Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 23,796, settled in 1880. Public schools that outperform most of South Carolina.
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 92% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Overall it grades B−, 66th of 167 graded towns in South Carolina. Its schools rank ahead of 77% of South Carolina towns. 18% of the land in Socastee is conserved, above both the South Carolina town median (1.7%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Hebron Church and Socastee Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Socastee beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
19,952 counted in 2010 and 22,213 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Socastee is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 14,295 in 2000, 22,213 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 3 maps from 1949 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Socastee is unincorporated, so Horry County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Socastee.
Socastee is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has hotter summers than most of the country, though not than most of South Carolina; it also carries more natural-hazard risk than most of South Carolina (mostly hurricanes).
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 83% of South Carolina towns, with expected losses of about $487 per resident a year; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1987, 523 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Socastee.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Horry 01 school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Socastee High, with 1,720 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Socastee ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 850 | B− |
| Socastee HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,720 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
Jobs based here fell from 5,068 in 2013 to 3,651.
Most working residents leave Socastee for work: only 6% work in town. At 21 minutes, Socastee’s average trip to work is against 24 minutes in South Carolina’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Socastee fell to 3,651 in 2023, 1,417 fewer than in 2013.
| Socastee | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 8.7% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Socastee Landing Park | — | 4 |
| 2. Harbour Towne HOA Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
July afternoons average 89.7°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 83% of South Carolina places with climate records; January nights average 35.9°.
Socastee has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Socastee’s January low is 36°F.
| Socastee | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 36°F | 34°F | 22°F |
| July high | 90°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 9,475 U.S. towns with household incomes like Socastee’s, it is healthier than 62%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Socastee beats the South Carolina average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 15% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Socastee.
| Socastee | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 8.1% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 37% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 33% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Socastee | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.8% | 8.9% |
| More uninsured adults | 14.6% | 11.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Socastee. Close and well known come first.
7 mi BeachGrand Strand
13 mi MuseumBrookgreen Gardens
7 mi Theme parkFamily Kingdom Amusement Park
12 mi MuseumHuntington Beach State Park
11 mi MuseumUnited States Post Office
11 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
2 within 15 miles of the center of Socastee
About 4 of every 100 Socastee residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
Where Socastee’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
CDP in South Carolina, United States
Socastee is a census-designated place (CDP) in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 19,952 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Socastee.
| Town | SC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socastee | #66 | B− | B− | — | A− | C+ |
| Myrtle Beach | #135 | D | C− | D− | A− | C |
| Red Hill | #86 | C+ | B− | — | A− | C |
Socastee and Red Hill report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Socastee with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Socastee grades B− overall, better than 45% of U.S. towns and #66 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades C+ for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
The typical home is worth about $234,000, 23% below the South Carolina typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
