Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 92% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Overall it grades C, 100th of 167 graded towns in South Carolina. Its schools rank ahead of 77% of South Carolina towns and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 79% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is safety: it reports more crime per resident than 91% of U.S. towns, including 64 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. 42% of residents are 65 or older in North Myrtle Beach, where South Carolina’s towns sit at 17% and U.S. towns at 18%. On cost of living, just 23 of South Carolina’s 261 towns do worse. North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex, at 164 acres with 2.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where North Myrtle Beach beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
13,752 counted in 2010 and 18,790 in 2020; an estimated 21,346 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 13.3% since 2020, after 36.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far North Myrtle Beach is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,957 in 1970, 18,790 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1941 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in North Myrtle Beach, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in North Myrtle Beach.
North Myrtle Beach is a second-home town and draws workers from Little River and beyond, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of South Carolina (mostly hurricanes).
12,734 jobs are based in North Myrtle Beach, 2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 4 of North Myrtle Beach’s working residents works in town. 7.4% of North Myrtle Beach residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in North Myrtle Beach grew to 12,734 in 2023, 2,376 more than in 2013.
| North Myrtle Beach | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 26% | 6.1% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.4% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $73,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Horry 01 school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Drive ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 852 | A− |
| Valorous Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 154 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
48.3% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, against 4.5% statewide, which helps explain the older median age.
North Myrtle Beach’s median age is 61.9 years. North Myrtle Beach has grown 13% since 2020, to 21,346 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 11% of residents are under 18 in North Myrtle Beach.
| North Myrtle Beach | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 11% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 61.9 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 23% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.2 points. Across South Carolina, 51.3% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 71% are men (SC 49%). Median age: women 61.7, men 62.2.
| North Myrtle Beach | SC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.9% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.9% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.8% | 12.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.5% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 21.4% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 27% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.6% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.8% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.3% | 28.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.1% | 19.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.9% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.4% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.5% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Property crime runs at 38.5 per 1,000 residents, about twice the South Carolina rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 906 to 884 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in North Myrtle Beach is 38.5 per 1,000 residents. North Myrtle Beach reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 91% report less. The violent crime rate in North Myrtle Beach is 3 per 1,000 residents.
| North Myrtle Beach | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 38.5 per 1,000 residents | 21.1 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3 per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 83% of South Carolina towns, with expected losses of about $949 per resident a year; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on. 2,847 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 364 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1979, 2,847 flood insurance claims have been paid out in North Myrtle Beach.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex | 2.4 mi | 164 |
| 2. Heritage Shores Nature Preserve | 0.8 mi | 20 |
| 3. Central Park | 0.3 mi | 21 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical North Myrtle Beach home is worth about $394,000, up 1% in a year, 30% above the South Carolina typical home.
| North Myrtle Beach | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,263 a month | $1,058 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
July afternoons average 88.3°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 99% of South Carolina places with climate records; January nights average 36.6°.
North Myrtle Beach has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Among 169 South Carolina towns, just 1 have a lower July high than North Myrtle Beach. Snow is almost unheard of.
| North Myrtle Beach | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 37°F | 34°F | 22°F |
| July high | 88°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among 169 South Carolina towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than North Myrtle Beach. North Myrtle Beach beats the South Carolina average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. Only 2 of the 169 South Carolina towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than North Myrtle Beach.
| North Myrtle Beach | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 86% | 80% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 40% | 35% |
| What stands out | North Myrtle Beach | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.3% | 8.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.5% | 13.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 15.2% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around North Myrtle Beach. Close and well known come first.
14 mi BeachGrand Strand
31 mi MuseumBrookgreen Gardens
14 mi Theme parkFamily Kingdom Amusement Park
30 mi MuseumHuntington Beach State Park
19 mi MuseumUnited States Post Office
20 mi MuseumBurroughs SchoolGrand Strand: Phil Guest from Bournemouth, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Brookgreen Gardens: Hisland7, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Family Kingdom Amusement Park: Fk714, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Huntington Beach State Park: Original uploader was Pendragon1998 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · United States Post Office: Pubdog, Public domain · Burroughs School: Pubdog, Public domain
None within 15 miles of North Myrtle Beach; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 North Myrtle Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
Where North Myrtle Beach’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in South Carolina, United States
North Myrtle Beach is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It was created in 1968 from four existing municipalities, and is located about 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Myrtle Beach. It serves as one of the primary tourist destinations along the Grand Strand. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,790. It is part of the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a combined population of 449,295 as of 2016.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with North Myrtle Beach.
| Town | SC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Myrtle Beach | #100 | C | C− | D | A− | B |
| Little River | #84 | C+ | C | — | A− | B− |
| Myrtle Beach | #135 | D | C− | D− | A− | C |
| Atlantic Beach | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Briarcliffe Acres | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Little River reports no FBI crime data of its own. Atlantic Beach and Briarcliffe Acres aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare North Myrtle Beach with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
North Myrtle Beach grades C overall, better than 31% of U.S. towns and #100 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades B for health, D for safety and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within South Carolina, it does better than 47% of towns.
Yes. That is 5.9 years of the area's median household income ($66,880 across the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC metro area).
