1st Advantage MortgageMedian rent in Georgetown County is $1,204 and 84% of homes are owner-occupied. Those are area figures; your own income and debts decide your offers. Get three written quotes, compare total repaid, and check each lender's South Carolina license before applying.
On this page
- Georgetown County at a glance
- What Georgetown County residents do for work
- Age, schooling and housing in Georgetown County
- How steady is work around Georgetown County?
- Budget math at the median in Georgetown County
- Reading the Georgetown County data as a borrower
- How Georgetown County compares
- Local background
- A Georgetown County borrower checklist
- How Georgetown County's population is spread
- Types of housing in Georgetown County
- Household incomes in Georgetown County, step by step
- Carolina counties near Georgetown County
- Georgetown County's outlier numbers
- Frequently asked questions
Georgetown County at a glance
All figures here are ACS 2020 to 2024 five-year estimates for Georgetown County. They are estimates with margins of error, and they say nothing about any one household.
What Georgetown County residents do for work
Employment among Georgetown County residents centers on education and health care (23%), with retail (13%) and arts, entertainment, lodging and food service (12%) next. Compared with the median place in our Carolina county set, Georgetown County leans toward arts, entertainment, lodging and food service: 12% of workers against a median of 8%. Think of these shares as context for the local economy rather than a prediction about any one household.
Looking past the median, 32% of Georgetown County households earn $100,000 or more and 22% earn less than $35,000. Against our Carolina county medians, Georgetown County runs +6 points on $100,000+ households and -7 on households under $35,000. The Gini index for the area is 0.49, on a scale where higher means a wider gap. Your lender will look at your own income, so the figure that counts is the one on your pay records.
Age, schooling and housing in Georgetown County
The median resident of Georgetown County is 52.2 years old, and 33% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. Relative to our Carolina county medians: +10.0 years on age, +9 points on degrees.
The housing stock in Georgetown County breaks down as 62% detached houses, 10% apartments in larger buildings and 17% mobile homes, per the ACS. That is -5 points against the Carolina county median on detached houses and +6 on large buildings.
How steady is work around Georgetown County?
Federal labor data show unemployment of 4.4% in Georgetown County for September 2026 (preliminary, not seasonally adjusted), down 1.2 points from 5.6% a year earlier.
Budget math at the median in Georgetown County
Monthly math for a typical Georgetown County household: $5,726 before taxes, from a median income of $68,713. After the median rent of $1,204 (21% of income), the 30% yardstick of $1,718 is not reached. Apply a 36% debt-to-income test and a median-earning household in Georgetown County could carry roughly $2,061 a month in total debt payments, housing included. Home prices sit near 4.2x the median household's annual income. If your rent share is above the yardstick, size any new payment more conservatively.
Reading the Georgetown County data as a borrower
Georgetown County is an owner-heavy place: 84% of households own. Owners with equity can price a secured line against an unsecured loan, keeping in mind the house is collateral for one of them.
In Georgetown County, 59% of renters are cost-burdened by the Census definition, more than in most of our Carolina county set. Any loan payment on top of rent deserves a stress test: what happens if a paycheck is a week late?
Georgetown County homes run 4.2 times median income ($289,500 against $68,713), high for our Carolina county set. When prices run ahead of incomes, households often lean on credit for the costs around a home.
How Georgetown County compares
In the 146 Carolina county places in our dataset, Georgetown County has a median household income of $68,713 (34th highest of 146), a median gross rent of $1,204 (26th highest of 146), and a median home value of $289,500 (32nd highest of 146). Rankings shift with every Census release.
Two comparable South Carolina places in our set are Darlington County ($48,581 income, $896 rent), where Georgetown County runs 41% above on income and 34% above on rent and Kershaw County ($68,231 income, $971 rent), where Georgetown County runs 1% above on income and 24% above on rent. Size any payment to your own budget rather than to a neighbor's.
Local background
Largest communities in Georgetown County, by 2020 to 2024 population: Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach, Georgetown, DeBordieu Colony (6 Census places in all). Everyone in Georgetown County, from DeBordieu Colony to Murrells Inlet, is covered by this guide.
A Georgetown County borrower checklist
- License check for Georgetown County borrowers: South Carolina's Commissioner of Consumer Finance supervises consumer lenders.
- Refuse any upfront fee. Real lenders take fees out of the loan or bill them later; the scam guide shows the common pitches.
- Keep every document in one folder: disclosure, agreement, payment confirmations.
- Stress-test the payment: could you still make it after one bad month?
- Run the offer checklist before you sign.
