Is Murrells Inlet, SC a Good Place to Live?
Murrells Inlet is a small city of 10,297 in South Carolina, with a median household income of $71,019 and a 3.1% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 100 (US average = 100), which is 0% above the national average.
Strengths: Murrells Inlet stands out for solid school ratings (B+), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Murrells Inlet is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Murrells Inlet city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 100.5Murrells Inlet's overall cost of living index is 100.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Murrells Inlet costs roughly 0% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Murrells Inlet, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $336,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,404 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 85.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $71,019 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AverageMurrells Inlet's violent crime rate is 416.4 per 100,000 residents — 10% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Murrells Inlet is served primarily by Horry 01. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.5:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Murrells Inlet, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Horry 01 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 30 | — |
| Middle Schools | 13 | — |
| High Schools | 14 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 14.5:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 39.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.6% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Murrells Inlet sees average highs of 56.8°F in January and 88.4°F in July, with 53.8 inches of annual precipitation and 0.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Murrells Inlet, SC |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 56.8°F |
| Average High — July | 88.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 53.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Murrells Inlet, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,297 | — |
| Median Age | 60.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.1% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 20.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 88.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 10.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 37.2% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Murrells Inlet
Murrells Inlet, SC is covered by 1 ZIP code: