How Property Taxes Compare Across Little River, North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, and Longs, SC

South Carolina ranks among the five lowest-burden states for residential property taxes in the country, and Horry County, home to Little River, North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, and Longs, sits near the bottom even within that already-favorable state figure. For buyers considering homes priced from the $300s into the millions along the Grand Strand, that means annual tax bills that are a fraction of what comparable properties cost in most of the country. Two decisions drive your actual tax bill: which community you buy in, and whether the property will be your primary residence.

South Carolina Property Taxes in National Context: How Low Is "Low"?

South Carolina carries an effective residential property tax rate of approximately 0.49%, placing it 46th out of 50 states, according to Tax Foundation state-level data (2024). Only four states impose a lower effective rate on owner-occupied homes. For context, New Jersey and Illinois both sit at 1.88%. Texas, often marketed as a low-tax state, comes in at 1.40%, nearly three times South Carolina's rate. North Carolina, a state many Grand Strand buyers are relocating from or comparing against, runs approximately 0.66%.

Within South Carolina, Horry County trends toward the lower end of the county spectrum. The county's median annual property tax bill on a median-value home is well under $1,000, according to the same Tax Foundation county-level data (2024). That countywide figure blends primary residences, vacation homes, and investment properties. It understates the savings available to a buyer who qualifies for the primary-residence rate, and it overstates what a second-home buyer will pay.

The Formula Behind Every Tax Bill in Horry County

In Horry County, your annual tax bill is the product of three variables: fair market value, assessment ratio (4% or 6%), and the local millage rate, with primary residences additionally exempt from the school operating millage. Two reductions apply before the millage rate enters the equation.

Assessment ratio. The county multiplies a property's fair market value by an assessment ratio tied to how the property is used. A primary residence is assessed at 4% of market value. A second home, vacation property, or investment property is assessed at 6%.

School operating millage exemption. Under South Carolina's Act 388, a qualifying primary residence is also exempt from the school operating millage, which is the single largest component of the local rate. In Horry County, that component runs approximately 109 mills. Second-home owners pay it in full.

The combined effect of the lower ratio and the school operating exemption means a primary residence carries an effective tax burden of roughly one-third what the same home costs a buyer who cannot or does not establish South Carolina legal domicile.

The formula: Fair Market Value x Assessment Ratio x Millage Rate = Annual Tax Bill

Property Taxes by Community: Little River, Longs, North Myrtle Beach, and Myrtle Beach

Every property in Horry County pays the same base county millage and school debt service millage. What differs is the municipal layer on top. Little River and Longs are unincorporated communities in Horry County, so they carry no city or town millage. North Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach are incorporated cities with their own municipal rates added to the county base.

Using 2025 millage figures published by the South Carolina Association of Counties (released January 2026), the community breakdown is as follows. Figures are approximate totals; unincorporated properties may carry additional special-district charges for fire or stormwater not reflected here.

County base: 52.1 mills. School debt: 10.0 mills. School operating: 109.1 mills, exempt for primary residences under Act 388. Verify any specific address with the Horry County Tax Estimator.

Little River and Longs carry no municipal millage at all, making them consistently the lowest-tax communities in this group for both primary residents and second-home buyers. Area details for each community are available on the Little River FAQ and area page and the Myrtle Beach FAQ and area page, as well as the Longs community FAQ and listings. North Myrtle Beach sits in the middle tier. The City of Myrtle Beach carries the highest combined rate, though all four communities remain well below the tax burden buyers typically leave behind when relocating from high-tax states.

What Property Taxes Look Like at $300,000, $500,000, $750,000, and $1 Million

For buyers across the price range from the upper $200s into the millions, the dollar gap between the two assessment scenarios is material. The estimates below use 2025 millage approximations and are illustrative guides, not official quotes. Confirm any specific property with the Horry County Auditor.

Primary residence in Little River or Longs (~62 mills total, 4% ratio):

Second home or investment property in Little River or Longs (~171 mills, 6% ratio):

Primary residence in the City of Myrtle Beach (~146 mills, 4% ratio):

Second home or investment property in the City of Myrtle Beach (~255 mills, 6% ratio):

A buyer who makes a $750,000 Myrtle Beach city home their primary residence pays roughly $4,400 per year in estimated property taxes. The same home as a vacation property costs closer to $11,500. Across a five-year hold, that gap exceeds $35,000 before any millage rate changes, a figure worth factoring into any offer when comparing properties across communities or use cases in the same price range. Buyers ready to explore homes across these Horry County communities can browse homes for sale across Little River, Longs, Myrtle Beach, and surrounding areas.

The Primary Residence Application: A Step Buyers Routinely Miss

Every new purchase in Horry County is automatically assessed at the 6% non-legal-residence ratio until the buyer applies for and receives legal residence status. The application goes to the Horry County Assessor's Office and requires documentation confirming the property is your principal place of residence, typically including a South Carolina driver's license and voter registration.

The application is not retroactive in all circumstances. Buyers who delay filing pay the higher rate until approval. Buyers who plan to rent the home short-term before occupying it should confirm that rental activity does not affect legal residence eligibility for their specific situation, a question worth addressing with a tax professional before signing any rental agreements.

An affordability calculator allows you to model total monthly costs inclusive of estimated taxes at either the 4% or 6% ratio, which can be useful when comparing properties in different communities or clarifying what to budget before the legal residence application is approved.

Exemptions That Reduce the Tax Bill Further

Three exemptions can reduce the Horry County tax bill below the standard primary-residence figure: the Homestead Exemption, the Disabled Veteran Exemption, and Act 388's school operating millage exemption already built into the 4% rate.

Homestead Exemption. South Carolina exempts the first $50,000 of a primary home's fair market value from property tax assessment for homeowners who are 65 or older, permanently and totally disabled, or legally blind, and who have held South Carolina residency for at least one year. On a $750,000 primary residence, the $50,000 exemption reduces the taxable base to $700,000 before the 4% ratio is applied, saving roughly $175 to $400 per year depending on municipality. The exemption requires a formal application through the county and is not applied automatically.

Disabled Veteran Exemption. Veterans who are totally and permanently disabled may qualify for a 100% property tax exemption on their primary residence. Surviving spouses may also be eligible. Applications are administered through Horry County.

Reassessments, Rate Changes, and What to Budget For

A purchase triggers an immediate reassessment of that property to the sale price, which means buyers in a rising market often pay a higher tax bill in year two than the seller was paying, particularly if the seller had held the property for many years and the prior assessed value lagged the current market.

Horry County completed its 2024 countywide reassessment, required under South Carolina law on a roughly five-year cycle, updating all property values to reflect fair market value as of December 31, 2023. The previous reassessment was implemented for the 2019 tax year. Between cycles, assessed values do not change unless physical work is done on the property.

Millage rates, however, are set annually by county council, the school district, and the relevant municipality. A rate increase in any of those bodies, independent of home values, flows directly to the annual bill.

Property tax notices are mailed in October and due in full by January 15 of the following year. Buyers financing their purchase should confirm with their lender whether taxes will be escrowed and at which assessment ratio, so that monthly payments reflect the correct rate from the start. A mortgage calculator can help you model those monthly figures across different scenarios.

Putting It Together: Property Taxes Across the Grand Strand

Property taxes in Little River, North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, and Longs are among the lowest in the country for primary residents, and lower still in the unincorporated communities where no city millage applies. The 4% versus 6% assessment split, combined with the Act 388 school operating exemption, creates a meaningful cost difference that compounds across a typical hold period. For buyers comparing properties across these communities in the $300s to the millions, understanding which classification applies to each property is as important as the list price itself.

FAQ: Property Taxes in Little River, North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, and Longs

• Are property taxes lower in Little River and Longs than in Myrtle Beach? Yes, in most scenarios. Little River and Longs are unincorporated communities in Horry County and carry no city or municipal millage. Myrtle Beach adds approximately 83.4 city mills and North Myrtle Beach adds approximately 45.0 city mills on top of the county base. On a $750,000 primary residence, the estimated annual difference between an unincorporated Horry County address and a City of Myrtle Beach address is roughly $2,500.
• What is the difference between the 4% and 6% assessment ratio in South Carolina property taxes? South Carolina law sets the assessment ratio at 4% of fair market value for a legal primary residence and 6% for all other residential property, including second homes, vacation properties, and investment properties. A higher ratio produces a larger assessed value, which is then multiplied by the millage rate. Primary residences also receive an exemption from the school operating millage under Act 388, amplifying the savings further. On a $1 million property in the City of Myrtle Beach, the estimated annual gap between the two classifications is approximately $9,000 to $10,000.
• Does buying a home in Horry County automatically qualify me for the lower property tax rate? No. Every new purchase defaults to the 6% non-legal-residence ratio. To receive the 4% primary-residence rate, you must apply to the Horry County Assessor's Office and provide documentation confirming the property is your legal domicile. Filing promptly after closing matters, as the lower rate generally takes effect upon approval rather than retroactively from the purchase date.
• How does the homestead exemption affect property taxes for retirees relocating to the Grand Strand? Qualifying homeowners aged 65 or older, permanently disabled, or legally blind who have held South Carolina residency for at least one year may exempt the first $50,000 of their primary home's fair market value from the tax calculation. The exemption applies on top of the 4% primary-residence ratio and the school operating millage exemption, producing a meaningful layered reduction. On a $750,000 home, the exemption translates to roughly $175 to $400 in annual savings depending on municipality, after the other reductions are already in place. Application is made through Horry County.
• How do property taxes on a second home along the Grand Strand compare to taxes in other states? A second home in South Carolina is assessed at 6% of fair market value and does not benefit from the school operating millage exemption, producing an effective rate higher than the state's widely cited owner-occupied figure. Even so, Horry County's second-home effective rate generally remains below the effective rate many buyers were paying on their primary residences in high-tax states, including New Jersey and Illinois (both at 1.88%) and Texas (approximately 1.40%). The tax advantage is smaller for vacation-home buyers than for full-time residents, but it remains real across the price range from the $300s into the millions.