Moving to Surfside Beach, SC: Family Beach Guide

Surfside Beach calls itself “The Family Beach,” and the name fits. This small town just south of Myrtle Beach has a rebuilt fishing pier at its center, golf carts on neighborhood streets, a packed calendar of parades and festivals, and a quieter pace than the high-rise strip to the north. In 2016 it became the first autism-certified travel destination in the United States.

With only about 4,300 residents on roughly two square miles, Surfside feels like a neighborhood more than a city. It suits retirees, families who want a walkable beach town, and second-home owners ready to make the move full time. Myrtle Beach’s shopping, jobs and airport are about 15 minutes away, and the restaurants and state parks of Murrells Inlet are a short drive. Homes here are in demand, and prices reflect it, so plan carefully.

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

Where Is Surfside Beach?

Surfside Beach is a town in southern Horry County on the Grand Strand, incorporated in 1964. It sits just south of Myrtle Beach, with Murrells Inlet a short drive farther down the coast. The town covers about 2 square miles, almost all of it land.

Approximate driving distances:

Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR): about 7.8 miles, roughly 13 minutes
Myrtle Beach: about 8 miles via US-17 Business, roughly 15 minutes
Charleston, SC: about 88 miles, roughly 2 hours

Three roads do most of the work: US-17 Business, which runs through town; the US-17 Bypass; and SC-544. MYR advertises more than 50 nonstop destinations, which makes Surfside an easy place for family to visit.

Surfside Beach Population & Demographics

Surfside Beach had 4,155 residents at the 2020 Census. The Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 American Community Survey estimates about 4,270. The town skews older, with a median age of 55.5, and it is well educated: 39.5% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher, above both the state and national rates.

Measure	Surfside Beach	South Carolina	United States
Population (2020 Census)	4,155	—	331,449,281
Population (ACS 2020–2024 estimate)	4,270	—	—
Median age	55.5	—	—
Median household income	$70,106	$69,324	$80,734
Per capita income	$40,980	—	$44,673
Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+)	39.5%	32.1%	35.7%
High school graduate or higher	96.6%	—	89.6%
Housing units	4,254	—	—
Mean travel time to work	20.2 min	25.6 min	26.4 min

Sources: Census Reporter (ACS 2024 5-year, covering 2020–2024) for Surfside Beach; U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for South Carolina and U.S. comparisons; 2020 Census count via Wikipedia. Because Surfside Beach is small, its survey estimates have wider margins of error than those for larger cities.

Notice that the town has nearly as many housing units (4,254) as residents (about 4,270). That suggests a large share of homes are second homes or vacation rentals, so your street may be quiet in January and full in July. About 10.5% of adults are veterans, only 1.2% of residents were born outside the U.S., and the Census estimates a 16.8% poverty rate, though figures for a town this small carry wide margins of error.

Is Surfside Beach Safe?

Surfside Beach has its own police department, and the town’s family-friendly reputation is a big part of its appeal. Still, we did not find a recent, reliable crime data source for a town this small, and per-resident rates in beach towns can swing because of summer visitors. The best move is to contact the Surfside Beach Police Department through the town website about the area you are considering and visit it both in peak season and off-season.

Cost of Living in Surfside Beach

Home Prices

Buying in Surfside Beach costs more than the state average. The Census Bureau puts the median value of owner-occupied homes at $450,100 (2020–2024), well above the South Carolina median of $259,000 and the U.S. median of $332,700.

Recent sales run even higher. Redfin reports a median sale price of $608,695 for July 2026, up 11.3% from a year earlier, with 52 homes sold and a median of 69 days on market (down from 85 days). The median price per square foot was $368, down 4.2% from a year earlier even as the median sale price rose. In a small market, the types and sizes of homes that happen to sell in a given month can move the median a lot. With so few sales each month, the median can jump around, so look at several months of comparable sales before making an offer.

Rent

We could not find a reliable, current median rent figure for a town this small, so we won’t publish one. What we can tell you: with so many homes used as vacation rentals, year-round leases can be limited. Start your search early, and widen your search to nearby communities and Myrtle Beach if you need more options. For comparison, the median gross rent in Myrtle Beach is $1,261 a month (2020–2024).

Best Neighborhoods in Surfside Beach

Oceanside and the Pier Area

The streets between the ocean and the highway hold oceanfront communities and beach cottages within a short walk or golf cart ride of the sand. The pier and its restaurants are the heart of the area. It suits buyers who want to walk to the beach every day and who are comfortable with summer crowds and flood-zone insurance questions.

Deerfield

Deerfield is an established subdivision west of Highway 17 with a more traditional neighborhood feel. It suits families and full-time residents who want a yard, a quieter street and an easy drive to the beach, schools and shopping along US-17.

Southwood and Inland Surfside

Southwood and the more suburban sections on the inland side of town offer single-family homes farther from the tourist traffic. They suit buyers who want Surfside’s address and community events without living in the middle of the summer beach traffic, and who are happy to drive a few minutes to the sand.

Weather & Climate

Surfside Beach shares the Grand Strand’s humid subtropical climate. Based on 1991–2020 normals for the Myrtle Beach weather station, just up the coast, January highs average about 55.5°F with lows near 33.6°F. July highs average about 87.4°F with lows near 71.6°F. The area gets about 53.6 inches of precipitation a year, and snow is very rare.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, peaking around September 10 with most activity from mid-August to mid-October, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricanes have hit this town hard before: its pier was damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Hazel in 1954, Hugo in 1989 and Matthew in 2016. Check your address on Horry County’s “Know Your Zone” map (zones A, B and C).

Best months to move: April, May, October and November. You avoid peak summer traffic on US-17 Business and the busiest stretch of hurricane season.

Things to Do in Surfside Beach

Surfside Beach Fishing Pier

After Hurricane Matthew destroyed the old wooden pier, the town rebuilt it in concrete, making it South Carolina’s first concrete pier. It reopened on March 14, 2024, and stretches more than 800 feet into the Atlantic. It has an ice cream shop, a bait-and-tackle shop and two restaurants.

The pier has a long history with the town. The first one was built in 1953 and destroyed by Hurricane Hazel the next year. A wooden pier rebuilt in 1993 lasted until Hurricane Matthew, and construction on today’s concrete pier began in December 2021. For many locals, it is the heart of Surfside.

Town Events

Surfside keeps a busy community calendar: a BBQ festival in March, an Easter egg hunt, a Memorial Day golf cart parade, summer hula and fire shows, a Fourth of July parade and fireworks, a Halloween hot rod show, a Veterans Day service, and a Christmas parade and tree lighting. All Children’s Park gives kids playgrounds and green space year-round.

Huntington Beach State Park

A short drive south at 16148 Ocean Highway in Murrells Inlet, this 2,500-acre park has 3 miles of beach, more than 300 recorded bird species, alligators in its freshwater lake and Atalaya, the Moorish-style winter home of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington.

Brookgreen Gardens

At 1931 Brookgreen Drive in Murrells Inlet, Brookgreen combines an American sculpture garden, botanical gardens and a Lowcountry zoo. It is open daily from 9:30am, with extended evening hours on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Murrells Inlet MarshWalk

The MarshWalk is a half-mile wooden boardwalk along a saltwater estuary at 4025 Highway 17 Business in Murrells Inlet. Seven restaurants line it, and there is often free live music.

Myrtle Beach State Park

At 4401 South Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina’s first state park has about a mile of undeveloped beach, a fishing pier and maritime forest trails.

Where to Eat in Surfside Beach

Benjamin’s Bakery & Café

At 810 3rd Avenue South, Benjamin’s has been a Surfside institution for roughly 30 years. It roasts its own coffee and bakes breads, pastries and cakes daily. A good place to pick up breakfast for the crew on moving day.

Crabby Mike’s Calabash Seafood

Crabby Mike’s at 290 US-17 Business North has served Calabash-style seafood for more than three decades. The buffet features crab legs, fried seafood and fresh fish, and it opens at 4pm daily.

River City Café

River City Café’s Surfside location at 11 North Seaside Drive serves a big burger menu with ocean views. The chain has several locations around the Grand Strand, and it is an easy casual dinner after a day of unpacking.

Jobs & Economy

Tourism, hospitality and real estate drive the Surfside Beach economy, and many residents work remotely or commute to jobs across the Grand Strand. The average commute is 20.2 minutes. Across Horry County, accommodation and food services form the largest employment sector. According to the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation, the county’s largest employers include Horry County Schools (about 6,400 employees), Coastal Carolina University (about 2,700), Horry County Government (about 2,650), Conway Medical Center (about 1,800), McLeod Seacoast (about 1,700) and Grand Strand Regional Medical Center (about 1,300).

