Home internet town by town on the Grand Strand: Andrews and Loris have the biggest gaps
Nearly 1 in 4 households in Andrews and Loris has no internet, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2020-2024: 22.8% in Andrews and 22.7% in Loris, the highest shares among 15 Grand Strand towns. The city of Georgetown follows at 14.2%. Loris also has the most homes that rely only on a cellphone data plan, 26.0%, and the lowest share on cable, fiber or DSL, 46.9%. Leland, N.C., is the best connected on wired service, at 89.9%.
County averages hide these gaps, so this table goes town by town.
Which Grand Strand towns have the most homes without internet?
| Town | Households | Any broadband | Cable, fiber or DSL | Cellular only | No internet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrews | 1,213 | 75.7% | 67.5% | 4.8% | 22.8% |
| Loris | 1,161 | 75.5% | 46.9% | 26.0% | 22.7% |
| Georgetown | 3,532 | 79.3% | 64.3% | 12.5% | 14.2% |
| Shallotte | 2,134 | 91.3% | 80.7% | 7.9% | 7.4% |
| Southport | 1,878 | 92.1% | 85.4% | 6.1% | 7.1% |
| Conway | 8,762 | 90.3% | 79.2% | 9.4% | 6.0% |
| Little River | 5,886 | 89.8% | 76.2% | 12.1% | 4.5% |
| Myrtle Beach | 17,623 | 92.7% | 75.7% | 14.8% | 3.9% |
| Surfside Beach | 2,034 | 89.0% | 79.1% | 6.9% | 3.9% |
| Murrells Inlet | 4,605 | 95.9% | 82.4% | 9.8% | 3.2% |
| Oak Island | 4,602 | 94.7% | 85.8% | 7.4% | 3.1% |
| Sunset Beach | 2,381 | 95.6% | 79.3% | 15.5% | 2.6% |
| Leland | 13,219 | 96.5% | 89.9% | 5.8% | 2.5% |
| North Myrtle Beach | 9,967 | 93.7% | 77.3% | 14.9% | 1.6% |
| Carolina Forest | 10,113 | 94.9% | 85.6% | 7.1% | 1.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates 2020-2024, table B28002. Towns sorted by share of homes with no internet.
Which towns rely most on cellphone data?
Loris leads at 26.0% of households on a cellphone plan only, followed by Sunset Beach at 15.5%, North Myrtle Beach at 14.9% and Myrtle Beach at 14.8%, per the Census estimates. In Andrews, the share is 4.8%, so most homes without wired service there have no internet at all.
Which towns are best connected?
Leland has the highest share of households with any broadband, 96.5%, followed by Murrells Inlet at 95.9% and Sunset Beach at 95.6%. On wired service, Leland (89.9%), Oak Island (85.8%), Carolina Forest (85.6%) and Southport (85.4%) lead.
How were these internet numbers measured?
The figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 5-year estimates for 2020-2024, table B28002, which asks households what kind of internet subscription they have. Five-year estimates average answers collected over those years, so they describe the typical picture, not a single month. A household can have more than one type of service, so the columns do not add up to 100%. The Census Bureau publishes a margin of error with every estimate, and it is wider in small towns than in whole counties.
“Cable, fiber or DSL” means a wired home connection. “Cellular only” means the household’s only subscription is a cellphone data plan. “No internet” means no subscription and no access at home.
Is your internet different from these numbers?
Census estimates cover years of answers, and service changes street by street. If your town’s internet is faster, slower or newly available, tell us your town and provider through the Gaming page’s reader form. We publish what readers report under Reader reports, apart from the official figures, and never with your name or address.
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Questions and answers
- Which Grand Strand towns have the most homes without internet?
- Andrews, at 22.8% of households, and Loris, at 22.7%, according to U.S. Census Bureau 5-year estimates for 2020-2024. Georgetown follows at 14.2%.
- What does cellular only mean in the Census internet data?
- It means the household's only internet subscription is a cellphone data plan, with no cable, fiber, DSL or satellite service at home.
- Why do the percentages not add up to 100%?
- A household can have more than one type of internet service, so the Census counts it in each type it has.
- How accurate are internet numbers for small towns?
- The Census Bureau publishes a margin of error with every estimate, and it is wider in small towns than in whole counties, so small-town figures are best read as approximate.