Census-designated place · South Carolina

Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

Murrells Inlet, census-designated place, in Georgetown County, South Carolina. Murrells Inlet had 10,044 people in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±881). GEOID 4548985.

Residents, 2020-2024

10,044

±881 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 9,740

Median household income

$77,438

±$12,290 (90% margin)
South Carolina: $69,324

Median home value

$366,000

±$29,957 (90% margin)
South Carolina: $259,000

Median gross rent

$1,751

±$96 (90% margin)
South Carolina: $1,180

Where is Murrells Inlet and what county is it in?

Murrells Inlet is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Georgetown County, South Carolina. It covers 7.3 square miles of land, 1,332 residents per square mile in 2020.

Murrells Inlet is in the Murrells Inlet, SC micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).

Murrells Inlet (marked with a dot) in Georgetown County, South Carolina. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Murrells Inlet, and is it growing?

The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Murrells Inlet's population at 10,044 (±881). The 2020 Census counted 9,740 residents.

The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Murrells Inlet is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.

ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (counts) with the change from 2015-2019
Measure Murrells InletGeorgetown CountySouth Carolina Change since 2015-2019
Total population 10,044 ±881 64,811 5,296,225 no clear change
Households 4,605 ±384 27,129 2,117,989 +476
Average household size 2.18 ±0.11 2.37 2.44 no clear change
Housing units 5,762 ±365 37,173 2,443,039 +473

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Murrells Inlet?

The median resident of Murrells Inlet is 60.4 years old; 11.4% are under 18 and 38.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.9%. 4.5% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin, education and moves, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure Murrells InletGeorgetown CountySouth Carolina Change since 2015-2019
Median age 60.4 ±1.3 52.2 40.2 +3.5
Under 18 years 11.4% ±2.0 pts 17.0% 21.4% –
65 years and over 38.3% ±3.7 pts 30.7% 18.9% –
Male 49.3% ±2.8 pts 47.7% 48.7% –
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7.9% ±2.5 pts 3.6% 7.4% –
White alone, not Hispanic 83.7% ±4.1 pts 65.8% 61.9% no clear change
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 5.6% ±2.9 pts 27.8% 24.6% −7.7 pts
Asian alone, not Hispanic 0.6% ±0.8 pts 0.3% 1.7% –
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±0.4 pts 0.1% 0.2% –
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.1% ±0.2 pts 0.0% 0.0% –
Two or more races, not Hispanic 1.7% ±1.2 pts 2.1% 3.7% –
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 0.5% ±0.7 pts 0.3% 0.5% –
Born outside the United States 4.5% ±1.5 pts 2.7% 5.8% no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 3.7% ±1.6 pts 3.0% 8.4% –
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 13.7% ±2.4 pts 8.7% 8.3% –
With a disability 19.3% ±3.7 pts 16.4% 14.6% –
No health insurance coverage 11.3% ±3.0 pts 9.8% 9.6% no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 96.5% ±2.2 pts 92.3% 90.1% –
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 42.1% ±5.0 pts 32.8% 32.1% +11.1 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 13.9% ±2.9 pts 11.6% 12.3% –
Lived in the same house a year earlier 87.8% ±3.5 pts 89.0% 87.2% –
Moved from another state in the past year 6.4% ±2.5 pts 4.0% 3.7% –

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Murrells Inlet earn?

Half of Murrells Inlet's 4,605 households earn less than $77,438 a year (±$12,290), against $68,713 in Georgetown County and $69,324 in South Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $73,139 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 7.3% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; 2015-2019 dollars adjusted with the R-CPI-U-RS
Measure Murrells InletGeorgetown CountySouth Carolina Change since 2015-2019
Median household income $77,438 ±$12,290 $68,713 $69,324 no clear change
Mean household income $129,548 ±$22,113 $100,259 $95,567 –
Per capita income $69,195 ±$11,954 $44,163 $39,236 +$23,651
People below the poverty line 7.3% ±2.9 pts 15.0% 14.1% no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line 9.9% ±9.3 pts 29.6% 19.4% –
Households receiving SNAP 2.3% ±1.6 pts 11.5% 10.5% –
Households with a computer 97.7% ±1.3 pts 94.9% 94.5% –
Households with a broadband subscription 95.9% ±2.0 pts 87.3% 88.8% –

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Murrells Inlet?

