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A small town on the South Strand
Surfside Beach Homes for Sale
Surfside Beach is a town of its own just south of Myrtle Beach, with a pier, a town park shaded by old oaks and streets of single-family homes that run down toward the sand.
What should I know about buying a home in Surfside Beach?
Surfside Beach is an incorporated town on the South Strand, just south of Myrtle Beach, known for a mostly single-family housing pattern, a fishing pier and a town park under live oaks more than a century old (SC Encyclopedia). It suits buyers who want a beach town with its own government and a quieter pace, but low-lying streets mean drainage and flood checks are essential.
Here is the story of the town and the checks I run.
From The Ark to Surfside
The land was once part of a rice plantation called "The Ark," owned by John M. Tillman; the 1850 census valued its 3,200 acres, including a mile and a half of oceanfront, at $5,000. After 1865 it passed to the Roach family and was known as Roach's Beach and Ark Beach. In the 1920s George J. Holliday of Galivants Ferry bought it and renamed it Floral Beach for his wife, Flora (SC Encyclopedia).
The Hollidays built a pavilion, a general store and a few rental cottages, and later a fishing pier, but the area languished until the early 1950s. In 1952 local investors bought most of the property for about $200,000 and renamed it Surfside Beach, after a Florida town. The town incorporated on March 14, 1964 (Town of Surfside Beach). The encyclopedia credits early town leaders with limiting housing density and commercial sprawl, and notes that single-family homes remained the norm even through the growth of the 1970s and 1980s. The 2020 population was 4,580.
What you will find
Single-family streets
Beach houses and year-round homes on a grid between the ocean and U.S. 17, where commercial development grew up along the highway.
Oceanfront and near-beach
Raised beach homes and a limited number of condo and hotel buildings. See oceanfront condos.
Just outside town
Neighborhoods in the Socastee and Garden City area. Horry County groups Surfside Beach, Garden City and Socastee in its Community Planning Area 3 (Horry County Planning).
Storms, drainage and the beach
Surfside's history is a candid guide to due diligence. Hurricane Hazel damaged many homes in 1954, and Hurricane Hugo in 1989 caused major damage to hundreds of buildings and worsened drainage problems and erosion. The town expanded its stormwater system in the early 1990s, though the encyclopedia notes that drainage problems remain (SC Encyclopedia). The good news for the beach: the federal Grand Strand renourishment completed on Aug. 15, 2026 rebuilt the beach along Surfside as part of a project spanning nearly 28 miles (Horry County).
What I check
The FEMA flood map zone, an elevation certificate, any history of street flooding, and the seller's property condition disclosure answers on water intrusion.
Rentals
Surfside Beach is its own town, so ask about its business license and rental requirements in addition to state accommodations tax (SCDOR). HOA rules, if any, also apply.
Living here
The Surfside Beach Fishing Pier is a town landmark, and the central park and old oaks give the town a neighborly feel. Market Common shopping and the airport are a short drive north; Garden City and Murrells Inlet are just south. Living here year-round? Ask the assessor to tax your home at the 4% owner-occupant ratio (Horry County).
If you want a year-round home rather than a rental, the town's mostly single-family layout is worth a close look. If you are torn between Surfside and the bigger city, spend a weekday evening and a summer Saturday in each before deciding.
Related: what renourishment means for coastal real estate and best neighborhoods around Myrtle Beach.
Keep exploring
Back to the Myrtle Beach real estate guide, or continue with these related pages:
Frequently asked questions
When was Surfside Beach incorporated?
On March 14, 1964, according to the Town of Surfside Beach.
Why is it called Surfside Beach?
Investors who bought the land in 1952 renamed it after a Florida town. It had earlier been called Roach's Beach, Ark Beach and Floral Beach.
Does Surfside Beach have flooding issues?
Some streets have had drainage problems, which the SC Encyclopedia says persisted after Hurricane Hugo. Check the flood map, elevation and the seller's disclosure for any property.
Was Surfside Beach included in the 2026 beach renourishment?
Yes. Horry County says the federal project ran from North Myrtle Beach south through Surfside Beach and Garden City.
Like the small-town beach feel?
Book a consultation and I will help you find a Surfside home that is high, dry and right for your budget.
Sources
Facts on this page come from these sources, checked November 2026. Rules and programs change, so confirm details for your specific property.
- Horry County Government: Legal Residence (4%) applications
- SC Department of Revenue: Accommodations Tax
- South Carolina Encyclopedia: Surfside Beach
- Town of Surfside Beach: 60th anniversary and town history
- Horry County Planning e-newsletter, Summer 2013: Community Planning Area 3 (PDF)
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Horry County: Grand Strand 28-mile beach renourishment completed
- SC LLR: Residential Property Condition Disclosure Statement form (PDF)
