Is Myrtle Beach Safe to Live In?
Myrtle Beach is one of the hottest retirement and vacation spots on the east coast, and its increased popularity has come with a load of benefits and a few concerns. One of the concerns that people most often find themselves worrying about is safety in Myrtle Beach, as the city has begun to earn a not-so-glamorous reputation for safety over the last decade. This post will clear up the confusion that surrounds the topic of safety in Myrtle Beach, specifically for people that are looking to call Myrtle Beach their home. So, is Myrtle Beach safe to live in? Keep reading to find out.
Is Myrtle Beach Dangerous?
Over the past decade, Myrtle Beach has begun to pop up on lists of dangerous places to visit in the United States. These articles cite surprisingly high crime rates and have even called Myrtle Beach the most dangerous city in the country. Firstly, any article claiming that Myrtle Beach is the most dangerous city in the country is not so trustworthy, because I can confidently say that Myrtle Beach is safer than most of the biggest cities in the United States, including New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Why, then, do they claim that Myrtle Beach is so dangerous?
The biggest reason is simply because of the map. “Myrtle Beach” is a name used to describe a large portion of the 60-mile long Grand Strand. When people think of Myrtle Beach, they usually think of an area that includes not just the city of Myrtle Beach, but also North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet, and more. These statistics categorize each of these places as their own individual place, considering “Myrtle Beach” to only be the actual city that is called Myrtle Beach.
That city has a population of less than 35,000 people but hosts over 19 million vacationers each year. While most of these people stay in hotels that aren’t necessarily within the city limits, most of them find themselves venturing into the city at some point. This means that there may be half a million people in Myrtle Beach on a random day in July, and the crime rate divides the number of crimes among those hundreds of thousands of people by just the proportionally tiny population. No wonder the crime rate comes out high!
This is not to say that Myrtle Beach is perfectly safe. Indeed, some parts of the city can be dangerous – especially during peak tourism season in the summer. This just serves to explain a bit of what makes the crime rate look so high. The crimes exist, but the rate is pretty normal when you consider the number of tourists in the city at any given time that are not being included in the calculations.
Is the Area Around Myrtle Beach Dangerous?
The city of Myrtle Beach has some justifiable crime concerns, as we just mentioned. There is a fairly high homeless population, which local authorities believe contributes to the increased crime rate. However, while the city is dangerous, is the area around Myrtle Beach safe?
If you ask people that live here or tourists that pass through, they’d probably tell you that it is very safe. The towns surrounding Myrtle Beach, like Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet, and North Myrtle Beach, are generally considered to be very safe. In fact, most visitors to the Myrtle Beach area stay in hotels or resorts that are in these areas! These towns are filled with resorts and residences, and they are pretty well removed from the dangers of downtown.
If you are considering buying a house in the Myrtle Beach area and have been deterred by reports of violence and safety concerns, there are a few things you should know that can help to alleviate your worries. Firstly, the towns surrounding the city of Myrtle Beach are considered to be very safe, and there are endless lovely neighborhoods to call home. Trust us; we live here! Any semblance of crime doesn’t really extend out to these areas, and the crime rate is no different than a regular American suburb.
Secondly, you should know that while the risk of crime in the city does exist, local authorities are doing all that they can to design plans to promote a safe future for the entire Myrtle Beach area. As an area dependent on tourism, local officials know the importance of providing a safe, family-friendly destination for vacationers. The benefits of their focus on safety for tourists naturally extends to you as a homeowner. On top of that, as we said, the crime rate is often artificially inflated due to some questionable calculation methods. If they were to truly consider the large crowds that Myrtle Beach hosts every year, the number would surely be much lower. Often numbers fail to tell the true story, and this is a case where numbers may be causing more fear than is warranted.
In summary, this post is not claiming that Myrtle Beach is a paradise that is free from crime. On the contrary, parts of the city do see higher than average crime rates during peak tourism seasons. However, that crime is very well contained to certain parts of the city, and the crime rates themselves are often inflated. If you are considering moving to Myrtle Beach and are planning to live anywhere but downtown in the heart of the city, safety really should not be a major concern for you. Even if you are hoping to live in the city, there are areas that are fantastic and are considered to be perfectly safe and family-friendly. The most dangerous areas are even considered to be fairly safe during the daytime, and as long as you avoid them at night, your chances of running into trouble are quite low.
If you visit Myrtle Beach or any other place in South Carolina and fall in love, reach out to us for help. We at The Boyd Team are always here to help you figure out whether Myrtle Beach is your next home or not, and we are committed to helping you find the right property for your needs and dreams. Any question that you have about moving to the area and finding your dream home by the beach is our pleasure to answer. Feel free to send us an email at eddie@boydteam.com or text or call us at (843) 222-8566, and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Being true natives of the Grand Strand and Horry County and with over 25 years of experience in the local real estate market, whether buying or selling, we can help you make your dreams a reality.
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Written by Greg
