Surprising South Carolina City Makes Realtor.com List Of “10 U.S. Cities Everybody Wants To Move To”

I feel like no matter where you are these days the real estate market is out of control. It's overwhelming and the price you're going to pay if you are even able to purchase is going to be, in my opinion, absurd. Especially in the Carolinas. Because it's not just people purchasing a first home or upgrading, but people relocating to the area as well. So when I came across a study by Realtor.com about the 10 U.S. Cities everyone is moving to, I had a sneaking suspicion I'd find at least one Carolina city on the list. And I did. Though in all honesty, I expected North Carolina to top South Carolina for cities to move to. But it didn't. And if you would have told me the South Carolina city Realtor.com says everyone wants to move to, I wouldn't have believed you. My first guess would be Charleston, following Greenville, and then Columbia. But it's none of those, instead, it's Myrtle Beach. Yes the dirty Myrtle as some call it, the vacation destination of the Carolinas, ranked 6th on this list.

According to Realtor.com, the median list price in the Charlotte market is $359,990. They say that for that price you can get a 3-bedroom home even within walking distance of the boardwalk. Ok, maybe I get it now. I can barely find a 1 bedroom condo for that price in Charlotte. So I can now see why Myrtle Beach made the list of cities to move to.

So what exactly went into making this list? Realtor.com looked at the viewing patterns of people using the platform to view home listings. From this, they were able to tell where people were shopping for homes in Q2 of 2023 as well as where they were located. From there, they were able to create together a list of the cities with the most interest from out-of-state home shoppers. The data analysis included 900 metros. Only one city per state was included on the list to "ensure geographical diversity". You can read their full study here.

For a lot of us, it doesn’t get better than spending our summer vacation at the beach. Unfortunately, South Carolina has 2 of the most expensive beach towns in the nation. While there are a lot of coastal cities to choose from, these destinations can be pretty pricey. But it really all depends on where you go. A new report reveals where the most affordable towns with an ocean view are.

So which South Carolina towns are among the most expensive in the country? Let's have a look! Here are the top 10 most expensive beach towns in the country.

Solana Beach, California is north of San Diego. It's a super safe town, and the beach is long with great water temperatures. The average rental home costs $4,372 a week.

Key West is not only a great beach town, it has plenty of history and attractions. Boat racing takes over the town in the summer. Plus, you can get into the Earnest Hemmingway look-a-like contest that happens each year! Average cost of a week rental? $4,547

Sure Laguna Beach on MTV was a great show. Sure, your rental home may sink into the water. But it is a cool beach town. It will cost you on average $4,564 to get a home for the week. Not bad. Hope insurance is included! 

This Maui town is the home of a big golf tournament. The weather is beautiful year round. The beaches are sheer white. If you want to rent a home it will run you $4,946 for the week. 

What a great local town for us in the Carolina's to visit. Great golfing, shops, restaurants and of course the beaches. The down side? It will cost you $5,576 to rent a spot there for the week.

I know this beach town well. I spent many summers in Folly Beach. Love the whole vibe of the island. What I really didn't know is that my wife is spending nearly $5,943 for us to vacation there. We split the house with friends but holy hell! 

Another Cali beach town is on the list. Like Laguna Beach, if you can weather the fires, the land slides and the celebrity bs then Malibu is there for you! Average home cost for a weekly rental? $6,150

Wanna go to Diddy's "White Party?" Wanna see celeb's all over the place? Then head to East Hampton, located on Long Island. Bring your wallet though, a weekly rental is $6,178. 

Another over the top Long Island beach town. Even more celebrities show up and hang. There's a PGA golf event held yearly. Rent a home for the week in Southhampton for an average of $6,391! 

Party it up with John Legend. Hang on the beach, or spend thousands at dinner! This town, the most expensive beach town in the nation has an average cost of $6,454 a week!