Horry County, South Carolina Retirement Score
Horry County works best for retirees who want coastal South Carolina living with a stronger retiree identity than many other beach counties. It is less compelling if deeper healthcare access is the first priority. Use this page to understand why it scores the way it does before moving into side-by-side comparisons.
Quick takeaway
Best for: coastal living, retiree fit, warm weather
Think twice if: deeper healthcare access matters more
Score breakdown
At a glance
Good fit for
Retirees who want a coastal South Carolina option with a visible retirement community.
Less ideal for
Retirees who care most about healthcare access or lower hazard exposure.
Biggest strengths
- Climate comfort is a strength.
- Retiree fit is strong.
- Costs remain more manageable than in some coastal alternatives.
Biggest tradeoffs
- Healthcare access is only around average.
- Disaster risk is still a meaningful tradeoff.
Affordability
Horry County scores around average to above average for affordability relative to many coastal retirement destinations.
Healthcare Access
Healthcare access is around average and may feel less compelling than in larger metro markets.
Climate Comfort
Climate comfort is a strength for retirees trying to avoid colder winters.
Disaster Risk
Coastal risk remains one of the larger tradeoffs in the profile.
Air Quality
Air quality is around average to above average and more supportive than decisive.
Retiree Fit
Retiree fit is strong and helps explain the county's retirement appeal.
Similar places to consider
Beaufort County, South Carolina
Similar for key retirement tradeoffs, but with a different mix of cost, climate, risk, or healthcare.
New Hanover County, North Carolina
Similar for key retirement tradeoffs, but with a different mix of cost, climate, risk, or healthcare.
Volusia County, Florida
Similar for key retirement tradeoffs, but with a different mix of cost, climate, risk, or healthcare.
Where this place ranks
How to interpret this retirement score
Use the overall score as a quick summary, then look at the category scores to see whether affordability, healthcare, climate, air quality, disaster risk, or retiree fit is driving the result. A place can still be a good fit for you even if one category is a clear tradeoff.
Best next step after this page
Use compare pages when you have two realistic finalists. If you are still building the shortlist, use the related rankings and the broader state page to find nearby or similarly ranked alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
Is Horry County affordable for retirees?
Horry County scores around average to above average for affordability relative to many coastal retirement destinations.
What is the biggest retirement tradeoff here?
Healthcare access is only around average.
What to do next
Use this page as a narrowing step, then compare it directly against nearby or similarly ranked counties and metros. The overall score is the summary; the category scores explain the tradeoffs.