As I have now spent a year in Myrtle Beach, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp of the city. I really like it here and have enjoyed exploring it over the past 12 months. Although the positives far outweigh the negatives, for the purpose of this blog post I am going to keep it even. On this beautiful Sunday I wish to provide you with my top three pros and top three cons of living in Myrtle Beach.
PROS:
Weather – Some people like it hot. Well, count me in as one of them. When I moved here, everyone told me that the southern humidity would cripple me. It never did. While it was a little bit of an adjustment to get used to the different type of air, I never felt as if I was drowning. The high temperatures and abundant sunshine that accompanies the humidity is right down my alley. I am the type of guy that doesn’t mind 100 degree temperatures three months out of the year.
However, it took Halloween for me to really realize how much I love the climate of Myrtle Beach. I was running a social media promotion outside on campus at CCU for the entire day. Throughout the whole morning and afternoon the sun elegantly shined down on us. The 80 degree day contrasted with the cold, windy, gloomy, snowy days of past Halloweens out west.
The weather in Myrtle Beach provides opportunities to enjoy summer activities throughout most of the year instead of just during July and August.
The Beach – They don’t put the second word in the city that I live in for nothing. I have grown to really love the ocean and marvel at its magnificence. I can drive five minutes from my apartment and be on a beautiful, non-tourist beach. I have started many weekend mornings this way and the peace I get from it is very nourishing. Since arriving here, I have explored other beaches in the area too and always find comfort knowing that I enjoy living in an area where others go to vacation.
The beach is beautiful and calming. It is definitely one of my favorite aspects of living here.
Geographic Location – The city that I live in is also great because it provides me lots of options when I want to get away from it for a day or two. Because of the location of Myrtle Beach, I am able to travel to a whole host of really cool places. Both North and South Carolina have many historical and charming cities that I can get to in no time. Two of Georgia’s best cities, Atlanta and Savannah, are located relatively close to Myrtle Beach. You go a little more south and you are in Florida! Up north the options are numerous as cities like Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia are just a day’s drive away. Location location location!
Not long after arriving in Myrtle Beach, Sidney and I traveled to Atlanta to watch some baseball and to explore the city.
CONS
Traffic – During tourist season, traffic can become a little frustrating. A notorious highway in Myrtle Beach that is necessary to travel on to get to many places becomes a standstill. Vacationers not familiar with the area make boneheaded mistakes that back up traffic. Rush hour becomes a nightmare. Since I go to work very early in the morning and because I use an alternative route going home at night, I do a pretty good job at avoiding the worst of it. However, I still spend my fair share of time in traffic every now and then. I may or may not yell at my imaginary passenger when I really need to be somewhere and instead I am stopped behind a line of 500 cars.
Hellish Roadways – If the traffic on the roads wasn’t enough, the debris that somehow land on them really makes commuting in Myrtle Beach a challenge from time to time. I don’t know what it is, but I have never driven in a city that has more crap on the roads than in MB. Any given day I dodge road kill, garbage, lumber, plants, nails, and remnants from other vehicles. It really is an obstacle course out there. One dark morning I ran over a gigantic log, popping my tire instantaneously. I am scared to enter into turning lanes because these places usually have the most random junk ready to derail your vehicle. If you could see the hodgepodge of items that end up in the roads here you would be very surprised.
Allergies – I had no idea I was susceptible to allergies until I moved to South Carolina. As I mentioned in Thursday’s blog post, I spent most of April putting up with a nasty cough, constant watery eyes, and a bothersome runny nose. The pollen here really does impact your system. When I first moved here I quietly dismissed the people who told me it might take some getting used to but now as I look back on it they were right.
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As I said, even though I described three positives and three negatives, the good definitely outweighs the bad. I didn’t even mention the people, the restaurants, the shopping options, the mini golf, the BBQ, and the numerous other characteristics that make Myrtle Beach such a great place to live. In a year from now, I am sure I will have even more positives to add to the list. Don’t Blink.
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Hi there, I just read you pros and cons about myrtle beach. I am seriously thinking about moving there. I love the weather and the beach! I live in Pittsburgh and I am DONE with the winters. I was wondering how the cost of living is down there and also the amount of jobs available. I would want to move into a house rather then an apartment. Thanks keep updating the beach life!
