- 1309 Professional Dr Suite 100 Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
“Arrogantly Shabby” | Inc. 1938
Pawleys Island
One of the East Coast’s oldest beach resorts — hammocks, live oaks, ten golf courses and a quieter, upscale Lowcountry pace 30 minutes south of Myrtle Beach.
By The Numbers
~17K
AREA POPULATION
61.7
MEDIAN AGE
On the Beach
TO THE BEACH
Inc. 1938
FOUNDED
10
GOLF COURSES
DOWNTOWN & LIFESTYLE
- The Hammock Shops Village — 25 shops under the live oaks
- Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art every October
- Frank’s, Bistro 217, Pawleys Island Tavern & Rustic Table
- Litchfield Books — locally owned independent bookstore
- Caledonia, True Blue, Pawleys Plantation & The Reserve golf
- Brookgreen Gardens & Huntington Beach State Park nearby
LOCATION & COMMUTING
Pawleys Island lies on US-17 (Ocean Highway) along Georgetown County’s Waccamaw Neck — Georgetown under 20 minutes south, the south Grand Strand half an hour north.
- Myrtle Beach: ~32 minutes
- Myrtle Beach Airport: ~35 minutes
- Murrells Inlet: ~14 minutes
- Georgetown: ~18 minutes
- Charleston: ~1 hr 30 minutes
HEALTHCARE & SERVICES
- Tidelands Waccamaw & Georgetown Memorial hospitals nearby
- Clinics & urgent care along Ocean Highway
- Waccamaw Elementary, Intermediate, Middle & High
- Coastal Montessori Charter & private school options
- Waccamaw Neck Branch Library — 41 St. Paul Place
- Hammock Shops Village & Fresh Market Commons shopping
REAL ESTATE MARKET
- Median sale ~$550K across ZIP 29585 (Aug 2026)
- Island homes are a separate luxury tier ($2M+)
- Gated golf plantations: DeBordieu, Pawleys Plantation, Willbrook
- Litchfield by the Sea villas & condos with private beach access
- New construction is mostly custom & infill
- Long-established vacation-rental market
Retirees & Downsizers
A median age near 62 reflects the mix — gated golf plantations, clinics on Ocean Highway, Litchfield by the Sea's beach club and a hammock-on-the-porch pace that is exactly what retirement looks like.
First Time Buyers
The island is a luxury market, but across ZIP 29585 villas, condos and mainland homes still trade in the $400Ks — below the area's ~$550K median.
Investors
Scarce oceanfront on a three-mile barrier island and a decades-old vacation-rental industry make Pawleys a hold-and-rent market; price in Georgetown County's 6% ratio on non-primary homes.
Popular Neighborhoods in Pawleys Island
DeBordieu Colony
Gated · Oceanfront Golf
About 2,700 acres from beach to marsh, with a Pete Dye course, tennis and private beach.
Litchfield by the Sea
Private Beach · Resort Living
29-plus neighborhoods sharing private beach access, a Beach Club, fishing and crabbing docks, tennis and pickleball.
Pawleys Plantation
Nicklaus Golf · Waterfront
A Jack Nicklaus Signature course community with six miles of waterfront, tennis and pool.
Willbrook Plantation
Gated · Golf & Beach Club
A royal-land-grant rice plantation turned gated golf community, with Litchfield beach clubhouse access.
The Reserve
Greg Norman Golf
A Greg Norman course inside the Litchfield by the Sea amenity network.
Heritage Plantation
Gated · Marina
Between the Waccamaw River and the ocean, with a marina, boat ramp, championship golf and clay tennis.
FAQs: Pawleys Island, SC
Is Pawleys Island SC a good place to live?
Pawleys Island is the Grand Strand’s quiet, upscale corner: a three-mile barrier island of raised cottages joined by two causeways to mainland golf plantations and Litchfield by the Sea. The area’s median age is about 62, so it suits retirees and second-home owners best, with clinics on Ocean Highway, hospitals 14–18 minutes away in Murrells Inlet and Georgetown, and Waccamaw schools for families. Life is slower here, but Myrtle Beach is still 32 minutes north.
What is the Pawleys Island housing market like?
Two markets share the name. On the island itself, sales are rare and expensive — typically $2M and up. Across ZIP 29585, which includes Litchfield and the mainland plantations, the median sale price was about $550,000 in August 2026, up 6.7% year-over-year, with homes selling in under two months. Expect gated golf communities from the $400Ks to $1M, condos and villas below that, and oceanfront and creek-front homes from roughly $1M upward.
How far is Pawleys Island from Myrtle Beach?
Pawleys Island is about 23 miles south of Myrtle Beach, a 32-minute drive on US-17, and Myrtle Beach International Airport is roughly 35 minutes away. Murrells Inlet’s MarshWalk and hospital are about 14 minutes north, historic Georgetown is 18 minutes south, and Charleston is an hour and a half down the coast.
Explore more: All Communities · Murrells Inlet · Surfside Beach
Photo credits: Pawleys beach by Phoebe (CC BY-SA 4.0); Pawleys beach walkway by Phoebe (CC BY-SA 4.0); Pawleys Island North End by Phoebe (CC BY-SA 4.0); Joseph Blyth Allston House (Pawley House) by Upstateherd (CC BY-SA 4.0); Pawleys Island Chapel by Upstateherd (CC BY-SA 4.0); Litchfield marsh by Laura Blankenship (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons.