On CDC estimates, Surfside Beach is healthier than 69% of U.S. towns
Surfside Beach differs from South Carolina on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 18 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Surfside Beach. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Surfside Beach
Surfside Beach is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Surfside Beach is healthier than 69%. Against the 10,509 towns with similar household incomes ($53K–$88K), it’s healthier than 86%. Health Grade ↓
Cancer, arthritis and high cholesterol run high in Surfside Beach
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (13.3%), vs 8.6% across South Carolina. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (35.3%), vs 28.5% across South Carolina. High cholesterol is also above the state: 45.9%, vs 38.1% across South Carolina. In all, Surfside Beach runs above South Carolina on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (South Carolina 19%), and cancer, arthritis and high cholesterol are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Surfside Beach keeps up with checkups
It beats South Carolina on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (84.3% vs 80.6%) and dentist visits (72% vs 63.1%). Checkups ↓
Surfside Beach adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (26% vs 31.7%), frequent mental distress (14.4% vs 16.4%) and lack of emotional support (18.6% vs 23.6%) all run below South Carolina. Mind & connection ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the South Carolina figure falls outside Surfside Beach’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Surfside Beach’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Surfside Beach is healthier than 69% of U.S. towns, #34 of 169 in South Carolina. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 86% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 24%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Surfside Beach’s median household income is $70,106; among the 10,509 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($53K–$88K), it’s healthier than 86%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Surfside Beach adults…
Surfside Beach runs below SC on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Surfside Beach is an older town: 29% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across South Carolina. Heart disease, arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Surfside Beach as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Surfside Beach adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Carolina.
How Surfside Beach adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Surfside Beach does better than South Carolina.
1 in 4 Surfside Beach adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Care in and near Surfside Beach
No hospital or community health center in Surfside Beach itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Surfside Beach; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with South Carolina
Share of adults, with the South Carolina figure marked.
0.1 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
4.8% of Surfside Beach adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.5% across South Carolina.
Surfside Beach and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfside Beach | B+ | 29.8% | 13.9% | 12% | CDC place |
| Garden City | C+ | 31.1% | 17.3% | 13.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Surfside Beach adults live with a disability (South Carolina 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Surfside Beach
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Surfside Beach is better than South Carolina on 18 and worse on 5; on the rest, the South Carolina figure falls inside Surfside Beach’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Surfside Beach | SC | U.S. | vs SC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.2%14.7–19.7 | 20.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.6%12.8–16.5 | 14% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.7–16.2 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29.8%26–33.9 | 35.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 13.9%12.2–15.7 | 13.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 42.3%39.1–45.5 | 38.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 45.9%42.8–49.1 | 38.1% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 35.3%32.5–38.3 | 28.5% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 8.7%7.8–9.8 | 9.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.3%12.1–14.6 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8%7.1–9 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.2%6.9–9.5 | 7.5% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4%3.6–4.5 | 3.9% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.9%7.4–10.7 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12%9.8–14.4 | 13.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21%17.8–24.2 | 25.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 14.6%12.6–16.9 | 15.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.8%26.5–33.1 | 35.8% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.9%6.5–9.7 | 11.8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 84.3%82.1–86.4 | 80.6% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 72%69.5–74.4 | 63.1% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.1%89.8–92.3 | 86.9% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 85.6%83.5–87.6 | 80.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.3%69.8–76.5 | 69.3% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.4%72.2–81.9 | 77.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.9%18.5–23.5 | 22.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 26%22.8–29.2 | 31.7% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.6%16–21.3 | 23.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.2%7.4–11.1 | 17.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.9%5.6–8.2 | 13.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.6%3.8–5.4 | 8.9% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.9%4.2–5.7 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.8%3.7–6 | 10.5% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.1%25.7–32.6 | 31.5% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.2%13–17.3 | 15.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.4%9.9–13.1 | 14.3% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.6%7.6–9.7 | 7% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.4%3.8–5 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.1%6.1–8.2 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3.1–4.1 | 4.3% | 3.8% | Lower |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the South Carolina figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Surfside Beach
Is Surfside Beach a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Surfside Beach is healthier than 69% of U.S. towns: B+ for health, #34 of 169 in South Carolina. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 86%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Surfside Beach?
CDC estimates 29.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 26% and 33.9%, against 35.8% across South Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Surfside Beach?
Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in Murrells Inlet, 5.0 miles in a straight line from Surfside Beach’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Surfside Beach have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.5–9.7%), against 11.8% across South Carolina.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Surfside Beach more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Surfside Beach.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The South Carolina figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.