Personal loans in Horry County, SC: what to know before you borrow

Local snapshot

Figures are American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates for Horry County, South Carolina, with margins of error. They describe the place, not you.

How people in Horry County earn a living

In Horry County, 21% of employed residents work in education and health care, 16% in arts, entertainment, lodging and food service and 15% in retail. Arts, entertainment, lodging and food service stands out: 16% of Horry County workers, versus 8% for the median place we cover. A lender verifies the income your own job produces. Tips, overtime and commission are harder to document than a flat salary.

Break Horry County households into income groups and 24% fall below $35,000, 46% land between $35,000 and $100,000, and 30% reach $100,000 or beyond. For comparison, the median place in our Carolina county set has 26% under $35,000 and 30% at $100,000 or more. The Gini index for the area is 0.45, on a scale where higher means a wider gap.

Age, schooling and housing in Horry County

Half of Horry County residents are older than 48.7. Among adults 25 and over, 27% have a four-year degree or more and 8% stopped before a high school diploma. Against our Carolina county medians (40.4 years, 26% with a degree), Horry County runs older and near the typical education level.

The housing stock in Horry County breaks down as 53% detached houses, 25% apartments in larger buildings and 13% mobile homes, per the ACS. For the Carolina county set as a whole, the middle is 67% detached and 7% multifamily. Match the loan amount to a written estimate or quote rather than to what a lender is willing to offer.

The job market around Horry County

For September 2026, the BLS county estimate of unemployment in Horry County is 4.2% (not seasonally adjusted, preliminary), down 0.9 points from 5.1% a year earlier. If hours slip for a month, could you still pay? That question matters more than the unemployment rate.

Budget math at the median in Horry County

Here is the budget math at the median. A Horry County household earning $66,880 a year has about $5,573 a month before taxes. The median gross rent of $1,255 takes roughly 23% of that, against a common affordability yardstick of 30%, or about $1,672. A widely cited debt-to-income benchmark is 36%, which at the median would be about $2,006 a month for all debts together, rent or mortgage included. Lenders set their own limits. The typical home is priced at 4.3 times the median household income. If your rent share is above the yardstick, size any new payment more conservatively.

What the numbers suggest about borrowing in Horry County

With 77% of households owning their homes, Horry County sits high among the 78 Carolina county places we cover. Owners have equity-based choices that renters do not, but borrowing against a house puts the house at risk, so weigh a HELOC against a personal loan before deciding.

Horry County workers mostly have short trips to work (10% travel 45 minutes or more), below most of the 78-place Carolina county set. Transportation costs are likely to be a smaller line in many budgets.

Mortgaged homeowners in Horry County are feeling it: 31% put 30 percent or more of income toward housing, among the higher shares in our 78-place Carolina county set. Owners in that position should be cautious about adding payments, and wary of using home equity for non-essential spending.

How Horry County compares

Out of 78 Carolina county places in the data, Horry County lands with a median household income of $66,880 (34th highest of 78), a median gross rent of $1,255 (18th highest of 78), and a median home value of $287,700 (26th highest of 78). Ranks like these are a snapshot that changes each release.

For scale, look at two South Carolina places of similar size: Charleston County ($88,494 income, $1,620 rent), where Horry County runs 24% below on income and 23% below on rent and Lexington County ($77,408 income, $1,178 rent), where Horry County runs 14% below on income and 7% above on rent.

Local context

Horry County includes 3 of the larger places we cover: Myrtle Beach, Conway, North Myrtle Beach. County-wide figures blend them with smaller towns and rural areas, so check the city guide closest to you for a finer picture.

Before you borrow in Horry County

• Check the license first. South Carolina consumer lenders are licensed and supervised by the Commissioner of Consumer Finance, which takes complaints.
• Never pay a fee first. A request for money before funding is the mark of a scam; the scam guide lists the usual scripts.
• Ask each lender for the same four numbers: amount financed, APR, fees and total repayment.
• Compare three written offers by APR, fees and total cost, using the side-by-side calculator.
• Try the free routes first: a credit union, a hardship plan or a nonprofit counselor may beat any loan (free options).

More nearby

• Myrtle Beach metro area
• Personal loans in Myrtle Beach, SC
• Personal loans in Conway, SC
• Personal loans in North Myrtle Beach, SC