- 1309 Professional Dr Suite 100 Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Grand Strand's North End | Inc. 1968
North Myrtle Beach
Nine miles of wide beach, the Main Street that made the shag famous, resort golf and a calmer pace than Myrtle Beach.
By The Numbers
~18.8K
POPULATION
61.9
MEDIAN AGE
On the Beach
TO THE BEACH
Inc. 1968
FOUNDED
9 Miles
OF BEACH
DOWNTOWN & LIFESTYLE
- Main Street (Ocean Drive) — birthplace of the shag, with Fat Harold’s Beach Club and Duck’s
- Hoskins Restaurant (family-run since 1948), Flynn’s Irish Tavern, Soho on Main & more
- Barefoot Landing on the Intracoastal — House of Blues, Alabama Theatre, Alligator Adventure
- St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Mayfest on Main & free Music on Main concerts
- McLean Park and the Great Christmas Light Show at the Park & Sports Complex
- Cherry Grove Pier, with the Driftwood restaurant at the end
LOCATION & COMMUTING
North Myrtle Beach sits on US-17 at the north end of the Grand Strand, with SC-31 (Carolina Bays Parkway) and SC-9 for quick routes south and inland.
- Myrtle Beach: ~22 minutes
- Myrtle Beach Airport: ~30 minutes
- Little River: ~13 minutes
- Conway: ~35 minutes
- Wilmington, NC: ~1 hr 10 minutes
HEALTHCARE & SERVICES
- North Strand ER — 24/7 emergency room on Hwy 17 S
- McLeod Health Seacoast hospital in nearby Little River
- Grand Strand Medical Center — Level I trauma center
- Ocean Drive, Waterway & Riverside Elementary (Horry County Schools)
- North Myrtle Beach Middle & North Myrtle Beach High
- North Myrtle Beach Library — 910 First Avenue
REAL ESTATE MARKET
- Median closed sale ~$410K (ZIP 29582, six months to Sept 2026)
- Oceanfront & ocean-view condos in Cherry Grove and Ocean Drive
- Beach houses in Cherry Grove, Crescent Beach & Windy Hill
- Golf & Intracoastal communities: Barefoot Resort, Tidewater Plantation
- Golf carts permitted on city streets of 35 mph or less (daylight, with permit)
- Short-term rentals need a city business license
Retirees & Downsizers
With a median age near 62, North Myrtle Beach is already a retiree town — walkable Main Street, a 24/7 ER on Hwy 17, Barefoot golf and nine miles of beach, without Myrtle Beach traffic.
First Time Buyers
Condos in Cherry Grove and Ocean Drive open the door to a beach address well below the ~$410K city median, and owner-occupants pay the lower 4% property-tax assessment.
Investors
Ocean Drive and Cherry Grove condos lead the city's short-term-rental demand, licensing is a straightforward city business license, and the airport is about 30 minutes away.
Popular Neighborhoods in North Myrtle Beach
Cherry Grove
Pier · Inlet · Marsh
The northernmost beach section, built around the Cherry Grove Pier and a tidal salt-marsh inlet — beach cottages, raised homes and condos.
Ocean Drive
Main Street · Shag
The historic heart of the city — Main Street clubs, restaurants and festivals, plus condos with the strongest rental demand.
Crescent Beach
Quiet · Residential
A calmer stretch favoured by full-time residents and seasonal owners, close to the sports complex and conference centre.
Windy Hill
Near Barefoot Landing
The southern end of the city beside Barefoot Landing, with the most dining and entertainment within easy reach.
Barefoot Resort
Golf · Intracoastal
Four championship courses by Greg Norman, Davis Love III, Tom Fazio and Pete Dye along the Intracoastal Waterway.
Tidewater Plantation
Gated · Golf
Between the Intracoastal and Cherry Grove Inlet, with a 24-hour gate, Tidewater golf course, pools and a private oceanfront cabana.
FAQs: North Myrtle Beach, SC
Is North Myrtle Beach a good place to live?
For buyers who want the beach without the crowds, yes. The city was formed in 1968 from four small beach towns and still feels like one — a walkable Main Street, a 10-acre lakeside park, festivals most months and the Cherry Grove Pier. The median age is about 62, so it is calm and retiree-friendly, while three elementary schools feed North Myrtle Beach Middle and High. A 24/7 emergency room sits on Hwy 17 and a full hospital is minutes away in Little River.
What is the North Myrtle Beach housing market like?
It is a two-tier market. Condos in Cherry Grove and Ocean Drive start well below the citywide figure, while ocean-view houses and golf-community homes in Barefoot Resort and Tidewater run much higher, putting the median closed sale price at roughly $410,000 (ZIP 29582, six months to September 2026). Homes now take two to three months to sell, so buyers have negotiating room. Owner-occupants get the 4% county assessment; second homes and rentals pay 6%.
How far is North Myrtle Beach from Myrtle Beach?
About 16 miles, or roughly 22 minutes on US-17 in normal traffic — longer on summer weekends. Myrtle Beach International Airport is about 30 minutes, Little River is 13 minutes north, and Conway is about 35 minutes inland. SC-31 (Carolina Bays Parkway) lets residents bypass Hwy 17 traffic when heading south, and Wilmington, NC is an easy 70-minute drive.
Explore more: All Communities · Little River · Longs
Photo credits: North Myrtle Beach, SC by JefferyGoldman (CC BY-SA 4.0); Cherry Grove Pier by Melikamp (CC BY-SA 3.0); Cherry Grove beach by Bearian (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.