Population 6,164 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Surfside Beach
Household size in Surfside Beach
| Period | Surfside Beach | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.02 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.14 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.14 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.21 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.19 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Surfside Beach is a place of small households, averaging 2.21 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.02, even as the national average fell. Of the 172 South Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 13 have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Surfside Beach
| Period | Surfside Beach | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.5 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.8 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.5 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 51.2 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
Surfside Beach skews older: half of its residents are older than 51.2, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 49.5 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Of the 172 South Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 12 are older.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Surfside Beach
| Period | Surfside Beach | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.2% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.2% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Surfside Beach (11.2%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 1.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Surfside Beach
Renters in Surfside Beach
| Period | Surfside Beach | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.7% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.3% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.7% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.1% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Surfside Beach is about as common as it is nationally: 32.1% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in South Carolina as a whole (28.1%). Among homeowners, 62.5% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 1.7 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Surfside Beach
| Period | Surfside Beach | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.7% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 48.7% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 45.5% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 42.8% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 42.8% of the housing in Surfside Beach, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Only one other South Carolina city with 5,000+ people has a higher vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Surfside Beach
| Period | Surfside Beach | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Surfside Beach is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1985, against 1980 nationally. Even so, homes here are older than in South Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1991.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Surfside Beach
| Period | Surfside Beach | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $953 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $876 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,016 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,324 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$371 | +$514 | +$606 |
Rent in Surfside Beach runs $1,324 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $371 a month since 2006–10, up 39%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.0% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northeast; the most affordable are in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Surfside Beach
Bachelor's degrees in Surfside Beach
| Period | Surfside Beach | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.6% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.3% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.7% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.3% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.7 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a third of adults 25 and older in Surfside Beach (35.3%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 7.7 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the west.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Surfside Beach
| Period | Surfside Beach | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.8% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.3% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.6% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.1% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Surfside Beach is above the national rate: 94.1% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 2.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Surfside Beach has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of South Carolina cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Surfside Beach
| Period | Surfside Beach | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.1 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Surfside Beach than nationally: unemployment was 6.8%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 6.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Surfside Beach compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfside Beach | 2.21 | 51.2 | 11.2% | 32.1% | 42.8% | 1985 | $1,324 | 35.3% | 94.1% | 6.8% |
| Socastee | 2.60 | 43.5 | 9.9% | 33.6% | 9.9% | 1995 | $1,247 | 22.7% | 91.4% | 3.7% |
| Garden City | 1.92 | 61.1 | 3.7% | 13.5% | 34.9% | 1990 | $1,489 | 26.1% | 93.0% | 4.8% |
| Myrtle Beach | 2.44 | 46.5 | 9.9% | 25.0% | 17.7% | 2002 | $1,494 | 33.9% | 94.2% | 4.4% |
| Murrells Inlet | 2.16 | 59.9 | 4.3% | 10.9% | 14.6% | 2005 | $1,569 | 36.3% | 96.9% | 3.3% |
| Red Hill | 2.71 | 36.6 | 15.9% | 26.6% | 9.4% | 1995 | $1,166 | 20.1% | 87.0% | 10.0% |
| Ocean Forest | 2.60 | 49.1 | 2.9% | 1.8% | 19.2% | 2012 | $1,703 | 57.6% | 99.3% | 0.3% |
| Yauhannah | 2.53 | 44.3 | 12.1% | 10.6% | 18.0% | 1990 | $615 | 13.8% | 83.2% | 15.1% |
| Plantersville | 2.14 | 52.7 | 10.3% | 12.9% | 20.1% | 1989 | $568 | 10.5% | 86.0% | 11.4% |
| Briarcliffe Acres | 1.96 | 65.8 | 0.6% | 10.6% | 79.7% | 1993 | $1,384 | 40.6% | 96.1% | 3.3% |
| Outland | 2.84 | 42.9 | 10.2% | 12.9% | 16.5% | 1987 | $881 | 14.3% | 85.2% | 10.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Oak Hill, TN · Paradise, PA · Palisade, CO · Painted Post, NY · Oxford, ME · Ottawa Hills, OH · Osage, IA · Olivet, MI · Okolona, MS · Ojus, FL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Surfside Beach. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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