- 1309 Professional Dr Suite 100 Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Horry County's Oldest Village | Settled c. 1700
Little River
A working waterfront on the Intracoastal — marinas, seafood docks and festivals — with its own hospital, 13 minutes from North Myrtle Beach and five from North Carolina.
By The Numbers
~11.7K
POPULATION
61.4
MEDIAN AGE
~13 MIN
TO THE BEACH
c. 1700
SETTLED
1791
GEORGE WASHINGTON VISIT
DOWNTOWN & LIFESTYLE
- Historic Little River Waterfront on the Intracoastal Waterway
- Dockside dining at Crab Catcher’s, Patio’s Tiki Bar and Hurricane Juel’s
- Blue Crab Festival every May & Little River ShrimpFest every October
- Vereen Memorial Historical Gardens — marsh boardwalks and trails, free
- Charter fishing, dolphin cruises and the Big M Casino boat
- Calabash and Sunset Beach, NC just minutes up US-17
LOCATION & COMMUTING
Little River sits where US-17 meets SC-9 just south of the North Carolina line, with SC-31 (Carolina Bays Parkway) ending nearby.
- North Myrtle Beach / Cherry Grove: ~13 minutes
- Myrtle Beach: ~34 minutes
- Myrtle Beach Airport: ~36 minutes
- Calabash, NC: ~5 minutes
- Unincorporated — no city property-tax layer
HEALTHCARE & SERVICES
- McLeod Health Seacoast — full hospital on Hwy 9
- Little River ER — 24/7 emergency room on US-17 (opened June 2026)
- Riverside & Waterway Elementary (Horry County Schools)
- North Myrtle Beach Middle & North Myrtle Beach High
- Little River Library — 107 Highway 57 North
- Coastal North Town Center shopping ~10 minutes south
REAL ESTATE MARKET
- Median closed sale ~$295K (ZIP 29566, six months to Sept 2026)
- Waterway condos around Coquina Harbour & Lightkeepers Marina
- 55+ communities: Cypress Village and Bridgewater
- New construction from D.R. Horton, Lennar & Chesapeake Homes
- Membership boat slips at Lightkeepers; public slips at Cricket Cove
- Solid long-term rental demand from hospital & North Strand jobs
Retirees & Downsizers
A median age of 61, a hospital and a new ER on the doorstep, dockside seafood, Vereen Gardens' trails and 55+ communities like Cypress Village and Bridgewater make Little River a natural retirement move.
First Time Buyers
Closed sales run about $295K — well below North Myrtle Beach — yet Cherry Grove Beach is 13 minutes away and homes feed the same North Myrtle Beach Middle and High schools.
Investors
The price gap to the beach towns, hospital employment and new-build inventory from D.R. Horton, Lennar and Chesapeake make Little River a long-term-rental play; confirm county short-term-rental rules first.
Popular Neighborhoods in Little River
Bridgewater
Chesapeake Homes · Active Adult
A large master-planned community with a 5,000-sq-ft clubhouse, two resort pools, dog park, bocce and pickleball.
Cypress Village
55+ · Low Maintenance
Single-family and attached homes with a clubhouse, resort-style pool, putting green and fishing lakes.
Heather Glen
Former Golf Links
D.R. Horton community on the former Heather Glen Golf Links off Hwy 9 — clubhouse, resort pool and fishing lake; resales only now.
Lafayette Park
Established · Pool & Tennis
Two sections of three- and four-bedroom homes with a clubhouse, pool, tennis courts and playground.
Coquina Harbour
Marina Living · ICW
Condos around Lightkeepers Marina and its landmark lighthouse, in a protected no-wake harbour on the Intracoastal.
Carriage Lake
Near the Beach
Three- to five-bedroom homes built in the mid-2000s, a few miles from the beach, with community amenities.
FAQs: Little River, SC
Is Little River a good place to live?
Yes, especially for buyers who want the water without beach-town prices. Little River is Horry County’s oldest village — settled around 1700 and visited by George Washington in 1791 — and today it has its own hospital, a new 24/7 ER on US-17, a working waterfront with marinas and seafood docks, and Vereen Memorial Gardens. The median age is about 61, so the pace is relaxed, yet North Myrtle Beach’s schools, shopping and beach are 13 minutes away.
What is the Little River housing market like?
Little River is the value end of the North Strand. Closed sales in ZIP 29566 have run around $295,000 over the past six months — well below North Myrtle Beach — and homes typically take two to four months to sell. Inventory ranges from Waterway condos and 55+ communities such as Cypress Village and Bridgewater to new D.R. Horton, Lennar and Chesapeake subdivisions, so buyers have both choice and negotiating room.
How far is Little River from Myrtle Beach?
About 34 minutes down US-17 or SC-31 to central Myrtle Beach, and roughly 36 minutes to Myrtle Beach International Airport. Closer to home, North Myrtle Beach and Cherry Grove Beach are about 13 minutes away, Calabash, NC is 5 minutes and Sunset Beach, NC about 15. Wilmington, NC is under an hour, which makes Little River a convenient base for anyone who splits time between the Carolinas.
Explore more: All Communities · North Myrtle Beach · Longs