17 Best Neighborhoods in Myrtle Beach SC [2026 Guide]

1. Berkshire Forest — Best Overall Community in Carolina Forest
2. Plantation Lakes — Best for Freshwater Waterfront Living
3. Grande Dunes — Best for Luxury Living
4. Market Common — Best for Walkability
5. Tidewater Plantation — Best Golf Community
6. Prince Creek — Best Master-Planned Community in South Myrtle Beach
7. Barefoot Resort — Best Waterway Community in North Myrtle Beach
8. The Farm at Carolina Forest — Best Value in the Top School District
9. Cherry Grove — Best for Beach Character at an Accessible Price
10. Surfside Beach — Best Family Beach Community
11. Wachesaw Plantation — Best Gated Luxury in Murrells Inlet
12. Pawleys Plantation — Best Golf and Lowcountry Community
13. Conway Riverfront — Best Value and Small-Town Character
14. Little River Waterway Communities — Best for Boating Lifestyle
15. Arrowhead — Best Golf Community Value
16. Heritage Plantation — Best Waterway and Golf in Pawleys Island
17. Socastee — Best Affordable Location Between Myrtle Beach and Carolina Forest

Are you looking for the best neighborhoods in Myrtle Beach, SC? Here are 17 great communities to call home on the Grand Strand in 2026.

Myrtle Beach and the surrounding Grand Strand is not a single community — it is a 60-mile stretch of South Carolina coastline made up of dozens of distinct neighborhoods, each with its own character, price point, and lifestyle. Choosing the right community is the single most important decision you will make when relocating here.

Whether you are a retiree searching for a quiet coastal lifestyle, a family looking for top-rated schools and community amenities, a remote worker wanting walkability and energy, or a buyer focused on investment value, there is a neighborhood on the Grand Strand that fits your needs exactly. Here are 17 of the best.

1. Berkshire Forest — Best Overall Community in Carolina Forest

Berkshire Forest consistently ranks as one of the most desirable planned communities on the entire Grand Strand. Built around a resort-style amenity package — a clubhouse, multiple pools, a lazy river, fitness center, pickleball courts, and walking trails — it offers the kind of lifestyle infrastructure that draws buyers from across the country. Homes range from the mid-$300,000s to the upper $500,000s.

Best for: Families, relocators from Charlotte and Raleigh, active adults who want community amenities. Browse Carolina Forest homes

2. Plantation Lakes — Best for Freshwater Waterfront Living

Plantation Lakes is built around a 158-acre freshwater lake with a private marina, beach area, tennis, pickleball, pools, and a clubhouse. It is one of the few inland Grand Strand communities where you can own true waterfront property at an accessible price point, with homes ranging from the upper $300,000s to over $600,000 for premium lake-front lots.

Best for: Waterfront lifestyle buyers, boating and water recreation enthusiasts

3. Grande Dunes — Best for Luxury Living

Grande Dunes is the Grand Strand's premier luxury address — a 2,200-acre master-planned community along the Intracoastal Waterway in north Myrtle Beach. It features two golf courses, a private marina, and a members-only oceanfront beach club. Properties range from condos in the mid-$400,000s to waterfront estates well into the millions.

Best for: Luxury buyers, golf enthusiasts, buyers seeking a resort lifestyle as their permanent address

4. Market Common — Best for Walkability

Market Common is built on the site of the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base and offers something genuinely rare on the Grand Strand — walkability. A town center with restaurants, shops, a movie theater, parks, and community events creates an urban feel that draws younger buyers and active adults who want to walk to everything. Homes range from the mid-$200,000s to the upper $400,000s.

Best for: Young professionals, remote workers, active adults who prioritize a walkable lifestyle

5. Tidewater Plantation — Best Golf Community

Tidewater Plantation in North Myrtle Beach is consistently ranked among the finest golf communities in the Carolinas. The course winds through maritime forest and marshlands with dramatic ocean views, and residents enjoy a private oceanfront beach cabana that is genuinely extraordinary. Properties range from condos in the upper $200,000s to custom homes over $1 million.

Best for: Golf enthusiasts, active retirees, buyers seeking prestige in a gated community

6. Prince Creek — Best Master-Planned Community in South Myrtle Beach

Prince Creek in Murrells Inlet is a large master-planned community built around the TPC of Myrtle Beach — a PGA Tour-caliber golf facility. Multiple residential neighborhoods, resort pools, fitness facilities, and the quality of the golf course make it one of the most complete lifestyle communities on the southern strand. Homes range from townhomes in the low $200,000s to large single-family homes in the $500,000s.

Best for: Golf buyers, active lifestyle buyers, retirees in south Myrtle Beach

7. Barefoot Resort — Best Waterway Community in North Myrtle Beach

Barefoot Resort is a large master-planned community along the Intracoastal Waterway featuring four golf courses, a marina, resort pools, and waterway access. It is one of the most well-known addresses in North Myrtle Beach and draws a mix of full-time residents, retirees, and vacation home buyers. Properties range from condos in the mid-$200,000s to waterfront homes in the upper $700,000s.

Best for: Boating enthusiasts, golfers, North Myrtle Beach lifestyle buyers. Browse North Myrtle Beach homes

8. The Farm at Carolina Forest — Best Value in the Top School District

The Farm at Carolina Forest offers strong value in the heart of Horry County's best school district. With community pools, playgrounds, and walking trails, it has the amenities families need at prices that are more accessible than premium Carolina Forest communities. Homes range from the low $300,000s to the mid-$400,000s.

Best for: Families, first-time buyers, value-focused buyers who want the Carolina Forest school district

9. Cherry Grove — Best for Beach Character at an Accessible Price

Cherry Grove is the northernmost section of North Myrtle Beach and offers something increasingly rare — beach proximity with genuine old-school character. Older beach cottages and canal homes sit alongside newer construction, and prices are generally lower than the resort corridor while still delivering coastal lifestyle and ocean access.

Best for: Buyers seeking authentic beach community character, vacation home buyers, investors

10. Surfside Beach — Best Family Beach Community

Surfside Beach calls itself the Family Beach and earns the name. This small, walkable beach town just south of Myrtle Beach has its own pier, its own identity, and genuine beach town character. Walkability to the ocean from single-family homes — without paying oceanfront prices — is rare on the Grand Strand, and Surfside delivers it. Homes range from the mid-$300,000s to over $1 million for oceanfront properties.

Best for: Families, beach lifestyle buyers, buyers who want to walk to the ocean from a single-family home. Browse Surfside Beach homes

11. Wachesaw Plantation — Best Gated Luxury in Murrells Inlet

Wachesaw Plantation is a private gated community along the Waccamaw River where a historic plantation house serves as the clubhouse and a Jack Nicklaus-designed course winds through mature live oaks. It is one of the most beautiful residential settings on the entire Grand Strand. Homes range from the low $400,000s to over $1 million.

Best for: Luxury buyers, history and character seekers, buyers who want gated privacy in south Myrtle Beach. Browse Murrells Inlet homes

12. Pawleys Plantation — Best Golf and Lowcountry Community

Pawleys Plantation is a Jack Nicklaus-designed gated golf community at the southern end of the Grand Strand, offering one of the most dramatic and beautiful course settings in South Carolina. The surrounding residential community combines Lowcountry character with resort amenities. Homes range from the mid-$300,000s to luxury estates.

Best for: Golf buyers, Lowcountry lifestyle buyers, buyers seeking privacy at the southern end of the strand. Browse Pawleys Island homes

13. Conway Riverfront — Best Value and Small-Town Character

Conway's historic downtown along the Waccamaw River offers some of the best value left in the coastal Carolinas market combined with genuine small-town character. The Riverwalk, boutique shops, local restaurants, and a vibrant community make Conway an increasingly popular landing spot for buyers who have been priced out of closer-in beach communities.

Best for: Value-focused buyers, buyers seeking authentic small-town character, first-time buyers. Browse Conway homes

14. Little River Waterway Communities — Best for Boating Lifestyle

Little River at the northern tip of the Grand Strand offers an Intracoastal Waterway-focused lifestyle with fishing, boating, a charming waterfront district, and a close-knit community feel. Communities like Arbor Creek and Cypress Village offer resort amenities at accessible price points.

Best for: Boating and fishing enthusiasts, retirees seeking a quieter waterway lifestyle. Browse Little River homes

15. Arrowhead — Best Golf Community Value

Arrowhead Country Club in Carolina Forest offers golf community living at some of the most accessible price points on the Grand Strand. Properties range from condos in the low $200,000s to single-family homes on the fairways in the mid-$400,000s, making it one of the best value golf communities on the entire strand.

Best for: Golf enthusiasts on a budget, retirees seeking golf access at an accessible price

16. Heritage Plantation — Best Waterway and Golf in Pawleys Island

Heritage Plantation is a gated Pawleys Island community built around a private golf course with Intracoastal Waterway access and a marina. It is well-established, popular with retirees, and offers homes from the mid-$300,000s to luxury waterway properties — combining golf, boating, and Lowcountry character in a single community.

Best for: Active retirees wanting both golf and boat access in a gated Lowcountry setting

17. Socastee — Best Affordable Location Between Myrtle Beach and Carolina Forest

Socastee sits between Myrtle Beach and Carolina Forest along Highway 544 and is one of the most centrally located, most affordable communities on the Grand Strand. It is established, accessible, and offers some of the best price-per-square-foot value left in the immediate Myrtle Beach market.

Best for: First-time buyers, budget-focused buyers, buyers who want central access to everything on the strand

What is the best neighborhood in Myrtle Beach for families?

Carolina Forest is consistently the top choice for families moving to Myrtle Beach. It offers top-rated Horry County schools, large master-planned communities with resort amenities, easy highway access, and some of the best price-per-square-foot value on the Grand Strand. Specific communities like Berkshire Forest, The Farm at Carolina Forest, and Clear Pond are particularly popular with families.

What is the best neighborhood in Myrtle Beach for retirees?

Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island, and North Myrtle Beach are consistently the top choices for retirees on the Grand Strand. Murrells Inlet offers the MarshWalk, outstanding seafood, and a close-knit coastal community. Pawleys Island offers quiet Lowcountry character and privacy. For active adult communities specifically, Myrtle Trace in Carolina Forest and the Del Webb communities are the most established 55-plus options.

What is the safest neighborhood in Myrtle Beach?

The safest neighborhoods in the Myrtle Beach area are generally the master-planned communities in Carolina Forest, North Myrtle Beach communities like Tidewater Plantation and Barefoot Resort, and the gated communities in the Pawleys Island and Murrells Inlet areas. These communities have strong HOA management, active neighborhood associations, and low crime rates relative to the broader market.

What is the most affordable neighborhood in Myrtle Beach?

Conway, Socastee, and Longs offer the most affordable home prices in the greater Myrtle Beach market while still providing good access to Grand Strand amenities. Aynor and inland Horry County communities offer even lower prices for buyers who want maximum space and value. Within the beach communities themselves, Garden City Beach and parts of North Myrtle Beach’s Cherry Grove section offer relatively accessible price points compared to other coastal neighborhoods.

Not sure which neighborhood is right for you? Our team has helped hundreds of buyers find the right community on the Grand Strand since 2014. Browse all Myrtle Beach homes for sale or contact us and we will help you compare your options.

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