Is Surfside Beach, SC a Good Place to Live?
Surfside Beach is a small town of 4,179 in South Carolina, with a median household income of $69,375 and a 8.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 100 (US average = 100), which is 0% below the national average.
Strengths: Surfside Beach stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Surfside Beach is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Surfside Beach 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: 99.9Surfside Beach's overall cost of living index is 99.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Surfside Beach costs roughly 0% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Surfside Beach, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $365,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,238 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 61.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $69,375 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageSurfside Beach's violent crime rate is 228.5 per 100,000 residents — 40% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Surfside Beach is served primarily by Horry 01. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.5:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Surfside Beach, 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 | 41.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 96.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Surfside Beach sees average highs of 56.8°F in January and 88.4°F in July, with 54.4 inches of annual precipitation and 0.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Surfside Beach, SC |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 56.8°F |
| Average High — July | 88.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 54.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Surfside Beach, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,179 | — |
| Median Age | 53.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 8.3% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 18.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 91.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 11.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 28.2% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Surfside Beach
Surfside Beach, SC is covered by 1 ZIP code: