Moving to Georgetown, SC: Living in Georgetown Guide

Georgetown is South Carolina’s third-oldest city and the county seat of Georgetown County. It sits on Winyah Bay where four rivers meet, with live oak-lined streets, a working harbor, a waterfront Harborwalk and more than 60 structures on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2018, USA Today named it “America’s Best Coastal Small Town.”

Georgetown suits people who want history and small-town character with real affordability: retirees, remote workers, boaters, and families who want a slower pace between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. Home values and rents run well below the county and state medians, and the beaches of Pawleys Island and Litchfield are a short drive up the Waccamaw Neck. The city is also going through an economic shift after its paper mill closed in 2024, which is worth understanding before you move.

Planning a move to Georgetown? Call our NC & SC team at 910-758-0081 or get your price online.

Where Is Georgetown?

Georgetown is on the South Carolina coast, at the head of Winyah Bay where the Black, Great Pee Dee, Waccamaw and Sampit rivers come together. Four U.S. highways meet in the center of town: US-17, US-17A, US-521 and US-701.

Distances by road:

Charleston: about 60 miles southwest on US-17, roughly an hour’s drive
Myrtle Beach: about 34 miles northeast on US-17, roughly 45 minutes
Conway: about 36 miles north on US-701
Sumter: about 82 miles northwest on US-521
Columbia: about 124 miles

For commercial flights, most residents use Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), which advertises more than 50 nonstop destinations on 10 airline partners, or Charleston’s airport to the south. Georgetown County Airport, about three nautical miles south of downtown, is a general aviation field with no scheduled airline service.

Georgetown was laid out in 1729 by Elisha Screven in a four-by-eight block grid. That original grid is still there, with its original street names and lot numbers, and it is listed as a historic district on the National Register.

Georgetown Population & Demographics

Georgetown is a small city whose population has slipped slightly in recent decades. It had 8,950 residents in 2000, 9,163 in 2010 and 8,403 at the 2020 Census. The latest Census survey estimate is 8,565. Georgetown County as a whole is larger and growing, with 63,404 residents at the 2020 Census.

Measure (ACS 2020–2024)	City of Georgetown	Georgetown County	South Carolina
Population	8,565	64,811	5,296,225
Population (2020 Census)	8,403	63,404	—
Median age	46.3	52.2	40.2
Residents 65 and older	28.3%	30.7%	—
Median household income	$56,981	$68,713	$69,324
Per capita income	$31,035	$44,163	$39,236
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25+)	22.1%	32.8%	32.1%
Owner-occupied homes	71.6%	84.0%	71.9%
Persons below poverty line	21.9%	15.0%	14.1%
Mean travel time to work	22.6 min	29.1 min	25.6 min

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, via Census Reporter; decennial Census counts via Wikipedia.

The city and the county are quite different. The county includes the Waccamaw Neck beach communities of Pawleys Island, Litchfield and Murrells Inlet, and it has an older population and higher incomes overall. The city has a younger median age, lower household incomes and a higher poverty rate than the county. At the 2020 Census, 52.1% of city residents identified as Black or African American and 41.0% as white.

Is Georgetown Safe?

We did not find a reliable, recent crime data source for Georgetown that we would feel comfortable quoting. Inside city limits, the Georgetown Police Department handles law enforcement; outside the city, it’s the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office. As with any city, conditions vary by block. Talk to the police department’s non-emergency line about a specific area, and spend time in a neighborhood on a weeknight and a weekend before you commit.

Cost of Living in Georgetown

Home Prices

Georgetown is one of the most affordable coastal cities in South Carolina. The Census Bureau puts the median value of owner-occupied homes in the city at $168,100 (2020–2024), about half the U.S. median of $332,700 and well below the Georgetown County median of $289,500 and the state median of $259,000.

Recent sales in the wider 29440 ZIP code, which includes neighborhoods outside city limits, run higher. Redfin reports a median sale price of $351,462 for the three months ending August 2026, down 3.0% from a year earlier. There were 97 sales, homes spent a median of 73 days on the market, and they typically sold for about 4% below list price. That is a buyer-friendly market, especially for patient shoppers.

Rent

Rent is a big draw. The median gross rent in the city is $780 a month (2020–2024), compared with $1,204 across Georgetown County, $1,180 statewide and $1,413 nationally. Start looking early, since a small city has a limited number of rentals at any one time.

Best Neighborhoods in Georgetown

Historic District

The original 1729 grid near the waterfront is Georgetown’s showpiece, with homes that date back two centuries or more, oak-canopied streets such as East Bay Street, and an easy walk to Front Street and the Harborwalk. It suits buyers who love old houses and want to walk to dinner. Expect older systems, higher maintenance and design review: the city has an Architectural Review Board, so check what approvals you need before changing a home’s exterior.

Neighborhoods Outside City Limits

The 29440 ZIP code reaches well beyond the city into unincorporated Georgetown County. Homes out here can come with bigger lots and a quieter setting, and they suit families and buyers who want space with a short drive into town. Check whether a home is inside or outside city limits, since services, utilities and taxes differ, and confirm which elementary school serves the address.

Waccamaw Neck (Pawleys Island and Litchfield)

Many people who work or shop in Georgetown live up the Waccamaw Neck, the coastal strip that includes Pawleys Island, Litchfield, DeBordieu and Murrells Inlet. You get beaches, golf and a higher price point. DeBordieu is a gated community, and condos line much of the Litchfield shore. This area suits retirees and second-home buyers who want the beach first and Georgetown’s history nearby.

Weather & Climate

Georgetown has a humid subtropical climate. Normals for Georgetown County Airport (NOAA 1991–2020):

January: average high 58.6°F, average low 37.0°F
July: average high 91.1°F, average low 72.5°F
Rainfall: about 55.4 inches a year; July is the wettest month at 7.09 inches, and June through September each get more than 5 inches

Georgetown knows hurricanes well. In September 1989, Hurricane Hugo made landfall south of the city, and its winds and river storm surge flooded and damaged Georgetown and nearby areas. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks around September 10, according to the National Hurricane Center. Homes near the rivers and bay can flood from both storm surge and heavy rain, so check flood zones and insurance before you buy.

Best time to move: March through May and late October through early December offer milder weather and fewer storms. Summer highs above 90°F make early-morning starts a must.

Things to Do in Georgetown

The Harborwalk and Front Street

Georgetown’s Harborwalk is the downtown waterfront promenade, an easy stroll from the historic homes, with shops and restaurants along Front Street. It is the center of downtown life, and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce is right on Front Street, too.

Downtown Museums

For a small city, Georgetown has a lot of museums: the Kaminski House Museum, the Rice Museum, the South Carolina Maritime Museum, the Georgetown County Museum and the Gullah Museum. The Georgetown County Museum covers nearly 300 years of local history, from the indigo boom through the rice era, when the county was among the wealthiest in the country, to the timber and paper years.

Hobcaw Barony

Just across the bay on the Waccamaw Neck, Hobcaw Barony is a 16,000-acre research reserve with more than 70 cultural sites, including the Baruch family homes. It offers guided tours of two to three hours and a Discovery Center. It is one of the few undeveloped tracts left on the Neck.

Hopsewee Plantation

Built around 1740, Hopsewee was one of the South’s major rice plantations and the birthplace of Thomas Lynch Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Guided house tours last about 50 minutes, and there is also a museum on the lives of the people enslaved there.

Georgetown Light and Winyah Bay

On North Island at the entrance to Winyah Bay, the Georgetown Light is a brick lighthouse first built in 1812 and raised to 87 feet in 1867. It is part of the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve, and because it stands on an island, plan on seeing it from the water.

Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge

The refuge’s visitor center sits just north of Georgetown on US-701 at Yauhannah, overlooking the Great Pee Dee River. The refuge has nature trails, a boardwalk, a mountain biking trail and paddling routes, with more than 200 bird species recorded.

Where to Eat in Georgetown

Buzz’s Roost

Buzz’s Roost serves seafood, hand-cut steaks and sandwiches in a casual, family-friendly setting, with an outdoor patio overlooking the Harborwalk. It pours local Winyah Bay Brewing Co. beer and is open daily from 11am.

Thomas Cafe

At 703 Front Street, Thomas Cafe has been a downtown institution for more than 75 years. It serves traditional Southern breakfast and lunch to a loyal crowd of locals and is exactly the kind of place to learn about your new town.

Front Street Deli

Front Street Deli, at 809 Front Street in the historic district, has been serving lunch for more than two decades. It is open Monday through Saturday for lunch and also caters events.

Jobs & Economy

Georgetown’s economy has reinvented itself several times. According to the Georgetown County Museum, indigo brought the first wealth, rice made the county one of the richest in the nation by the 1850s, and timber took over after the Civil War. International Paper opened a large mill here in 1936 and remained the county’s largest employer until the mill closed in 2024. The city’s steel mill has also closed and reopened several times over the years.

Today the port and tourism are major pillars. Georgetown is the second-largest seaport in South Carolina after Charleston, handling more than 960,000 tons of material a year. Heritage tourism supports much of the downtown retail. Countywide, accommodation and food services is the largest industry by employment, with about 4,463 jobs (18.4% of the total). Other large employers in the county include AGRU, Food Lion, ScribeAmerica and Walmart.

If you’re relocating for work, it is a good idea to line up a job before you move, since the local job market is smaller than in Charleston or Myrtle Beach.

Schools in Georgetown

Georgetown is served by the Georgetown County School District, led by Superintendent Dr. Bethany Giles since 2024. Schools in and around the city include:

High school: Georgetown High School
Middle school: Georgetown Middle School
Elementary: Kensington, Maryville, McDonald and Sampit elementary schools, plus Brown’s Ferry Elementary School for the Creative and Performing Arts
Charter: Coastal Montessori Charter School

Check school assignments by address with the district before you buy. For higher education, Horry-Georgetown Technical College has a Georgetown Campus at 4003 South Fraser Street, and HGTC offers more than 65 degree and certificate programs across its campuses.

Georgetown Quick Facts

County	Georgetown County (county seat)
Founded	Laid out in 1729
ZIP codes	29440, 29442
Area code	843
Population (2020 Census)	8,403
Area	7.5 square miles (6.9 land)
Main highways	US-17, US-17A, US-521, US-701
Nearest commercial airport	Myrtle Beach International (MYR); Charleston to the south
Local airport	Georgetown County Airport (GGE), general aviation
School district	Georgetown County School District

Moving to Georgetown: Tips From Our Crew

Watch the oaks. The historic district’s live oaks are beautiful, but low limbs and narrow streets can be tricky for moving trucks. Tell us your address early so we can check the route and bring the right size truck.
Plan around downtown events. Festivals and events on Front Street can close streets and fill up parking. Check the city’s events calendar before you pick a moving day.
Protect old floors and staircases. Historic homes often have narrow staircases, tight turns and original wood floors. We pad doorways and floors, and we’ll plan how big pieces go in before the truck is unloaded.
Check flood risk carefully. Homes near the Sampit, the Black River and Winyah Bay can flood from storm surge and heavy rain. If a storm is heading in on your moving date, we’ll help you reschedule, and there is never a rescheduling fee.
Know the rental rules. The city requires a permit for short-term rentals. If you plan to rent out a room or a second home, check the rules before you buy.
Beat the heat. July highs average above 90°F. Schedule summer moves for early morning and have air conditioning running at the new house.
Use storage for renovations. Historic home projects often run long. Our storage service can hold furniture while contractors finish.

Frequently Asked Questions About Moving to Georgetown

How much does it cost to hire movers in Georgetown?

It depends on the size of your home, the distance, packing, and access at both ends, like narrow historic staircases, long carries or waterfront docks. A local move within Georgetown County is priced very differently from a long-distance move. For an exact number, call 910-758-0081 for a free quote. An owner will call you back, typically within 15 minutes between 8am and 8pm.

Is Georgetown, SC affordable?

Yes, especially inside city limits. The Census Bureau puts the city’s median home value at $168,100 and median rent at $780, far below the Georgetown County medians of $289,500 and $1,204. Recent sales across the wider 29440 ZIP run higher, with a Redfin median of $351,462 for the three months ending August 2026.

How far is Georgetown from the beach?

The beaches at Pawleys Island and Litchfield are a short drive northeast on US-17, across the rivers on the Waccamaw Neck. Huntington Beach State Park near Murrells Inlet is a little farther up the road. Myrtle Beach is about 34 miles away.

Is Georgetown a good place to retire?

Many retirees choose the area. Georgetown County’s median age is 52.2, and 30.7% of residents are 65 or older. The city offers history, walkability downtown and low housing costs, while the Waccamaw Neck offers beaches and golf. Budget for flood insurance if you’re near the water.

Do you handle long-distance moves to Georgetown?

Yes. Our Georgetown movers handle long-distance moves with a binding estimate, so your price never changes after you book. You get your own dedicated truck, the same W-2 crew door to door and a guaranteed delivery date. Military families save 5%.

Move to Georgetown With A & M Friendly Movers

A & M Friendly Movers has been family-owned since 2015. Our crews are background-checked, drug-tested W-2 employees, never subcontractors. With our Owner’s Promise, you talk to an owner, not a call center. If anything is damaged, an owner calls you the same day, and claims are resolved in 60–90 days. We handle packing and unpacking, pianos and safes, office moves and military moves. See how our Georgetown moving crew can help, or call our NC & SC team at 910-758-0081.

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