Forget about employment down here. Unless you’re a waiter or waitress. I am a nurse but I do mental health there are no mental health facilities down here thus all the crime that we have. I built a home here 10 years ago and I only come a couple months out of the year and I have to resort to travel nursing to make a living. Very few jobs, when you do get one the pay sucks & poor benefits. Unless you’re retired consider somewhere else. Most of the shopping is on route 17 in either North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach and has 10% sales tax. You have a yearly personal tax on your vehicle which can run a couple hundred dollars a year homes are cheaper but so is the quality taxes are definitely lower auto insurance is lower than up north everything else is the same some things are more expensive than New Jersey for example veterinarian lawyers landscapers Handyman Roofer plumbers. I’m trying to get myself out of here Myrtle Beach may be ok to visit but not till this. I don’t really understand the appeal if I had come down here for just one week in my life that would have been enough way too much crime way too much home invasions etc
It hasn’t changed much except for the worse
I’m hoping to move south and considering the Grand Strand or Wilmington, NC area. Is there any decent area around there that’s not out in the country, and without dangerous debris on roads, crime, etc? Also wondering how Babb Custom Homes really is. We’re terrified as we haven’t been able to visit the area since the 1960’s but we’re open to any ranch style single home, maybe a first floor condo. Another requirement is private parking for 2 cars. We’re also open to a senior community but absolutely no HOA’s. 🙂
Jobs are a nightmare and so is the rate of pay!
That is not true about jobs. I have offers at same and higher pay than up north. You need to be in a skilled position.
Yes but the general job market is a nightmare in MB, for a person with a garden variety resume it is probably the worst I have ever seen for a place of any size.
I wouldn’t recommend moving here there is a lot of crime and there are only two main roads into the place and at most times they are like sitting in a parking lot the place is very boring wished I’d stayed in Florida
Hi! I am interested in moving down there as well. Are there good ethnic restaurants to eat there? How are housing prices there for a 1500-2000sq house? Thank you!
Hope you see this… I’m about 8-12 months from relocating; finally to somewhere I WANT to be vs tied down by birth and career! I’miss mid 40s and ready to start a new career and have held MB as a very distant 3rd or 4th pick after NYC, Daytona Beach, and possibly Miami. NYC owns my heart but come on man, the cost of living there is OUTRAGEOUS!! SOOOOOoooo, there’s goes pick #1. My 2nd pick is my all time favorite, Daytona Beach but that adds a little more distance from my Indiana family. Therefore, MB comes in as my #3 and seemingly most viable option….although I’ve always seen MB as a smaller version of Daytona. Tell me this: 1) What is winter like and what I mean is just how “bad” is Dec-Feb compared to a location further south such as Daytona/Orlando 2) What careers are actually growing in MB 3) Have the average, median homes fallen victim to neighbor deterioration 4) Where are the NON tourists beaches located @MB???? My favorite part of Daytona is actually a small, old time beach town named Flagler Beach….completely empty beaches and no big box stores and no hotels with ONLY mom/pop stores. Where @MB do you find this setting???
I’m leaning towards Orlando/Lake Mary mostly because of climate. MB they say is chilly but not usually freezing during winter days. I expect Orlando is a little chilly but not normally cold in winter. I was in St. Augustine, in northern FL on the beach in April one year and it was like summer, just not uncomfortable. I was on a fishing boat and got sun-poisoning. It was quite chilly at that time in PA.
I’d go to Florida that’s where I use to live and got dumb in the head and moved to M.B.
Hey Alice, did you ever move to Myrtle Beach? Considering that general area myself.
MB is starting to remind me of NJ. You get nickeled and dimed and taxed every step of every day. They even tax your car every year. Never heard of such a thing- not even in money grubbing NJ!
Myrtle Beach is a small city that thinks it’s big. The problem is that it’s so over-crowded now and they haven’t allowed for the increase of traffic. Rush hour is a nightmare, not to mention Tourist Season, and two bike weeks a year in the Summer. The city is geared for the tourists, and don’t allow enough residential parking at the Beach. They keep building more Condos, Apartments, and houses, without providing wider roads and highways. The crime rate is high too. We’ve lived here for about ten years now, and it’s really gone down a lot. I’ve never lived in such a filthy city, trash everywhere. So, it’s ok to visit, but do yourself a favor and look elsewhere for a place to live.
Don’t forget the constant tax increases and no public transport or infrastructure. The area is proud that they think the Civil War is still going that it’s an Independent Republic even GasPrices varying from the same company 2 blocks apart by as much as .20 cents a gallon. Walmart has taken away not only business but handicapped parking so Police can shop on Duty. That’s from a store manager. If they are transferring a prisoner from Walmart security they park on the sidewalk. Biometric tracking of your shopping is sold. I was on the phone with the fire marshal because they allowed the aisles to be blocked before Black Friday 2019 the greeter wearing a toy police cap & badge grabbed me told me he was going to arrest me because I refused to show my receipt. Our local Kroger stores have signs up stating if you don’t want your purchases examined don’t enter the store. MB is now the 2nd highest place to live in SC Hilton Head #1. As soon as my lawsuit against a driver that hit me while DUI is done next month leaving and not looking back. The medical care has become a nightmare even my Dr wants to leave when his contract is up. 1 practice has 19 Nurse practioners supervised by 1 MD. Friends allergies cleared after 3 months by going to a convention in Arizona. Now they think his nose is going to require surgery but second opinion from a Doctor at Duke said move away from this place & he’ll be fine. Missed a kidney stone with another as drug seeker he required emergency surgery, another diagnosed her as sleep apnea actually a brain tumor. They thought she didn’t have insurance reality she’s a millionaire. Shut her business and moved to Boston for treatment @ Harvard. Plus don’t forget the road fees that they never have an announcement of use because the roads are horrible.
Snakes, palmetto bugs and about 5 kinds of cockroaches. Not to mention the spiders as big as a man’s hand. Gimme Colorado!
If my memory is correct, you can get a Babb home built for $175,000 with 3-4 brms and 1.5-2 baths.
Hi, my husband and I are going to be moving down to Myrtle Beach to retire. We are thinking about the Palmetto Point Apts. Do you know anything about that area? Thankyou, Beverly
Hi Beverly – I researched the Palmetto Pointe apartments online but never visited them. I live in the Alexan Withers Apartments and absolutely love it. I do have a co-worker who lives in Palmetto Pointe and he says it is nice.
I lived in them when they were first being built. They’re a low income housing area. If you can afford it buy a condo in one of the near by neighborhoods. You’ll be happier for it.
I have been living in Palmetto Pointe Apartment Homes for 13 years and I love it. However, it is becoming quite congested …………….many more housing developments and apartment complexes have been built since I first moved here from NY. And there are appr. 26 police officers who live in the complex so it is quite safe.
Allegies?? The beach works wonders for my seasonal allergies. I remember being in a parking garage and there was that yellow pollen everywhere, not one sneeze or itchy eyes. The closer I got to Columbia, SC (the middle to the State) it got worse. Guess it depends on the person and they type of allergies.
Thank you for your insight! We moved there 18 months ago and have the same pros and cons, except no allergies! My pet peeve is the trash along the roads! Are people idiots? Find a fricking trash can already!
Hi Judy – I appreciate you reading my blog post! I agree with you 100% on the roads! They are like junk yards haha.
We lived in Surfside Beach for 10 years a great place! The Grand Strand has way too many people in such a small area. Myrtle Beach did a survive on people relocating there, and found out they only stay an average of 3-5 years and then return to where they came from
Thanks for reading, Kenny. I am a big fan of Surfside Beach myself. Where do you live now?
Hi. Thinking of moving there also, hearing some bad things about employment. Is it true ? Or is just the pay scale bad?
Well I came down here with a job so I never really “tested the market.” I think salaries are actually competitive and that is a good thing because cost of living is less down here than other places around the country.
Hi, I too am moving to South Carolina. Reading your blog has me concerned about crime and employment.
I am on Disability, but my son will be looking for general employment and hopes to become an X-Ray Tech.
Any info on the market for that type of work/schooling?
Is the crime as bad as your readers have indicated?
I’m actually trying to do some traveling for a few months and was just course if this is a good area this time of year to camp?
Hi Alexis – Yes it is.
Hi Brent – thanks for the insight. My husband and I and two children are relocating from the ‘burbs of Chicago soon. He just landed a job where he can work from home from anywhere. My in laws are already down there, and it has been a dream of ours to move away from the brutal winters of Chicago and live near the beach (live where you vacation, right?) Do you know anything about the schools there? Research has shown some have super high ratings, but being a school teacher myself, I know there are more factors involved than a grade on a real estate site. Don’t know if you still update this page, but stumbled across it in my research of the area. Thanks much!
My husband and I are also planning on moving to SC. I want Myrtle Beach but after reading these posts, I am not so sure. We will be there the week of May 7th and I have a bunch of properties to look at. How is the crime in Conway, Mullins, and Tabor City? We are from Maine and am just so sick of snow and measuring the accumulation of snow in feet instead of inches! I have been the manager of a credit union branch office for 20 years, my husband is a logger by trade but has several other qualifications such as operating heavy equipment, truck driving and mechanic work. We are only in our early 50’s so we will need to work a little longer. Are we taking on more than we can chew or do we just bite the bullet and go anyway? lol Thanks for any help you can give.
Debbie Berry
Hi Debbie,
I stumbled upon this blog myself and thought I’d put in some feedback. I moved down to Myrtle Beach from NY 13 years ago after losing my job up there and having retired parents down here. The crime rate in Myrtle Beach is high because it’s considered a transient city; people are either tourists or people who move here for a short time and then move on to another location. The closer to the tourist areas you go (the beach and around Ocean Blvd.) the higher the crime rates. You’ll find in the residential areas it’s lower.
As for employment, it’s mostly a tourist town. So many places only hire seasonal workers and lay them off after Labor Day. There isn’t any industry; it’s mostly hospitality, health care, and retail. And you’ll find that the pay scale is about half of what it is up North. Unless you’re in Sales or a profession other than what I stated earlier.
I’m in my late 40’s and just purchased a home; there is a huge housing boom going on. But unfortunately, that also means a lot of deforestation and a lot more traffic to deal with.
Don’t know if any of that helps, but let me know if you have any other questions.
Paula
Went to MB on a vacation and fell in love with it. We are thinking of moving there from Las Vegas. Also looking at Conway. I am concerned about the employment situation. Any insight on both places would be a great help.
Debbie, we are from Ohio and moved to SC 8 years ago. We are in our late 50s now and live in Conway and drive 45-65 minutes to our jobs in Florence. I don’t see any reason why both you and your spouse could not find employment here. There is a lot of logging and we have banks and credit unions as much as anywhere else. We feel as though our “northern” work ethic has given us an advantage and we’ve done well here. I’m familiar with the crime stats but just don’t see it. It’s never affected us. We appreciate the climate and do not regret our decision to relocate from Ohio.
So encourage to read your post. We are in Ohio, upper 50s, and getting ready to perhaps take the plunge and move to Little River area. Do you have ant insights please?
I had started a thread for newcomers and hopefuls to MB around 2011 on a website. It ran for 9 months and everyone there advised avoiding Conway (as well as MB city and one other beach town I can’t remember). If Conway is now desirable, what’s changed and when?
Thank you all for the great information. I am moving to Murrells Inlet and found this site very helpful…
I really enjoyed reading this, You have a lot of great information. I found a great home in Murrells Inlet http://www.drhorton.com/South-Carolina/Myrtle-Beach/Murrells-Inlet/Lakeshore and i am really looking forward to it. Thanks again
My husband and I have always loved the beach. We vacation mostly at Myrtle beach and have always loved it. We currently live in Virginia in a small town and that is all I have ever known. I grew up here. I always think I’m the back of my mind there has to be something more than this. Before we are to old we are thinking about moving to Myrtle beach but we have 3 small kids and are worried about the crime rate. It has to be a lot more than what we deal with here. So with that being said it has kept us from leaving our home in Va to what we have dreamed of. Any suggestions anyone can give would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Jamie! We are in a similar situation but here in Illinois. We have 2 kids who are 4 and 7. I think I commented awhile ago but not sure if I got a response about schools, crime, etc. Your situation sounds most similar to ours. I know we’ve gone back and forth on it as well, so I totally understand what you guys are going through.
We had to homeschool our son as have a number of families. The schools are way behind no matter what they say. Plus I did not want my son forced by the teacher to pray to Allah, as she was doing in a Blue Ribbon School
Wow-unbelievable
My friends have lived in Carolina Farms for about 5 years and I don’t think they regret it.. They have two girls age 5 and 10. Not sure if the live in MB but their mailing address is in MB.
Hello All,
I moved here a year ago from RI, and the weather is great but living in Carolina Forest is a traffic nightmare. Not to mention there have been multiple break-ins to vehicles and homes. There is a lot of crime and sex trafficking on the news. I miss the small town feel we are used to. On a more positive note, there is plenty to do.
Crime rate is considerably higher than 2 years ago. Constantly accosted by pan handlers, reminds be of the 8th ave area in NYC in the 80’s. The county council just raised property taxes and we have less police than 10 years ago. Our homeowners & auto insurance have increased by 18-23%. It took my son 1400 applications to get 4 interviews and 1 job offer @$8.00 hour 12-20 hours a week. More restaraunts have closed & the few chain/franchise ones are meant for tourists. Road expansion is supposed to start soon but tax was raised 1% on everything claiming tourists would pay it. The NC & GA beaches are cleaner and larger.
Unless you are independently wealthy a minimum wage job with no or little benefits is what you are looking at. Also the nightclubs and non-tourist things are gone. Even most golf courses are shuttered. Major chains that just built are pulling out. It’s not the nice rose colored glass place others have painted it. What you don’t read or see is the real truth.
I have no reason to not believe wholeheartedly: minimum wage today = slavery when it was legal. My exception was when I made only $2/hr from my home day care so could only pay $1/hr.
I totally agree with what you say. We moved from Ohio to MB, our #1 destination, where we honeymooned 35 years ago and where we brought our family for 20 years, in January 2018. We now live in a different state and honestly couldn’t be more grateful the 6 months ran out on our apartment. The local government is corrupt, the building industry is corrupt, and for goodness sake, the K&W’s are closed. Run. Run any place but do not run to MB.
My husband and I are looking for a suitable place to retire. Not sure we are ready for Florida yet, but definitely someplace near the water. All of the information on this site has been helpful. Very concerned about the most recent comments though. Anyone out there still happy about living in the Myrtle Beach area? If so, why?
From everything I’ve read, MB is not the place for us. Love the choices of homes, but very concerned about the quality of life there. I guess we’ll keep looking in other areas.
Is it a matter of being able to find a nice area to live in but not able to avoid bad areas while eating out, shopping, going to attractions, etc?
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Thanks for the list of pro’s and cons Brent, very interesting. My husband Jack and I bought a condo in North Myrtle Beach in 2011 and have been renting it out. We plan on retiring early and moving down there hopefully end of this year or early 2019. We have been going down twice a year since we owned the place and love it down there. We almost bought in Fort Lauderdale, but think we are happy with purchasing in Myrtle Beach and looking forward to moving there soon.
Thanks for a positive comment. My wife and I are looking at condos in North Myrtle as well. Want to rent it out and then retire there in 5 years. Any suggestions, nice complex’s, complexes to avoid? Or any other helpful hints because you’re further down our road? Thanks
Hi Jack,
Are you familiar with Myrtle Beach area? We bought near the Arcadia area and absolutely love it. We are close to everything, but our complex is very quiet. The place we bought in allows rentals, which helped pay our mortgage for the past seven years. We are walking distance to the beach as well, around 3 blocks. Where are you moving from?
Moving from Orange County NY… the place your living in sounds like the kinda complex I’m looking for… all the places right on the beach are obviously pretty costly. Glad to hear I’m looking at right spot to semi retire. My family has vacationed there for the past 5 years… love the area. Somebody told me Cherry Grove area is a nice spot… any additional comments are appreciated
Thanks
Jack,
Check out these condos.
http://www.c21theharrelsongroup.com/dunes-pointe-condos/
Love this place…
How hard is it to actually get a job and keep it year round? I’m considering moving to myrtle beach at some point. I love the beach and would love to live where I vacation.
Very difficult. Been here 2 years, have a job but employment market sucks here. I have no reason to lie. I’m an optimistic person. The job market here SUCKS.
The job market is grueling and the pay scale is low. I’ve been here two years. I hold a BS and I have many years of work experience- but that doesn’t mean much in MB.
