Moving to Loris, SC: Living in Loris Guide

Loris is a small railroad town in the northwest corner of Horry County, about 24 miles by road from North Myrtle Beach and 7 miles from Tabor City, North Carolina, across the state line. It has a walkable downtown of local shops, a community hospital, its own schools from elementary through high school, and a festival the local chamber says draws more than 35,000 people: the Loris Bog-Off, a whole day built around a pot of chicken bog.

Loris suits people who want a real small town with lower home prices than the coast. Retirees, families who want a yard and a short drive to school, hospital employees, and anyone who works in Conway, Tabor City or the North Strand and doesn’t mind the commute all find a good fit here. The trade-off is distance. The beach, the airport and most big-box shopping are 30 to 60 minutes away, and the local job base is small.

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

Where Is Loris?

Loris sits in northern Horry County on the Atlantic coastal plain, at an elevation of about 95 feet. It was founded in 1887 as a stop on the Wilmington, Chadbourn and Conway Railroad, and the city says it was incorporated on July 26, 1902, with a town limit of just a one-mile radius. U.S. Route 701 runs through town toward Conway to the south and Tabor City to the north, and Main Street is SC-9 Business. SC-9 heads east toward Longs and the North Strand.

Approximate driving distances from downtown Loris:

Tabor City, NC: about 7 miles, roughly 11 minutes
Conway: about 20 miles, roughly 33 minutes
Little River: about 24 miles, roughly 37 minutes
North Myrtle Beach: about 24 miles, roughly 36 minutes
Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR): about 35 miles, just under an hour
Wilmington, NC: about 72 miles, roughly 1 hour 40 minutes
Charleston, SC: about 118 miles, roughly 2 hours 50 minutes
Columbia, SC: about 148 miles, roughly 3 hours

Drive times come from OpenStreetMap routing and don’t include summer beach traffic. Twin City Airport near Loris serves light aircraft only, so Myrtle Beach International is the closest airport with airline service. The Coast RTA bus system also serves Loris.

Loris Population & Demographics

Loris is small and steady. The 2020 Census counted 2,449 residents, up from 2,396 in 2010. The Census Bureau’s newer American Community Survey estimate puts the city at about 2,645 people. The town skews older than the state, with a median age of 51.2. The surrounding 29569 ZIP code, which takes in the farms, crossroads and subdivisions around the city, is home to about 17,800 people, so the Loris area is much bigger than the city limits suggest.

Measure (ACS 2020–2024)	Loris (city)	ZIP 29569	South Carolina	United States
Population	2,645	17,788	—	—
Population (2020 Census)	2,449	—	—	—
Median age	51.2	44.3	40.2	38.9
Residents 65 and older	22.0%	22.4%	18.9%	17.2%
Median household income	$36,899	$46,840	$69,324	$80,734
Per capita income	$29,597	$29,895	$39,236	$44,673
Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+)	16.9%	12.8%	32.1%	35.7%
Owner-occupied homes	55.7%	73.4%	71.9%	65.2%
Mean travel time to work	31.6 min	28.8 min	25.6 min	26.4 min

Sources: Census Reporter profiles (ACS 2024 5-year estimates) and the 2020 Census via Wikipedia. Small-town survey estimates carry wide margins of error, so treat the city column as a general picture.

A few more details: the city covers about 4.6 square miles of land with roughly 581 people per square mile, has about 1,160 households, and averages 2.2 people per household. The Census Bureau estimates a poverty rate of about 23% inside city limits and about 18% for the wider ZIP code. The long average commute tells you what many residents already know: a lot of people who live in Loris drive to Conway, the North Strand or North Carolina for work.

Is Loris Safe?

We did not find a recent, reliable crime report for Loris that we would feel comfortable quoting, and small-town numbers can swing a lot from one year to the next. Loris has its own police department inside city limits, while homes outside the city fall under the Horry County Police Department. The best approach is to call the department that covers your address, drive the street at night and on a weekend, and ask a few neighbors how they like it.

Cost of Living in Loris

Home Prices

Loris is one of the more affordable places to buy in Horry County. Zillow’s Home Value Index for Loris was about $255,122 in August 2026, up 2.0% from a year earlier. That is well below the South Carolina typical home value of about $306,323 and below nearby Longs (about $285,812) and Little River (about $322,487). Zillow’s index for the wider 29569 ZIP code was about $256,350.

The Census Bureau’s survey data shows the same pattern. The median value of an owner-occupied home is $214,300 in the city and $200,300 in the 29569 ZIP code (2020–2024), compared with $259,000 for South Carolina. Expect older homes near downtown and a mix of houses on larger rural lots in the county around Loris.

Rent

Inside city limits, about 44% of occupied homes are rented, a much higher share than the state average. Across the wider ZIP code, only about a quarter of homes are rentals. We could not find a reliable, current median rent figure for Loris itself, so check local listings and ask about the rental history of any home you are considering. Rentals in a town this size can come and go quickly, so start your search early.

Best Neighborhoods in Loris

Downtown and the Historic Core

The streets around Main Street, Broad Street, Railroad Avenue and Walnut Street are the heart of Loris. City Hall, the library, the chamber of commerce, small shops and local restaurants are all close together, and the Bog-Off and the Christmas parade happen right here. Homes are older, and lots are modest. This area suits people who want to walk to a cafe or a festival and don’t mind the upkeep that comes with an older house.

Near the Hospital and Schools

McLeod Health Loris, Loris Elementary on SC-9 Business, and Loris High on Loris Lions Road are all in or near town. The residential streets around them suit hospital staff, teachers and families who want a short drive to school and work. You will find a mix of older and newer homes, and you are only a few minutes from downtown and the grocery stores on Broad Street.

Rural Loris and the SC-9 and US-701 Corridors

Much of the 29569 ZIP code is farmland, woods and small crossroads communities, with homes on an acre or more along SC-9, US-701 and the country roads between them. Daisy Elementary on Red Bluff Road serves part of this area. It suits buyers who want space for a garden, a shop building, animals or a boat. The trade-off is longer drives, well-and-septic questions on some lots, and fewer neighbors close by.

Weather & Climate

Loris does not have its own long-term weather station, so we use NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for Conway, about 20 miles to the south. Like Conway, Loris is far enough inland that it misses most of the ocean breeze.

July: average high 90.8°F, average low 72.4°F
January: average high 58.1°F, average low 35.2°F
Wettest month: August, with 7.81 inches on average
Yearly precipitation: about 55.2 inches

Inland heat is real here. For comparison, Myrtle Beach averages only 21 days a year at 90°F or higher, while inland Florence averages 65. Loris falls on the hotter, inland side of that line, so summer moves are best started early in the morning.

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30 and peaks around September 10, according to the National Hurricane Center. Loris is too far inland for storm surge, but heavy tropical rain can flood low roads and swell creeks and the Waccamaw River for days after a storm passes. Check a home’s flood history before you buy.

Best months to move: March through May and October through early November. If you move in October, avoid the third Saturday, when the Bog-Off takes over downtown.

Things to Do in Loris

The Loris Bog-Off Festival

Held on the third Saturday in October (October 17 in 2026), the Bog-Off is the big day on the Loris calendar. The main event is a chicken bog cooking contest. Chicken bog is a Pee Dee dish of chicken, rice, sausage and spices. The Loris Chamber of Commerce says the festival draws more than 35,000 people, with two stages of live entertainment, more than 100 craft vendors, a car show and a children’s area.

Downtown Loris and The State Theatre

Downtown has a mix of family-owned shops, a bookstore run by the local newspaper, a florist, boutiques, a bakery and cafes. The State Theatre on Main Street hosts community events such as the chamber’s Loris Legacy Awards. Downtown also hosts National Night Out in early October, a Halloween event and the Loris Christmas Parade in December.

Small Town, Big Show

Each spring, the chamber’s Small Town, Big Show festival is held on the third Saturday in April. It is a judged show for cars, trucks, tractors and motorcycles and a good first event for newcomers who want to meet people in town.

Heniford Field and Loris Recreation

The City of Loris maintains the park at Heniford Field, with a children’s playground, picnic shelters, tennis courts and baseball and soccer fields. The Loris Recreation Department runs year-round youth and adult sports, including baseball, football, cheerleading, soccer and basketball. The city also rents out the Watson Park Community Room for events.

The Waccamaw River

The Waccamaw River, which runs through this part of Horry County, is the area’s big outdoor draw. Locals use it for fishing, boating, kayaking and water skiing, and the woods around Loris are popular during deer and duck seasons. When you want saltwater instead, the beaches of North Myrtle Beach are about 36 minutes away.

Where to Eat in Loris

Loris is not a big restaurant town, but locally owned spots downtown are where you will run into your neighbors. All three below are current members of the Loris Chamber of Commerce.

Fowler’s Grill of Loris

A locally owned grill at 4111 Broad Street in the middle of town. It is an easy stop between errands and a good first place to get a feel for Loris.

Ritchie’s General Store & Eatery

A general store and eatery at 4117 Main Street, in the downtown shopping block. The chamber lists it under restaurants, gift shops and catering, so it is handy for a quick meal or for feeding a crowd at a housewarming.

Shorty’s Grill

A small grill at 4115 Meeting Street, just off Main Street downtown. The chamber also lists it as a caterer, and it is a convenient spot for a casual lunch.

Other chamber-member restaurants include American Hero on Broad Street, Back Street Cafe on Walnut Street, Zabi’s Caribbean Flava on Main Street, El Patron and Panchito’s Villa for Mexican food, and Tokyo Express.

Jobs & Economy

The biggest local employer is health care. McLeod Health Loris opened as Loris Community Hospital on May 15, 1950, with 23 beds and joined McLeod Health on January 1, 2012. Today it has 50 patient beds and more than 120 physicians on its active and affiliate medical staff, representing more than 32 specialties. It is known for women’s services, general surgery, emergency care and urology, and it runs what McLeod calls the region’s largest comprehensive dialysis access center.

