CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.69° N · 79.01° W · GEOID 4567390

Socastee

Horry County, South Carolina · part of the Myrtle Beach, SC metro

South CarolinaSocastee, SCSocasteeSocastee

The short answer

Socastee is home to 23,796 people. Median household income is $62,257 a year and median rent is $1,246 a month, 24.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $234,200, about 3.8x annual median household income.

Socastee's housing market sets it apart. Homeowners pay a median of about 0.3% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 98% of places its size. Also notable: OpenStreetMap shows 1.7 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of places its size.

35OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Socastee scores better than 35% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 48th of 101 in South Carolina.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%38
Economy 20%54
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%30
Education 10%25
Commute 10%77
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,246
9% below the median place
Median household income
$62,257
22% below the median place
Median home value
$234,200
27% below the median place
Unemployment
3.5%
29% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Socastee

  • AffordabilityAfter the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $49,400 a year, less than in 82% of the 1,884 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Socastee

Horry County gains about 37.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in25,856
Moved out14,626
Net+11,230

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within South Carolina, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within South CarolinaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$83K
Leavers$55K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Horry County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
7.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.5% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Horry County report $82,900 a year in income on average; those leaving, $55,300, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$49,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,246 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,358 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $234,200.
Getting to work
21 minutes each way on average; 8.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Pell City, AL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
3.5%
75% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
7.7%
34% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
37.2
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSocasteeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year17.7%34% above
Moved from another state13.5%75% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure37.2above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$82,91217% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$55,26621% below
02

What it costs to live here

Owning with a mortgage costs only about $112 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 91% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Socastee24.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$49,840
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
24.0%
18% above the median place
Home price to income
3.8x
1% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
24%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$49,100
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Socastee, $1,246 a month, and local prices for everything else (95.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Socastee, but easier on the budget

Places that match Socastee on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Pell City, AL9719.2% vs 24.0%$8,600Compare
Athens, AL9515.4% vs 24.0%$12,100Compare
Central Point, OR9419.0% vs 24.0%$18,800Compare
Camp Verde, AZ9318.4% vs 24.0%$8,200Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Socastee.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Socastee? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
0.3%
65% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$754
77% below the median place
Median year built1
1995
1% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSocasteeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,2469% below
Rent to income124.0%18% above
Property tax rate10.3%65% below
Home price to income13.8x1% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure93.67% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,5047% below
HUD area median income4County figure$86,00020% below
Property tax paid (median)1$75477% below
Median home value1$234,20027% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure4.0%26% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure64.5%25% above
Homeownership165.9%1% below
Renters paying 30%+143.7%14% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,35827% below
Vacant homes18.8%25% above
Median year built119951% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Unemployment1
3.5%
29% below the median place
Mean commute1
21 min
17% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$62,257 −22%
Works from home8.7% −30%
Income per person$33,347 −17%
Poverty rate12.6% +17%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSocasteeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$62,25722% below
Income per person1$33,34717% below
Unemployment13.5%29% below
Average annual pay6County figure$50,02924% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.1%11% above
Jobs6County figure146,1603% below
Poverty rate112.6%17% above
Mean commute121 min17% below
Works from home18.7%30% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 19.4%, 203% above the median place.

No health insurance1
19.4%
203% above the median place
Median age1
43.3
11% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
21.8%
32% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.6 +4%
High school or higher91.2% −1%
Homes with broadband91.6% −1%
Born abroad9.7% +10%
All 8 people measures
MeasureSocasteeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population123,7961968th largest
Median age143.311% above
Bachelor's or higher121.8%32% below
High school or higher191.2%1% below
Household size12.64% above
Born abroad19.7%10% above
No health insurance119.4%203% above
Homes with broadband191.6%1% below
05

Life in Socastee

About 0 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, fewer than in 84% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 101 South Carolina places we track.

1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Socastee Historic District listed 2002

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents1.7 −83%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k2.9 +39%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k13.0 +17%
Libraries per 10k0.8 −3%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Moores Creek National Battlefield 74 miles
  • Charles Pinckney National Historic Site 75 miles
  • Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park 82 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars31.6 +52%
Shops48.5 +60%
Arts, recreation and fitness6.8 +66%
Doctors' offices and clinics19.2 −5%
Child care centers1.3 −43%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
74.1
141% above the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
31.6
52% above the median place
Shops per 10k8
48.5
60% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureSocasteeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure60above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure49,639above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure15.83% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure31.652% above
Shops per 10k8County figure48.560% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure6.866% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure19.25% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.343% below
Parks per 10k91.783% below
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k92.939% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k913.017% above
Libraries per 10k90.83% below
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1074.1141% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles100below (median 2)
National Register listings11192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 99.6, 41% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Socastee. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk14
99.6
41% above the median place
Natural hazard risk14
98.2
6% above the median place
Tornado risk14
96.7
19% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSocasteeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure90°F4% above
January average low13County figure35°F40% above
Average temperature13County figure64°F16% above
Annual precipitation13County figure51.3 in17% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure98.26% above
Hurricane risk14County figure99.641% above
Tornado risk14County figure96.719% above
Wildfire risk14County figure89.947% above
Heat wave risk14County figure95.05% above
Median air quality index15County figure399% below
Good air days15County figure82.5%20% above
08

Socastee in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 24% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 24% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Socastee does better than 38% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 35%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,246/mo (2024)$1,600/mo$1,310 to $1,950/mo+4.3%
Median household income$62,257 (2024)$79,000$67,000 to $93,500+4.1%
Median home value$234,200 (2024)$333,000$241,000 to $458,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 4.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.8 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Socastee

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Clementon, NJ$1,169$62,979Compare
Belleview, FL$1,257$57,813Compare
Claremont, NH$1,146$59,096Compare
Halfway, MD$1,269$71,036Compare
Halfway, MDClaremont, NHBelleview, FLClementon, NJSocastee, SCSocasteeClementonBelleviewClaremontHalfwaySocasteeClementonBelleviewClaremontHalfway

Places built like Socastee

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Socastee performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Socastee, SC24.0%4.4%/yrn/a
Lake Wales, FL23.6%5.0%/yr16.1%Compare
Red Hill, SC20.7%7.8%/yrn/aCompare
Eustis, FL20.8%6.9%/yr9.8%Compare
Leesburg, FL28.5%7.4%/yr43.9%Compare
Auburndale, FL18.6%7.6%/yr37.2%Compare
Lakeside, FL21.7%5.1%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Socastee a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 35 out of 100, better than 35% of the places we rate and 48th of 101 in South Carolina. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $49,400 a year, less than in 82% of the 1,884 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 40 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Socastee expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 24.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $234,200.

What salary do you need to live in Socastee?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $49,840 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Socastee?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Clementon, NJ, Belleview, FL, Claremont, NH and Halfway, MD.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Socastee with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Socastee itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/socastee-south-carolina

Citytistics. “Socastee, South Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/socastee-south-carolina/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.