How Georgetown County's population is spread
The 2024 Census place list for Georgetown County has 6 entries: 2 towns or cities with their own government and 4 unincorporated CDPs. Home values differ sharply: $459,000 in Litchfield Beach against $168,100 in Georgetown.
| Community | Government | Population | % of county | Home value (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murrells Inlet | unincorporated (CDP) | 10,044 | 15.5% | $366,000 |
| Litchfield Beach | unincorporated (CDP) | 9,044 | 14.0% | $459,000 |
| Georgetown | incorporated city | 8,565 | 13.2% | $168,100 |
| DeBordieu Colony | unincorporated (CDP) | 627 | 1.0% | $1,247,400 |
| Dunbar | unincorporated (CDP) | 577 | 0.9% | n/a |
| Pawleys Island | incorporated town | 170 | 0.3% | $1,694,400 |
Types of housing in Georgetown County
Detached single-family houses make up 62% of Georgetown County's housing units, compared with 65% across South Carolina. After that, the largest category is mobile home at 17%. Apartment buildings (10% of Georgetown County units) mean more renters borrowing for deposits and moves.
| Structure type | Georgetown County | vs South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family detached | 62.2% | -2.3 pts |
| Townhouse or attached | 6.3% | +2.6 pts |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.6% | +0.1 pts |
| 5 to 19 units | 6.4% | -1.0 pts |
| 20 or more units | 3.8% | -1.8 pts |
| Mobile home | 16.6% | +2.4 pts |
Household incomes in Georgetown County, step by step
Households earning $150,000 or more are 17.3% of Georgetown County, compared with 16.8% for South Carolina; those under $15,000 are 8.5%. For the 22% of Georgetown County households under $35,000, free help and payment plans usually beat borrowing (no-cost options).
| Household income | Georgetown County | vs South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Under $15,000 | 8.5% | -1.2 pts |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 8.2% | +0.9 pts |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 5.8% | -1.9 pts |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 13.0% | +1.0 pts |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 20.1% | +3.1 pts |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 12.5% | -0.6 pts |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 14.7% | -1.8 pts |
| $150,000 or more | 17.3% | +0.5 pts |
Carolina counties near Georgetown County
Williamsburg County is nearest at 28 miles. Across the group, the median age peaks at 48.7 in Horry County.
| County | Distance | Population | Median age | Bachelor's+ | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown County | - | 64,811 | 52.2 | 33% | 15% |
| Williamsburg County, SC | 28 mi | 30,282 | 43.2 | 17% | 23% |
| Horry County, SC | 39 mi | 383,016 | 48.7 | 27% | 13% |
| Berkeley County, SC | 41 mi | 246,802 | 36.9 | 31% | 10% |
| Marion County, SC | 46 mi | 28,664 | 42.6 | 14% | 30% |
| Florence County, SC | 48 mi | 137,117 | 39.4 | 24% | 19% |
Georgetown County's outlier numbers
Out of 46 South Carolina counties, Georgetown County's most unusual ranks are on vacant housing, rent burden, age, owner share.
- On vacant housing (27%), Georgetown County ranks #2 of 46 statewide, against 14% for the middle Carolina county. Seasonal and second homes are common.
- Rent burden puts Georgetown County at #2 of 46 among South Carolina counties (59%). Leave room for a late paycheck.
- Georgetown County: 52.2 years for age, #2 of 46 in South Carolina. Benefit and pension income counts when documented.
- Georgetown County: 84% for owner share, #3 of 46 in South Carolina. Repairs drive a lot of local borrowing.
| Where it stands out | Value | South Carolina rank | Carolina median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vacant housing | 27% | #2 of 46 | 14% |
| Rent burden | 59% | #2 of 46 | 48% |
| Age | 52.2 years | #2 of 46 | 42.3 years |
| Owner share | 84% | #3 of 46 | 73% |
Frequently asked questions
Should Georgetown County homeowners use a personal loan or home equity?
It depends on how much risk you accept. About 84% of Georgetown County households own, and a home-equity loan or line puts the home at risk, while a personal loan is usually unsecured. For smaller, one-time costs the unsecured loan is often the simpler path; compare both in writing.
Do you treat Georgetown County applicants differently from anyone else?
No. The check looks at what you borrow, your credit range, your income from any source and your monthly payments, and treats every applicant the same. A lender's own decision is separate, and fair-lending laws bind lenders.
Who licenses lenders that serve Georgetown County?
The Commissioner of Consumer Finance licenses and supervises consumer lenders and takes complaints about them; the Department of Consumer Affairs covers general business complaints. Verify the license before you share details.
How fast can someone in Georgetown County get funds?
Prequalification can take minutes; funding after verification often takes one to several business days. No legitimate lender charges a Georgetown County borrower a fee to speed it up.