Surfside Beach spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities
Surfside Beach’s town government spent $10.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2024, about $2,500 per resident.
What stands out about how Surfside Beach is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,946 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them
Surfside Beach’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,946 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 43 South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,137, and the middle half spent $694–$1,548. Surfside Beach spent more than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.2 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Surfside Beach itself left out).
About $2,500 per resident a year, or $6.85 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 20% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Surfside Beach reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,946 · 2023: $2,277 · 2024: $2,500. Per resident it went from $1,946 to $2,500 (up 28%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 4,580 to 4,280.
full-time in March 2025, up from 70 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,508 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.34% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Surfside Beach’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Surfside Beach’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Surfside Beach →
Who’s in charge in Surfside Beach
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 56 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (4,280).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Horry County School District
Surfside Beach’s K–12 school district, shared with Atlantic Beach, Aynor, Briarcliffe Acres, Conway, Loris and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,340 per pupil, $8,498 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
South Carolina districts overall: 45% local, 43% state, 13% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Surfside Beach’s votes are counted by county
South Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Surfside Beach alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Horry County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican68.8%141,719 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.3%62,325 votesOthers: 0.9% (1,910 votes).
Most votes in Horry County: Donald J Trump
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Surfside Beach lies in Horry County. Every 2024 race in Horry County is on the county’s page.
Horry County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Surfside Beach.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2South Carolina HouseState representatives
- 3South Carolina SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Carolina
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Surfside Beach compares with the towns next door
Surfside Beach spent $1,946 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Surfside Beach | $1,946 | $1,508 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Surfside Beach’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Surfside Beach’s government
How much does Surfside Beach spend per resident?
About $2,500 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,946 was more than 88% of 43 South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Surfside Beach?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,508 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.34% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Surfside Beach’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Surfside Beach yet.
How did Surfside Beach vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Surfside Beach alone. Horry County, where 100% of Surfside Beach lies, voted Trump 68.8%, Harris 30.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Surfside Beach?
76 full-time and 19 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $464,556 (about $5.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Surfside Beach in the state legislature?
State Senate District 34 (Stephen Goldfinch) and State House District 106 (Val Guest). The House district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Surfside Beach’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →