Retirement Communities in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

CaringScore for Myrtle Beach, SC

CaringScore was designed to help millions of Americans find the best places to retire, age in place, or receive eldercare. The CaringScore for retirement communities in Myrtle Beach was based on more than 50 factors in three key categories: health, cost, and livability. By compiling and analyzing this data, Caring.com is able to rate the quality of life you or a loved one might expect should you choose retirement communities in Myrtle Beach.

A CaringScore can range from 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and provides a quick way to compare cities, counties, and even specific zip codes. With a CaringScore of 5.2, Myrtle Beach is on par with the national average for those seeking retirement communities.

The charts below highlight a few of the factors we used to calculate the CaringScore for Myrtle Beach. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Myrtle Beach, SC

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Myrtle Beach, rates a region on a scale of 1 (less healthful) to 10 (more healthful). It's specifically tailored to anyone looking for retirement communities. The HealthScore for Myrtle Beach is based on the availability of healthcare resources, air and water quality, the overall health of the local population, and other key factors. With a HealthScore of 5.4, Myrtle Beach is on par with the national average for those seeking retirement communities.

Easy access to physicians -- especially geriatricians and other key specialists -- is important to older adults. At just 163.7 physicians per capita, Myrtle Beach trails the national average by 25.8 percent. Myrtle Beach scores 100.0 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 2.6, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 17.8. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Myrtle Beach is 76.8 years -- 1.4 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in Myrtle Beach -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 2.4 percent above average, and water quality -- another key measure of Myrtle Beach's environmental health -- trails the national average by 49.1 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Myrtle Beach, SC	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	163.7	220.5
Geriatricians	2.6	1.3
Cardiologists	6.7	7.7
Oncologists	1.5	3.5
Orthopedists	7.1	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Myrtle Beach, SC

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Myrtle Beach, rates the cost of living for older adults on a scale of 1 (more expensive) to 10 (less expensive). It's specifically tailored to people looking for retirement communities. The CostScore for Myrtle Beach is based on data such as the average monthly cost of retirement communities in the region, the cost of housing and healthcare, regional tax rates, and other key factors. With a CostScore of 5.2, Myrtle Beach is on par with the national average for retirement communities.

Because of the broad range of housing, service, and healthcare options available at retirement communities, no average monthly cost data is available for Myrtle Beach. The entry fee or purchase price for an independent living community can range from $50,000 to $500,000 or more, and typically requires an additional monthly service fee of $1,000 to $3,000 on average. The cost of living indices below provide the best proxy for comparing costs of retirement communities in Myrtle Beach to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Myrtle Beach is roughly equal to the national average. Average healthcare costs are 3.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing index is 103 of 10, which mirrors the rest of the country.

Cost of Living	Myrtle Beach, SC
Aggregate Index	102
Healthcare Index	103
Housing Index	103
Food Index	105
Utilities Index	112
Transportation Index	91

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Myrtle Beach, SC

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Myrtle Beach. On a scale of 1 (less livable) to 10 (more livable), it's a rating of the quality of life in a region, specifically tailored to those looking for retirement communities. The LivabilityScore for Myrtle Beach is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 5, Myrtle Beach is on par with the national average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 218 days each year in Myrtle Beach, 6.3 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 37°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Myrtle Beach than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 88°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Myrtle Beach is 150.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 150.0 percent higher than average. At $40,122 per year, the population of Myrtle Beach earns a lower than average median household income. Myrtle Beach has an unemployment rate of 9.40 percent, roughly equal to the national average. And about 17.45 percent of the population in Myrtle Beach is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 32.6 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Myrtle Beach	Nat'l Avg
Parks	0.2	136.1
Libraries	4.2	18.8
Places of Worship	118	220.5
Public Transit	1.4	110.4
Grocery Stores	574.3	97.7
Pharmacies	65	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65