If you’re a “normal” non-retired person, meaning you need to make more than $20,000 a year, don’t move here without a job. I’m doing you a favor here DON’T move here without a job. Been in MB/Carolina Forest about 3 years. Came with a job paying about 50 a year, had to leave to help family, and all I could find to replace it was a 23k annually job with an insurance company and I am thankful for it.
I’m a native and would really like to experience something other than a beach town. All beach towns are pretty much the same; service industry jobs, low pay, high cost of living (relatively speaking). Everything is centered around and caters to the tourists and retirees. No real sense of community. In the past we had the beach, but now with all of the traffic, even getting to the beach is difficult. I hate how the retirees all plant palm trees in their yards in an effort to turn what was once a good place to live into their perception of paradise. This isn’t Cancun. The developers are buying up everything and building these low quality homes everywhere. Makes it very difficult for locals to afford decent housing. These developments all look like upscale trailer parks, except the trailers are square not rectangular. Time to go!
My brother moved into one of my condos in Myrtle Beach. He got a retirement job as a segway tour guide and loves it. The crime is high, the government corrupt, and summers have brutal heat with crazy tourists. All of which hasn’t affected my brother. The cost of living is low and the beach is beautiful. Things may change when more people retire there and demand cleaning the place up.
Me and my husband Jack just moved to Myrtle Beach two weeks ago. We have owned a condo down here for seven years, and were finally able to retire early (mid-fifties) and move down here permanently. We absolutely love it, as we knew we would. The cost of living in taxes are a lot cheaper than where we moved from, Buffalo New York, plus we will not have to put up with a poodle Buffalo Winters any longer. I read that Myrtle Beach is the seventh largest growing city in the United States right now.
I’m also thinking of relocating from buffalo. Looking for a beach condo
Segways and other electric scooters I.e. Hoverrounds etc… were just made illegal to park in MB City. 100,000 housing units have been approved along with tax increases and water increases. But NO ADDITIONS TO INFRASTRUCTURE. The corruption is the worst I’ve ever seen or heard of. Also in the county you’re fire insurance ISO rating is 5 that’s the lowest number you can go. The Director of Emergency Management is trying to retire but is being held up due to the Administrator quitting for being a whistleblower on bribery. The dDirector of public safety left for better pay and the assistant director was terminated this past Monday for irregularities in finance at his previous job in Mississippi. The J1 students are taking the few jobs that we’re entry level. Also the housing being built resembles the 1970’s Jim Walther’s Homes quality (google it).
As of 1 July 2019 the City increased the sales tax and the county will be following soon. Friends are selling their houses after moving from the North at losses in order to go either to Florida or return North. The Grand Strand can’t decide if it wants to be a retirement or tourist destination. I’ve spoken at length with the largest property owners in the area and they are selling land off to purchase in the mountains Pigeon Forge, TN etc. These are people that have owned majority of the land for 140 years. Don’t buy a timeshare we have 17 lawyers specializing in getting people out of timeshare contracts. Also it will be expensive to get flood insurance and wind and hail. Figure that into your financial system.
High crime, homeless all over the boardwalk, highly corrupt local government, which means a corrupt police department too, high sales tax (I buy everything in N.Y. and bring it with me), low, low wages, crappy jobs with no benefits, idiots who can’t drive coupled with high road rage, any redneck fool can and does own a gun they can conceal it too, tons of religious racists, did I mention the traffic..I love NY.
We have concealed carry firearms because they’re needed. Police have NO duty to protect you. Supreme Court rulings several times. Go in the 3rd ave South area tranny hookers. The place reminds me of 1970’80’s Times Square in NY.
Also STOP asking where the Pavilion is from your childhood
It CLOSED several years ago.
I read MB is the fastest growing city on the East Coast. I’d like to live there but don’t want to see any snakes, so it’s going to have to be either a complex or have a snake fence.
Well, I currently live in Colorado, so I love the price of housing in MB and of course, the beach. I am looking to buy my future retirement home in North Myrtle Beach. Plan to rent out until then. Little River is my sweet spot. I need to be super close to the beach, if not beach front, but very nterested in living on a marina. I would love thoughts on Harbourgate, I recently discovered, or any other suggestions of marina areas. Wherever I land, it must be on water in some way. I need to be able to make good rental income, so there’s that…Thanks!