Four Grand Strand towns have been ranked among the nation’s 50 most livable retirement towns, according to a new list from GOBankingRates. Murrells Inlet, Garden City, North Myrtle Beach, and Little River all made the cut, with Murrells Inlet and Garden City finishing back-to-back near the top quartile at #20 and #21, respectively.
What Makes These Towns So Livable?
The rankings were based on a data-driven approach, using the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 5-Year American Community Survey and the AreaVibes livability index. The index takes into account factors such as amenities, commute, cost of living, crime, employment, health and safety, housing, schools, and user ratings.
Murrells Inlet, with a livability score of 74, was praised for its amenities, healthcare access, and walkable concentration of restaurants and marina activity. Garden City, also with a score of 74, was recognized for its housing variety, lower cost of living, and walkable beach and pier core.
North Myrtle Beach, with a score of 69, was noted for its lower density, year-round recreation, and healthcare access. Little River, with a score of 66, was highlighted for its real-estate affordability, lower cost of living, and small-town character.
A Growing Retirement Destination
The Grand Strand has built out the airport, hospital, restaurant, and entertainment infrastructure of a much larger metropolitan area, and at a per-square-foot cost well below comparable Florida coastal markets. The Myrtle Beach metro consistently ranks in the top five fastest-growing U.S. metros by Census migration data, and Little River’s 11.45 percent growth since 2020 is what that migration looks like at the town level.
Original reporting: MyrtleBeachSC News — read the source article.