Remote workers are part of the local economy, too. Myrtle Beach International advertises more than 50 nonstop destinations on ten airlines, so flying to a company office or a client meeting is straightforward. With the airport about 13 minutes away and Myrtle Beach about 15 minutes north, Surfside works well for people whose jobs are in Myrtle Beach but who want a smaller town to come home to.

Schools in Surfside Beach

Surfside Beach is served by Horry County Schools, which has more than 47,000 students in 58 schools. Schools listed for the Surfside area include Seaside Elementary, St. James Middle and St. James High School. Attendance lines can change, so confirm your address with the district’s “Find My School” map before you sign a lease or contract. The district’s application-based programs, including Scholars Academy, the Academy for Arts, Science & Technology and Early College High School, are open countywide. Early College students can earn up to two years of college credit while finishing high school.

Horry-Georgetown Technical College’s Grand Strand Campus in Myrtle Beach and Coastal Carolina University in Conway are the closest colleges.

Surfside Beach Quick Facts

County	Horry County
Incorporated	1964
Nickname	“The Family Beach”
ZIP codes	29575, 29587
Area codes	843, 854
Nearest airport	Myrtle Beach International (MYR), about 7.8 miles
Main roads	US-17 Business, US-17 Bypass, SC-544
Area	About 2 square miles
Population (2020 Census)	4,155
Public school district	Horry County Schools

Moving to Surfside Beach: Tips From Our Crew

Check the town events calendar. Parades and festivals, like the Memorial Day golf cart parade and the Fourth of July parade, can close streets near the beach. Pick a moving date that doesn’t collide with one.
Watch for golf carts. Golf carts are a normal way to get around between the ocean and Highway 17. Moving trucks need extra care on narrow residential streets, and crews should set up cones when parked.
Plan for raised homes and stairs. Many homes near the ocean sit on pilings. Measure large furniture and let your mover know about outdoor staircases and tight landings when you get a quote.
Coordinate with vacation rental schedules. If your new home is next to short-term rentals, parking can be tight on check-in and check-out days. Ask neighbors or the property manager when the street is quietest.
Keep hurricane essentials with you. Hurricanes have wrecked this town’s pier more than once. If you move between August and October, keep documents, medications and a go-bag in your car, and know your evacuation zone.
Book summer dates early. If you need a specific Saturday in June or July, call as soon as you have a closing date so you have the best choice of dates and arrival times.
Downsize before you move. Many people moving to Surfside are going from a bigger house to a beach cottage or condo. Sort early, and use our junk removal service for what doesn’t make the cut.

Frequently Asked Questions About Moving to Surfside Beach

How much will movers cost for a Surfside Beach move?

Cost depends on how much you are moving, the distance, access (pilings, stairs, narrow streets), packing needs and the date. We don’t guess on price without the details. Call our NC & SC team at 910-758-0081 for a free quote, and an owner will call you back, typically within 15 minutes between 8am and 8pm.

Why is Surfside Beach called “The Family Beach”?

The town has built that reputation over decades of family-focused events and a quieter feel than central Myrtle Beach. It leaned into it further in 2016, becoming the first autism-certified destination in the U.S., with support from the locally based Champion Autism Network.

Is Surfside Beach part of Myrtle Beach?

No. Surfside Beach is its own town, incorporated in 1964, with its own police department and town government. It shares ZIP codes with parts of the Myrtle Beach area, and central Myrtle Beach is about 8 miles north.

Are home prices in Surfside Beach rising?

Recent data says yes. Redfin reported a July 2026 median sale price of $608,695, up 11.3% from a year earlier. Only 52 homes sold that month, so the median can move a lot from month to month. Compare several months of sales before drawing conclusions.

Do you offer storage for Surfside Beach moves?

Yes. If you are selling a home up north before your Surfside closing, or renovating a beach cottage, our Surfside Beach moving team can hold your belongings in storage and deliver when you are ready.

Move to Surfside Beach With A & M Friendly Movers

A & M Friendly Movers is a family-owned company that has been moving families since 2015. Every crew member is a background-checked, drug-tested W-2 employee, never a subcontractor. Our Owner’s Promise means 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 offer local moves, long-distance moves, and packing and unpacking. Learn more about our Surfside Beach movers, or call our NC & SC team at 910-758-0081.

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Moving to Surfside Beach, SC: Living in Surfside Beach Guide