The Loris Chamber lists the Loris Commerce Center and local industrial employers including Moose Logistics & Distribution, Builders First Choice, Carolina Food Service of Loris, DMA Industries and Laudisi Enterprises. Horry County Schools and the City of Loris are also local employers.

For the wider county, the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation lists the largest employers as Horry County Schools (6,400 employees), Coastal Carolina University (2,700), Horry County Government (2,650), Conway Medical Center (1,800), McLeod Seacoast (1,700), Grand Strand Regional Medical Center (1,300), the City of Myrtle Beach (1,050) and Kyocera AVX (1,000). Conway, the county seat, is about 33 minutes from Loris.

Schools in Loris

Horry County Schools is the only public school district in the county. It has 58 schools in nine attendance areas and more than 47,000 students, making it South Carolina’s third-largest district. Loris is one of those nine attendance areas, so students here can attend school close to home from kindergarten through graduation:

Loris Elementary School: 901 SC-9 Business
Daisy Elementary School: 2801 Red Bluff Road
Loris Middle School: 5209 SC-66
Loris High School: 301 Loris Lions Road

Attendance zones follow your street address, not the ZIP code, so check your exact address with the district’s Find My School map before you buy or sign a lease. For college, Horry-Georgetown Technical College’s Conway campus is at 2050 Highway 501 East, and Coastal Carolina University is also in Conway. The Loris branch of the Horry County Memorial Library is at 4316 Main Street.

Loris Quick Facts

County	Horry County
Type of community	City (incorporated 1902, per the City of Loris)
Population	2,449 (2020 Census)
ZIP code	29569
Area codes	843, 854
Elevation	About 95 feet
Main roads	US-701, SC-9, SC-9 Business (Main Street), SC-66
Nearest commercial airport	Myrtle Beach International (MYR), about 35 miles
Hospital	McLeod Health Loris
School district	Horry County Schools (Loris attendance area)
City Hall	4101 Walnut Street
Signature event	Loris Bog-Off Festival, third Saturday in October

Moving to Loris: Tips From Our Crew

Check which side of the city line you’re on. A Loris address does not always mean city limits. City water, sanitation and police cover homes in town. Outside the city, you may be on a well, septic system or county services. Know which one before you schedule utility hookups.
Tell us about the driveway. Many homes around Loris sit at the end of long gravel or dirt drives. After a heavy rain, soft ground can stop a loaded truck. Let us know ahead of time so we can bring the right size truck and plan a spot to park.
Plan around festival days. On Bog-Off Saturday in October, and during the Christmas parade in December, downtown streets fill up. If your new home is near Main or Broad Street, pick another day.
Beat the inland heat. Loris summers run hotter than the beach. We start summer moves early, and you should keep water, fans and the AC ready at the new house before the truck arrives.
Keep a backup date in hurricane season. From June through November, a tropical system can close low roads for a few days. Book with a little flexibility, and we never charge a rescheduling fee.
Moving from North Carolina? Tabor City is only about 11 minutes away, and a short move can still cross the state line. Plan to update your driver’s license, vehicle registration and voter registration in South Carolina after the move.

Frequently Asked Questions About Moving to Loris

Is Loris, SC a good place to live?

For many people, yes. Loris offers small-town life, a hospital, its own schools and some of the lowest home prices in Horry County. The trade-offs are a smaller local job market, fewer shopping and dining choices, and a drive of 30 minutes or more to the beach, Conway or the airport. Visit on a weekday and a weekend before you decide.

How far is Loris from Myrtle Beach?

Downtown Myrtle Beach is about 31 miles from Loris, and Myrtle Beach International Airport is about 35 miles away, just under an hour’s drive. The closest beaches are in North Myrtle Beach, about 24 miles and roughly 36 minutes from downtown Loris.

How much do homes cost in Loris?

Zillow’s Home Value Index for Loris was about $255,122 in August 2026, well below the South Carolina typical value of about $306,323. The Census Bureau’s median value for owner-occupied homes in the city is $214,300 (2020–2024). Rural homes on larger lots and newer builds usually cost more than older houses in town.

How much does it cost to hire movers in Loris?

Every move is priced on its own details: how much you are moving, the distance, driveway access, stairs and any packing or storage you need. For a real number, call 910-758-0081 for a free quote. An owner calls you back within 15 minutes between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. You can also learn more on our Loris movers page.

What schools serve Loris?

Horry County Schools serves Loris through the Loris attendance area: Loris Elementary, Daisy Elementary, Loris Middle and Loris High. Zoning follows your street address, so confirm it with the district’s Find My School map.

Move to Loris With A & M Friendly Movers

A & M Friendly Movers has been family-owned since 2015, and our Calabash, NC and North Myrtle Beach, SC crews cover Loris and the rest of Horry County. Our movers are background-checked, drug-tested W-2 employees, never subcontractors. With our Owner’s Promise, you talk to an owner, not a call center, and if anything is damaged, an owner calls you the same day. We handle local moves, long-distance moves with a binding estimate, packing and unpacking, storage and junk removal. Military families get 5% off. See our Loris movers or call our NC & SC team at 910-758-0081.

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