Homeowners Insurance in Myrtle Beach
Homeowners insurance in Myrtle Beach sits on top of a real, disclosed statewide baseline -- South Carolina ranks 16th-most-expensive nationally for average homeowners premiums ($2,974-$3,100/year) -- with Horry County specifically facing a projected 90% (roughly $2,400) premium increase over the next decade, and a genuinely distinctive coastal-insurance mechanism (the SC Wind and Hail Underwriting Association, or "Wind Pool") covering parts of the county since 2007.
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Learn moreSouth Carolina's Statewide Baseline, and Real Coastal Variance Within It
South Carolina's average homeowners premium is cited in a real, disclosed range ($2,974-$3,100/year across two sources), ranking the state 16th-most-expensive nationally -- itself a statewide baseline, not a coastal-specific figure. City-level 2026 comparators show the real variance within the state that coastal exposure specifically drives: Conway (the Horry County seat, inland of Myrtle Beach) runs $4,275/year, Charleston (also coastal) runs $5,720/year, while inland Columbia runs just $2,610/year. Coastal location, not South Carolina residency generally, is the primary driver of higher premiums.
A Real, Current, and Rising Cost Pressure for Horry County Specifically
Horry County is projected toward a 90% (roughly $2,400) premium increase over the next decade per a separately cited report -- a real, current, forward-looking cost pressure disclosed here rather than presented only as a historical baseline. Anyone budgeting a long-term Myrtle Beach homeownership plan should factor rising, not static, insurance costs into that math.
The SC Wind Pool: A Real, Distinctive Coastal-Insurance Mechanism
The South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association ("Wind Pool"), established by state lawmakers in 1971, is the state's residual market for wind and hail coverage in coastal areas where standard carriers decline to write it. Its coverage area was expanded in 2007 to include parts of Horry County (alongside Charleston and Georgetown counties), with that expansion order renewed every two years since -- a real, ongoing, currently active program. The Wind Pool covers wind and hail only -- not fire, theft, water damage, or flood, which require entirely separate coverage.
Flood Insurance Remains Separate Coverage, Priced by FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0
As almost everywhere in the U.S., standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage -- flood insurance is a separate policy, typically through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private carrier. FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 system, now fully in place, prices flood insurance premiums based on a specific property's elevation relative to base flood elevation, distance to water, and foundation type, rather than a broad zone-wide average. In recent years, private flood insurance carriers have entered the Myrtle Beach market and are now cited as competitive with NFIP pricing on many coastal homes -- a real, current option worth comparing rather than assuming NFIP is the only choice. See the flood-hurricane-risk topic page for the full flood-zone picture.
Elevation and Construction Type Meaningfully Affect Premiums
For oceanfront and near-beach construction specifically, building on pilings well above base flood elevation both reduces real flood risk and lowers insurance premiums under Risk Rating 2.0's property-specific pricing -- a real, actionable factor for anyone building new or substantially renovating, distinct from a fixed area-wide rate.
Key takeaways
- South Carolina's average homeowners premium ($2,974-$3,100/year) ranks 16th-most-expensive nationally, with real coastal-specific variance: Conway at $4,275/year, Charleston at $5,720/year, versus inland Columbia at $2,610/year.
- Horry County specifically faces a real, current, forward-looking projected 90% (~$2,400) premium increase over the next decade -- not a static cost.
- The SC Wind and Hail Underwriting Association ("Wind Pool," established 1971, expanded into Horry County in 2007) is a real, distinctive residual-market mechanism for wind/hail coverage in coastal areas -- wind and hail only, not fire, theft, or flood.
- Flood insurance is separate coverage, now priced under FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 based on a property's specific elevation, distance to water, and foundation type -- private flood carriers have also entered the market and are cited as competitive with NFIP on many coastal homes.
- Building on pilings above base flood elevation is a real, actionable way to reduce both flood risk and insurance premiums for new or renovated oceanfront construction.
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