Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce | MBACC Research & Statistics

Myrtle Beach Area Data & Statistics

Serving Atlantic Beach, Aynor, Conway, Garden City Beach, Litchfield Beach, Little River, Loris, Murrells Inlet, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island and Surfside Beach.

Economic Indicators

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Admissions Tax - Horry County

2002	$9.02 million
2003	$8.67 million
2004	$8.92 million
2005	$9.30 million
2006	$9.29 million
2007	$9.58 million
2008	$9.94 million
2009	$8.82 million
2010	$8.60 million
Source: S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism

Accommodation Tax - Horry County

2002	$12.21 million
2003	$12.37 million
2004	$13.12 million
2005	$13.93 million
2006	$14.56 million
2007	$15.37 million
2008	$15.09 million
2009	$13.67 million
2010	$14.83 million
Source: S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism

Retail Sales - Horry County

2002	$6.17 billion
2003	$6.64 billion
2004	$7.48 billion
2005	$8.28 billion
2006	$9.25 billion
2007	$9.25 billion
2008	$8.59 billion
2009	$7.65 billion
2010	$8.41 billion
Source: S.C. Department of Revenue

Airport Arrivals

2002	628,923
2003	666,545
2004	766,268
2005	781,088
2006	716,484
2007	839,450
2008	782,021
2009	743,206
2010	869,032
Source: Myrtle Beach International Airport

Resident Characteristics

Resident Population*

Horry County (1134 sq. miles)	269,291
City of Myrtle Beach	31,968
Georgetown County (815 sq. miles)	60,703
City of Georgetown	8,441
*Based on the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau data

Income Demographics

	*Per Capita*	*Median Family*
Georgetown	$36,707	$53,000
Horry	$29,383	$52,400
*Based on the 2006-2008 U.S.Census Bureau Fact Sheet

Age Composition of Horry and Georgetown Counties* (estimates)

	Under 5	5-19	20-64	65+
Georgetown	3,650	11,400	34,896	10,289
Horry	15,363	41,573	149,712	41,953
*Based on the 2006-2008 U.S. Census Bureau Fact Sheet

Average Cost of Living Prices*

Average New Home Cost (2,400 sq. ft. living area, conventionally built on site, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car garage)	$235,394
Average Apartment Rent (2 bedrooms, 2 baths, unfurnished, approx. 950 sq. ft., excluding utilities except water and sewer)	$632
Average Electric Bill (based on 2,400 sq. ft. living area)	$205.85
Average Phone Charges (not including long distance service)	$27.64
Average Gasoline Price per Gallon (regular unleaded gasoline)	$3.54
Average Price of a Movie Ticket	$8.25
*ACCRA Cost of Living Index (data collected July 2011)

Click here to download a PDF of the Myrtle Beach Area Statistical Abstract.

For information on relocating to the area, visit ThinkMyrtleBeach.com

Visitor Characteristics

Grand Strand leisure travelers spent an average of $121 per person per day, and group business travelers spent an average of $190 per person per day. Furthermore, visitors typically use their own car as their primary transportation (88%). Most Grand Strand visitors (49%) stayed in hotels, while 29% stayed in condos and villas.

Tourist Population Estimates

2000	13.8 million
2001	11.9 million
2002	12.7 million
2003	12.8 million
2004	13.2 million
2005	13.8 million
2006	14.6 million
2007	15.2 million
2008	14.6 million
2009	13.7 million
2010	14.0 million
Source: D.K. Shifflet & Associates

Visitor Age

The Grand Strand attracts a wide range of travelers. Approximately 90% of visitors are under the age of 65.

Visitor Income

The Grand Strand attracts middle-to high-income travelers; visitor income has steadily increased over the years.

$100,000+	21%
$75,000-$99,999	20%
$60,000-$74,999	17%
$45,000-$ 59,999	18%
$30,001-$44,999	14%
$30,000 or less	10%

Visitor Length of Stay

The average length of stay along the Grand Strand was 5 days for leisure travelers and three days for business travelers.

Visitor Origin

Along the Grand Strand, 16% of our visitors came from North Carolina. Another 35% traveled from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia. The following are the 2010 top 10 states of visitation in order: North Carolina, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Michigan.

Golf Revenues

According to the S.C. Parks, Recreation & Tourism Dept., golf generates more income than any other single entertainment or recreational activity in the state. Approximately 3.4 million total rounds of golf were played on area courses in 2010.

Residential Building

2002	2,546
2003	3,476
2004	4,473
2005	6,816
2006	6,694
2007	3,904
2008	1,919
2009	1,476
2010	1,400
Permits Issued - Horry County (Single and Multi Family Units) Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census

Employment

The majority of jobs in Horry County are related to the services necessary for successful tourism businesses. Approximately 65% to 70% of Horry County's employment is tourism related. In 2010, the average unemployment rate was 11.9%, compared to an average of 11.8% in 2009.
Source: S.C. Employment Security Commission

Climate

Sunny Days	215
Overcast Days	150
Frost Days	42
Wettest Months	Aug. & Sept.
Driest Months	April & Nov.
Days with .10 inches or rain or more	77
Days when max temp is more than 90°	40
*Based on more than 30 years of data Source: S.C. Climatology Department

Quick Facts

14.0 million visitors annually
102 golf courses
3.4 million total rounds of golf were played in 2010
9 live entertainment theaters with over 11,577 seats
Approximately 1,700 full service restaurants
In 2010, 869,032 people arrived by one of nine airlines
Average of 215 sunny days every year
The population of Myrtle Beach is approximately 269,291
Over 300 outlet shopping stores

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