exit (2024-2026, nearly 700 mill jobs plus 126 container-plant jobs, ending a 90-year presence) is a real, current, independently verified labor-market disruption for a city of under 9,000 people -- not a historical footnote to gloss over.
Con: an above-national-average crime rate and a below-batch-average zoned high school
NeighborhoodScout's crime data reads considerably higher than the national average, and the city's zoned Georgetown High School (C+ Niche grade) sits notably below Waccamaw High School's B+ grade documented for the Pawleys Island area elsewhere in this batch.
Key takeaways
- Pro: genuine, deep historic character (SC's third-oldest city) and comparative affordability within the Grand Strand batch.
- Pro: real, direct in-city hospital access via Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital.
- Con: a real, current, major economic disruption -- International Paper's complete 90-year Georgetown exit (2024-2026, ~800 combined jobs).
- Con: an above-national-average crime rate per NeighborhoodScout and a comparatively lower-rated zoned high school within this batch.
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