Living in Grand Strand (Myrtle Beach)

The Grand Strand runs along Horry and Georgetown counties' Atlantic coastline, anchored by Myrtle Beach itself -- which posted the highest in-moves-to-out-moves ratio of any US city measured in moveBuddha's 2025-2026 migration report, part of a broader pattern that saw South Carolina rank #1 among states for in-moves versus exits for a third consecutive year. Myrtle Beach's own housing runs roughly 32% below the national median, while separately incorporated North Myrtle Beach (a real merger of four distinct beach communities: Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach, Windy Hill) commands a genuine premium for its more family-oriented, lower-density character. Inland Conway offers 'coastal lifestyle for half the price' alongside a genuine Coastal Carolina University college-town identity, while Surfside Beach, Little River, Pawleys Island, and Murrells Inlet together form one of the most decisively retirement-oriented demographic clusters documented anywhere in this project. This region's economy runs genuinely tourism-and-hospitality-dominated (26.7% of metro nonfarm jobs), and it carries a real, historically severe, and repeated hurricane exposure -- Hurricane Hazel's actual 1954 landfall point sits at North Myrtle Beach's own doorstep -- that this record discloses honestly alongside the region's exceptionally strong current relocation-demand story.

Explore Grand Strand (Myrtle Beach) in depth

Exploring the idea of moving?

We can connect you with a local real estate professional who knows the area -- no pressure, just a starting point.

Learn more

Places we've researched in Grand Strand (Myrtle Beach)

Planning a move?

Tell us what you're looking for and we'll connect you with a local expert who can help you make it happen.

Talk to a local expert
Last reviewed: 2026-09-05. Independent research; see individual place pages for metric-level source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.