OUR TOWNS

The Grand Strand encompasses more than 30 miles of coastline and reaches some 40 to 50 miles inland. Within that are many different communities, each with its own personality.

So you’ve decided to make the casually elegant Myrtle Beach lifestyle your own. This area’s beaches, recreational activities, employment opportunities and attractions, combined with the warm climate and low cost of living, make it too good to resist.

We encourage you to take your time exploring the area.

Communities

Myrtle Beach (pop. 26,593)
Myrtle Beach is the largest, most developed and best known of the Grand Strand’s communities, with more concentrated restaurants, hotels, attractions, retail stores and entertainment options than anywhere else in the Grand Strand. You’ll find reasonable priced, family friendly neighborhoods, golf course communities and condos, all close to the ocean. City leaders are looking at “smart growth” to encourage bikeways, green space, and denser urban housing.

Conway (pop. 13,442)
Conway, the Horry County seat and a Main Street city, has proudly preserved its past. Created in 1734 as the town of Kingston, this is a community of tree-lined streets, historic homes and churches, and a revitalized business district. The beautifully built river walk is enjoyed by all Conway residents.

North Myrtle Beach (pop. 13,160)
Made up of four individual communities – Ocean Drive, Cherry Grove, Windy Hill and Crescent Beach – north Myrtle Beach occupies a 9.3 square mile land area with nine miles of beautiful beaches. Even with so much to do nearby, North Myrtle Beach offers a relaxed, peaceful environment.

Georgetown (pop. 8,941)
This Georgetown County seat located on the Sampit River began as a Spanish settlement in 1526, later sent Thomas Lynch, Jr. to sign the Declaration of Independence, and for many years produced more than half of the U.S. rice crop. Today Georgetown is an historic river port town with colorful downtown buildings and brick-lined sidewalks.

Little River (pop. 7,729)
The quaint, quiet fishing village of Little River, one of the area’s earliest coastal settlements, sits along the Intracoastal Waterway at the South Carolina/North Carolina border. The area was a popular hideout for pirates and Civil War blockade-runners. Known for its fresh seafood fishing charter, and annual Blue Crab Festival, Little River moves at a relaxed pace.

Murrells Inlet (pop. 5,795)
Murrells Inlet, billed as the “Seafood Capital of South Carolina,” prides itself on the natural beauty of the marshes that surround it and works hard to preserve that beauty.

Surfside Beach (pop. 4,661)
Billing itself as “the family beach,” Surfside Beach is a popular vacation destination and active residential community south of Myrtle Beach. Beachside, you’ll find beach houses, condominiums, hotels, and a popular fishing pier. The town also has a large water park, and numerous restaurants.

Litchfield Beach (pop. 3,914)
Litchfield, once known as Magnolia Beach, draws new residents to its relaxed, neighborhood atmosphere. This unincorporated community included lower-density housing, impeccable landscaping, country clubs, and generous amounts of undeveloped natural areas.

Andrews (pop. 3,110)
Fifteen minutes inland from Georgetown rests Andrews’ friendly people and quiet streets. Andrews offers scenic walks along river trails and canoe trips on the ebony waters of the Black River. Home of singer Chubby Checker, Andrews ia a relatively new small town, less that 100 year old.

Loris (pop. 2,204)
Incorporated in 1902, Loris is known for its friendly, small town atmosphere only 35, miles northwest of Myrtle Beach. Folks crowd into Loris each year for the Loris Bog-Off, to celebrate chicken bog, a local specialty made with chicken, rice, sausage, and assorted seasonings.

Aynor (pop 587)
Aynor began as a terminus for a railroad from Conway in the early 1900s, and in the early 20th century had a bustling tobacco market, brickyard, cotton gin, and several mills. The town’s railroad and tobacco history is remembered in a large mural at Eight Avenue and S. Main Street.

Briarcliffe Acres (pop. 507)
Briarcliffe Acres is an exclusively single family residential community with conservation zoning for parks and wetlands. There is no commercial zoning in the town.

Atlantic Beach (pop. 373)
Nicknamed “The Black Pearl,” Atlantic Beach was once the preferred beach resort for African-Americans and today is one of the only remaining Black-owned oceanfront towns in America.

Pawleys Island (pop 144)
One of the earliest resort towns in the state, Pawleys Island is a Mecca for young professionals who have built significant nest eggs early in life and are ready to enjoy a long, active, social retirement in “elegantly shabby” Pawleys Island.

Source: Grand Strand Newcomers Guide and Relocation Magazine