Owners occupy 86.0% of Murrells Inlet's occupied homes and renters 14.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $366,000 by its owner (±$29,957). The median renter pays $1,751 a month including utilities, and 58.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Home values are owners' own estimates.
Measure Murrells InletGeorgetown CountySouth Carolina Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied) $366,000 ±$29,957 $289,500 $259,000 +$41,097
Median gross rent $1,751 ±$96 $1,204 $1,180 +$360
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 58.7% ±19.4 pts 40.9% 42.8% no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $1,661 ±$123 $1,490 $1,529 –
Owner-occupied homes 86.0% ±4.7 pts 84.0% 71.9% no clear change
Renter-occupied homes 14.0% ±4.7 pts 16.0% 28.1% –
Housing units 5,762 ±365 37,173 2,443,039 +473
Homeowner vacancy rate 1.9% ±2.6 pts 0.9% 0.9% –
Rental vacancy rate 0.0% ±6.7 pts 0.3% 8.3% –
Single-family detached homes 57.3% ±5.5 pts 62.2% 64.5% –
Mobile homes 16.0% ±4.1 pts 16.6% 14.2% –
Built 2020 or later 3.6% ±1.5 pts 2.8% 3.7% –
Built 2010 to 2019 21.3% ±4.5 pts 11.2% 14.8% –
Built 1939 or earlier 0.3% ±0.3 pts 2.5% 3.6% –
Households with no vehicle 0.9% ±0.7 pts 5.2% 5.7% –

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How do people in Murrells Inlet work and get to work?

77.2% of Murrells Inlet's workers drive alone and 15.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 23.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 2.0%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (workers 16 and over)
Measure Murrells InletGeorgetown CountySouth Carolina Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+) 47.0% ±5.1 pts 50.5% 60.5% –
Unemployment rate 2.0% ±1.2 pts 4.4% 4.9% no clear change
Drove alone to work 77.2% ±6.5 pts 77.4% 76.3% –
Carpooled 6.9% ±5.3 pts 9.2% 8.5% –
Public transportation 0.0% ±1.1 pts 0.4% 0.4% –
Walked 0.8% ±1.0 pts 0.9% 1.6% –
Worked from home 15.0% ±4.5 pts 10.1% 11.5% +6.8 pts
Mean travel time to work 23.6 min ±3.6 29.1 min 25.6 min +6.7 min

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What census tracts are in Murrells Inlet?

3 census tracts lie mostly in Murrells Inlet (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $66,272 (Tract 9205.02) to $107,313 (Tract 9205.10).

Census tracts in Murrells Inlet, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
TractResidents, 2020-2024Median household incomeMedian home valueShare of tract in Murrells Inlet
Tract 9205.11Georgetown County3,727 $85,833 $382,600100%
Tract 9205.02Georgetown County4,869 $66,272 $311,10070%
Tract 9205.10Georgetown County1,823 $107,313 $579,20077%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Murrells Inlet) · Census block assignment files

How does Murrells Inlet compare with other places in South Carolina?

Murrells Inlet ranks 54th of 248 places in South Carolina with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.

Murrells Inlet's rank in South Carolina (1 = highest): by population among the state's incorporated places with a 2025 estimate; by the other measures among places of 1,000+ residents with a reliable estimate
MeasureRankOf
Population (ACS 2020-2024)63rd261
Residents per square mile76th261
Median household income54th248
Per capita income9th259
Median home value34th248
Median gross rent9th235
Poverty rate201st214
Bachelor's degree or higher37th226
Median age12th261
Owner-occupied share33rd258
Work from home34th119
Travel time to work152nd261

Murrells Inlet's figures with every place in South Carolina (CSV)

Every place in South Carolina, sortable · Compare Murrells Inlet with other places

Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How reliable are the figures for Murrells Inlet?

14 of the 57 figures for Murrells Inlet on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.

The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Murrells Inlet are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.