The beach life is a dream for some people, but it can come true in Myrtle Beach. It is a true paradise for the lucky ones that live here.
Has living in a concrete jungle become depressing for you, and once-a-year beach vacations just don’t cut it anymore? Life in the big city has its perks, but in the long run, is it worth it? Do you feel like you’re missing out on what you really want out of life by sitting behind a desk, working under a cranky boss, and dreaming about your next day off?
What if you could have both—an exciting job and a beautiful place to live? Sound like your ideal life? Then Myrtle Beach might be the perfect place for you. From epic nightlife to unbeatable beaches and gorgeous weather, this area has it all. There are also intriguing job opportunities, making Myrtle Beach an ideal place for living a vacation lifestyle.
Myrtle Beach is the best place to live in South Carolina and is also among the fastest-growing cities. The city is well known for its 60-mile beach, also called the Grand Strand, top-class celebrity-designed golf courses, arcades, souvenir stands, and restaurants along the beachfront boardwalk.
There are also classic amusement parks for families, including the 187-foot tall SkyWheel. Apart from the leisure activities, the city has a lot of job opportunities, and the Myrtle Beach real estate market is affordable. Keep scrolling to find out more about this amazing place.
Home Prices, Rents, and Rental Income
When it comes to relocating to a new place, the first question that comes to mind is “How expensive is it?” The good news is that property prices in Myrtle Beach are reasonable by most standards. It doesn’t matter if you are moving permanently or buying a vacation home for your family, the investment is going to make a return multiplied by a few times.
The median home price in the area is roughly $170,000, and the average price is $156,000 in recent years. The investment is a relative bargain for locals, and the area is in the cheaper neighborhood of the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach metro area.
The average rent is around $1100 dollars a month on an apartment in Myrtle Beach. For a one-bedroom home, the rent goes down to 900 dollars a month. But two- or three-bedroom apartments are more common in the area.
The rental income in these properties varies from 20,000 to 40,000 dollars a year depending on the neighborhood, facilities, and other amenities that come with the house. The season is also a very important factor that affects the rental incomes if you prefer renting when you’re not there. The busier the season, the more money you’ll make. What could be a better investment than a vacation house that pays you?
Lower Taxes: South Carolina has a lower tax rate, seven percent to be exact, than the rest of the country. The state is the eighth-lowest out of the fifty states. If you are considering buying a property, there’s more good news for you. The average home in the city has a tax bill of only 0.5 percent compared to nationwide 1.1 percent. You may start searching catalogs for interior design ideas with all the money you will be saving. You can even make your own backyard pool for the kids if you don’t have it already.
Employment Opportunities: Since the place is a popular vacation destination, it offers a higher number of job opportunities for those who are eager to work in the tourism and hospitality industry. Even if you don’t work in these industries, there are plenty of other jobs to choose from. The average annual salary in Myrtle Beach is around $37,000, and the unemployment rate is just 4 percent which is 0.7 percent lower than the national average. Apart from jobs, the place also offers several incentives for startup businesses, propagating the low-income taxes. All these benefits make Myrtle Beach an ideal place to start your business.
Healthcare facilities: We get it, moving to a new place is exceptionally stressful. Moreover, sometimes it takes time for people to adjust to a new environment and weather. Myrtle Beach has three outstanding hospital systems serving the city—Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, Georgetown Hospital System, and Mcleod Health. All these hospitals have top-of-the-line services with multiple satellite facilities for emergencies and special services. There are also several nursing homes and assisted living facilities that provide rehabilitation care as well. The city’s hospitals are equipped with everything to meet your needs. It doesn’t matter what level of care you need, the area’s healthcare system will be there for you.
Cost of Living: A lower cost of living means you have more money in your pocket to spend on yourself. The cost of living in Myrtle Beach is seven percent lower than the national average. Houses in the city are 30 percent lower than in the other states, and utility prices are 18 percent less than in other states. Transportation expenses like bus fare and gas prices are eight percent lower than the national average. If you are a foodie then it might upset you a bit that the grocery prices are three percent higher, but you are still getting lower prices in a lot of other utilities to make up for it. Healthcare costs are more or less the same compared to most other states in the country.
Education: Myrtle Beach has exceptional educational opportunities. The quality of the schools is always a consideration for parents when moving, and Myrtle Beach has great public, private, parochial, and charter institutions providing plenty of options. High school graduates can pursue higher studies locally with two universities, a technical college, and several trade schools.
Schools in Myrtle Beach have been in the spotlight for a long time for their exceptional performances and contributions to the community. Loris Elementary School was praised for its innovative use of personalized digital learning for which they were featured in the Google Hangout with the White House, while Whittemore Park Middle School has been in the national spotlight for its blended learning environment.
Higher education in Myrtle Beach offers a multitude of opportunities for reevaluating and educational advancement with a variety of degrees and certification programs. The programs also come with internship opportunities at top companies in the country.
Weather: Are you a summer person or a winter one? If you hate shoveling snow in the winter, then you will be glad to know that summer lasts as long as seven to eight months in Myrtle Beach. Yes, you heard that right. Myrtle Beach has a mild climate throughout the year. The city enjoys abundant sunshine all year round. The sunny climate, soothing warm temperatures, and the Atlantic waters make this area one of the most popular tourist cities on the East Coast. Summer thunderstorms are common in the hot season, with average daytime highs from 82°F to 91°F. The temperature goes down to 69°F at night. The weather is truly as blissful as it sounds.
Attractions: The city’s beach is a 60-mile long playground of sand, sun, and the sparkling Atlantic Ocean. The fun extends beyond the shores to thousands of activities and attractions around the city. Ripley’s Aquarium, WonderWorks Myrtle Beach, adventures in the Pirate’s Voyage, the 187-foot SkyWheel, and the Brookgreen Garden are some of the most hyped sites to visit in the city.
The hospitality of the locals: Southerners are famously welcoming. It’s no wonder that around 15 million tourists come to this place every year. Human beings are a social species, and it is actually the people that make the difference. People are what makes a community great and the place habitable. Their warm hospitality is going to melt your heart and will make you not want to ever leave.
Restaurants: The boardwalk of Grand Strand is surrounded by hundreds of restaurants and cafes with thousands of culinary options. The most popular is seafood, which is fresh from the ocean, but there is something to suit every taste. Aspen Grille, Bistro 90, and Brentwood Restaurant are among the favorites in town.