Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
4.03×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs South Carolina
- 3.42×
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
moderate
Rent to income
27.2%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs South Carolina
- 25.5%
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
4.39%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs South Carolina
- 4.42%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+0.04
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
strongly positive
Net migration
+2.55%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs South Carolina
- 0.36%+2.18
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+2.52
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
strong
Permit pipeline
30.83
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs South Carolina
- 8.79+22.05
- vs U.S.
- 3.53+27.30
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
7.0%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs South Carolina
- 5.5%
- vs U.S.
- 4.5%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
balanced buyer mix
Investor loan share
12.6%
14,309 purchase loans · 23.5% denial rate · 2024
Share of financed home purchases going to investors. Above ~15% means landlords are outbidding owner-occupants; below ~8% is owner-dominated.
Benchmark
Investor purchase loans ÷ all purchase loans (CFPB HMDA LAR, annual)
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+65.0%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+4.3%
Median home value
$260,500
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,229 | $14,748 | 22.8% |
| 2 BR | $1,465 | $17,580 | 27.2% |
| 3 BR | $1,805 | $21,660 | 33.5% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
7.0%
Median household income
$64,623
What's being built
Total TTM
11,376
+12.1% YoY
Single-family
11,234
2–4 unit
13
5+ unit
129
All 2 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horry County | 356,578 | $260,500 | $64,623 | 6,755 | +16.2% |
| Brunswick County | 139,721 | $314,700 | $74,034 | 4,621 | +6.1% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Myrtle Beach | 496,299 | $64,623 | 4.03× | 4.39% | +65.0% | 30.83 | 7.0% |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 477,577 | $67,203 | — | — | +51.7% | — | 4.4% |
| Springfield, MO | 477,056 | $61,488 | — | — | +60.3% | — | 2.9% |
| Lafayette, LA | 479,865 | $60,910 | — | — | +24.9% | — | 3.6% |
| Visalia, CA | 473,446 | $69,489 | — | — | +51.3% | — | 10.2% |
| Asheville, NC | 469,484 | $69,236 | — | — | +56.9% | — | 3.2% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+9,403
+2.55% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| New Hanover County, NC | 1,271 |
| Wake County, NC | 567 |
| Georgetown County, SC | 505 |
| Mecklenburg County, NC | 494 |
| Suffolk County, NY | 470 |
| Nassau County, NY | 281 |
Who lives in Myrtle Beach
- Median age
- 48
- Bachelor's+
- 26.6%
- Owner-occupancy
- 75.8%
- Vacancy rate
- 29.0%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 46.4%
- Median household income
- $64,623
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.
Data sources
| Metric | Source | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| rent vs buy | HUD FMR + Census ACS + FRED MORTGAGE30US | current FY |