Renting in Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach rent figures disagreed not just in magnitude but in direction this pass: RentCafe cited $1,599/month average rent, down 3.48% year-over-year, while Zumper cited $1,700/month, up 7% year-over-year, for the same general 2026 period -- a genuine, disclosed disagreement about whether the local rental market is currently softening or tightening.
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Learn moreTwo Sources, Two Different Directions
RentCafe's average rent figure ($1,599/month, broken out as $1,434 for a 1-bedroom at 752 sqft, $1,688 for a 2-bedroom at 1,089 sqft, and $1,933 for a 3-bedroom at 1,287 sqft) showed rent *down* 3.48% year-over-year. Zumper's figure ($1,700/month), by contrast, showed rent *up* 7% year-over-year for roughly the same period, with 1-bedroom rents specifically down 2.25% YoY but 2-bedroom rents up 5.15% YoY as of mid-2026. This is a real, disclosed disagreement on direction, not just magnitude -- neither source is treated as more authoritative here.
A Genuinely Different Rental Market Than a Typical Residential City
Myrtle Beach's rental market is shaped by real, distinctive dynamics most standard residential-city rent data doesn't capture: a large, active short-term/vacation-rental sector competing for the same oceanfront and near-beach housing stock as long-term renters, plus a genuinely seasonal local labor market (leisure and hospitality account for 26.7% of metro nonfarm jobs) that shapes demand for lower-cost, non-oceanfront long-term rentals differently than a typical year-round metro economy would. See the housing-market topic page for the short-term-rental income data specifically.
Renting vs. the Real Local Income Base
Either cited rent figure ($1,599 or $1,700/month) represents a real, meaningful share of Myrtle Beach's $53,679 median household income (roughly 24-27% of gross income before other expenses, if paid by a household earning exactly the local median) -- worth weighing honestly against the city-level income figure disclosed on the cost-of-living topic page rather than assuming below-national-average home prices automatically translate to easy affordability for renters on local wages.
South Carolina Landlord-Tenant Law Governs Statewide
Standard 12-month leases are common in Myrtle Beach, though the area's tourism economy also supports a genuinely larger seasonal/short-term rental segment than most metros in this project. South Carolina landlord-tenant law governs security deposit handling, notice periods, and eviction procedures statewide -- confirm current statutory specifics directly rather than relying on a general summary here.
Neighborhood and Proximity-to-Beach Variance Is Real
As with home prices, rent varies substantially with proximity to the ocean and to specific submarkets like Market Common or Carolina Forest, both detailed on the best-areas topic page. Specific, independently verified per-neighborhood rent figures were not confirmed this pass -- pull current, address-specific listing data before budgeting for a particular area.
Key takeaways
- Myrtle Beach rent figures disagreed on direction, not just magnitude: RentCafe cited $1,599/month (down 3.48% YoY) while Zumper cited $1,700/month (up 7% YoY) for the same general 2026 period.
- The rental market is genuinely shaped by short-term-rental competition for oceanfront housing stock and a seasonal tourism-driven local labor market -- distinct from a typical year-round residential rental city.
- Either cited rent figure represents a meaningful share (roughly 24-27%) of Myrtle Beach's $53,679 median household income -- worth weighing against the local, not just national, cost picture.
- 12-month leases are standard, alongside a genuinely larger seasonal/short-term rental segment than most metros in this project; South Carolina landlord-tenant law governs deposits, notice, and eviction statewide.
- Neighborhood and beach-proximity rent variance is real (see best-areas topic page) but was not independently priced per-neighborhood this pass -- pull current listing data for a specific area.
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