he population chapter examines population trends and describes the demographic composition of Horry County residents. Population growth and composition influences land
use decisions, determines housing and infrastructure needs,
and impacts the local economy. As Horry County’s population continues to grow, an increased demand for public
safety, community services, and facilities will also increase,
as well as the desire for cultural resources along with access
to natural spaces. Studying a community’s population is
fundamental to any comprehensive plan. Horry County will
need to continue to monitor the permanent and short-term
population into the future to inform decision-making.
POPULATION GROWTH
According to 2015 population estimates, Horry County has
approximately 309,199 permanent residents. The County
has experienced rapid growth since the 1970s, adding over
250,000 permanent residents since that time. In just the last
15 years, there has seen an influx of over 100,000 residents.
The County has one of the highest population growth rates
in the State and is now the fourth most populous county in
South Carolina, behind Greenville, Richland, and Charleston
counties respectively.
The 2015 total population estimate reflects a 14.8% increase
or 39,908 more people since 2010. This reflects growth that
occurred even during a major economic downturn. These
numbers are only expected to escalate. The population is
projected to grow to 584,500 by 2040. While the projections
were refined by the Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments and Horry County Planning and Zoning, population growth is occurring faster than anticipated. It is important to note that the 2020 population projections are already
being surpassed that were developed in 2017 by the South
Carolina Budget and Control Board. Note that these
population numbers and projections do not account
for seasonal population, including snowbirds that live
in the area for the cooler months and tourist and seasonal work population during the summer months.
These estimates will need to be revisited after the release of the 2020 Census.
MUNICIPAL GROWTH
Over the last three decades, all municipalities, with
the exceptions of Atlantic Beach, Aynor, and Surfside Beach, have gained population; however, unincorporated areas have accounted for most of the
growth in recent years. As of 2015, there were 76,118
people that lived in area municipalities, while 233,081
lived in unincorporated Horry County, making up
75.7% of the total County population.
Historically, Horry County’s population has primarily resided along the beach front and near area waterways.
Since the 2000 Census, Horry County’s population has grown further away from the beach, along major highway corridors. Burgess, Socastee, Forestbrook, and Carolina Forest have seen the most growth. Conway, Little
River, and the Hwy 90 corridor have also seen considerable population growth. These areas are expected to
see an increase in development into the future, as many new subdivisions have been preliminarily approved in
these growth areas, but remain to be constructed.
Population growth from 2011-2015 was mainly being driven by individuals that were relocating to Horry County
from neighboring Southern States (50,968 people), other counties in South Carolina (30,959 people), and from
the Northeast (31,379 people). Since 2010, an estimated 139,319 people moved to Horry County. It is estimated
that for domestic migration roughly 36 out of every 1,000 residents and for international migration roughly 369
out of every 1000 residents remain in Horry County (US Census Bureau, migration rates calculated by Governing
July 2017).
New residents are largely moving into the areas east of the Waccamaw River to be close to the beach. This is
due, in part, to those area’s proximity to job centers, housing opportunities, and zoning regulations.
The map below delineates areas of high population density and urban land use resulting in a representation
of the “urban footprint.” There are two types of urban areas: 1- urbanized areas that contain 50,000 or more
people; and 2- small urban clusters that contain at least 2,500 people, but fewer than 50,000 people.