Where the Grand Strand is building: new home permits in Horry, Georgetown and Brunswick
Horry, Georgetown and Brunswick counties authorized 63,980 new housing units from 2021 through 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey. Horry County, home to Myrtle Beach, accounted for 34,396 of them. Brunswick County, N.C., permitted 27,391 units, equal to 27.6% of the homes it already had, the fastest pace of the three, a comparison by this newsroom with the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for 2020 to 2024.
Permits fell in 2025. The three counties authorized 11,345 units, down 17.5% from 13,751 in 2024. Brunswick County dropped 26.9% and Horry County 11.2%, while Georgetown County rose 15.3%.
How many new homes did each Grand Strand county permit?
| County | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total, 2021-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horry, S.C. | 6,970 | 7,071 | 6,513 | 7,331 | 6,511 | 34,396 |
| Georgetown, S.C. | 665 | 469 | 355 | 327 | 377 | 2,193 |
| Brunswick, N.C. | 5,249 | 4,929 | 6,663 | 6,093 | 4,457 | 27,391 |
| Three counties | 12,884 | 12,469 | 13,531 | 13,751 | 11,345 | 63,980 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, annual county totals, all housing units authorized, retrieved Oct. 30, 2026. Totals by this newsroom.
The Building Permits Survey counts new housing units authorized by local building permits. It does not count homes finished or sold, and it does not count renovations.
Which Grand Strand county builds the most for its size?
Brunswick County. Its 27,391 permitted units from 2021 through 2025 equal 27.6% of the 99,077 housing units the American Community Survey counted there for 2020 to 2024. The same ratio is 15.8% in Horry County and 5.9% in Georgetown County.
| County | Housing units (ACS 2020-2024) | Permitted 2021-2025 | Permits as share of existing homes | Seasonal or occasional-use homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick | 99,077 | 27,391 | 27.6% | 21.8% |
| Horry | 217,419 | 34,396 | 15.8% | 18.8% |
| Georgetown | 37,173 | 2,193 | 5.9% | 22.2% |
Sources: Census Bureau Building Permits Survey and American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024. Ratios by this newsroom. “Seasonal” is the Census category for homes held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use, which includes many second homes and vacation rentals.
All three counties have about one home in five held for seasonal or occasional use, from 18.8% in Horry County to 22.2% in Georgetown County.
Are Grand Strand permits for houses or condos?
Mostly single-family houses. Across 2021 to 2025, buildings with two or more units made up:
- Horry County: 685 units, or 2.0% of permits. Every year, more than 96% of Horry’s permitted units were single-family.
- Brunswick County: 4,061 units, or 14.8%, including 1,791 in 2023. In 2025, Brunswick permitted only three units in multifamily buildings.
- Georgetown County: 337 units, or 15.4%, all from 2021 through 2023. In 2024 and 2025, every unit Georgetown permitted was single-family.
Most of Brunswick County’s 2025 drop came from multifamily permits, which fell from 994 units in 2024 to three. Single-family permits fell less, from 5,099 to 4,454.
Did Grand Strand building slow down in 2025?
| County | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horry | 7,331 | 6,511 | -11.2% |
| Georgetown | 327 | 377 | +15.3% |
| Brunswick | 6,093 | 4,457 | -26.9% |
Source: Census Bureau Building Permits Survey. Changes by this newsroom.
Horry County’s 2025 total, 6,511, was the lowest of the five years, just below 6,513 in 2023.
What does new construction mean for a rental owner?
New supply adds competition for guests and long-term tenants. It also brings local rules into play from the first booking. In Myrtle Beach, residential zones that begin with R do not allow rentals of less than 90 days, except the RMV district, and a property not already in an eligible zone “cannot be converted to or approved for that use,” according to the City of Myrtle Beach. A new house in an R zone there cannot become a short-term rental.
Permit counts do not say how many new homes will be rented. Census data cannot separate a second home used by its owner from a vacation rental.
Where can I check a specific project?
Named developments go through public review by each county’s planning commission, county council or town council, and the agendas are posted on the county and town websites. In Myrtle Beach, the Zoning Division answers questions about a property at 843-918-1179.
The Census Bureau publishes updated annual county permit counts each year in its Building Permits Survey.
Own a rental here? Tell us what the rules mean in practice: email our newsroom through the Contact link at the bottom of this page.
This story is information, not financial or legal advice.
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Questions and answers
- How many new homes are being built in Horry County, SC?
- Horry County authorized 34,396 new housing units from 2021 through 2025, including 6,511 in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey.
- Is Brunswick County, NC, growing fast?
- Brunswick County permitted 27,391 housing units from 2021 through 2025, equal to 27.6% of its existing homes, the fastest pace on the Grand Strand, based on Census Bureau data.
- Is home building slowing in Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand?
- Permits in Horry, Georgetown and Brunswick counties fell 17.5% in 2025, to 11,345 units from 13,751 in 2024, based on Census Bureau Building Permits Survey data.
- How many second homes are there on the Grand Strand?
- The Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2020-2024 counts 40,967 seasonal or occasional-use homes in Horry County, 21,609 in Brunswick County and 8,258 in Georgetown County.
