Beach townsSouth Carolina2026
South Carolina Beach Towns
Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head Island and North Myrtle Beach were the most booked of the 18 beach towns in South Carolina on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, with an estimated 170,852, 80,590 and 78,044 stays. June is the busiest month across them, and the typical stay is 5.0 nights.
Figures are AirROI estimates. How they are made
Among the 13 towns with 200+ homes
- Most booked of these 13
- Myrtle Beach 170,852 stays
- Highest revenue per home of these 13
- Folly Beach $97,132 a year
- Highest rated of these 13
- Murrells Inlet 4.86 out of 5
- Lowest nightly rate of these 13
- Myrtle Beach $271 a night
- Longest typical stay of these 13
- Hilton Head Island 5.9 nights
Ranking
South Carolina Beach Towns Ranked by Airbnb Stays
Every one of the beach and coastal towns in South Carolina with 100 or more Airbnb homes and recent stays, most booked first.
| 1 | Myrtle Beach | 170,852 | $271 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Hilton Head Island | 80,590 | $464 |
| 3 | North Myrtle Beach | 78,044 | $389 |
| 4 | Folly Beach | 28,752 | $646 |
| 5 | Isle of Palms | 25,439 | $804 |
| 6 | Murrells Inlet | 11,439 | $424 |
| 7 | Kiawah Island | 10,323 | $682 |
| 8 | Surfside Beach | 9,295 | $434 |
| 9 | Pawleys Island | 8,744 | $407 |
| 10 | Garden City Beach | 7,610 | $383 |
| 11 | Seabrook Island | 6,367 | $471 |
| 12 | Edisto Beach | 4,336 | $371 |
| 13 | Saint Helena Island | 4,240 | $358 |
| 14 | Fripp Island | 4,203 | $538 |
| 15 | Little River | 2,436 | $211 |
| 16 | Fantasy Harbour | 2,284 | $210 |
| 17 | Litchfield Beach | 2,142 | $449 |
| 18 | North Litchfield Beach | 2,051 | $494 |
Figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and stays count Airbnb bookings only. Typical stay is a booking's length, occupancy the share of available nights booked, and revenue the yearly average per home, before costs. Guest rating is out of 5.
Town by town
Where the Top Towns Stand Out
4 of 8 are busiest in June. North Myrtle Beach, Isle of Palms, Kiawah Island and Surfside Beach peak in July. Among guests who left a review, Charlotte is the top home city in all 8. Houses are the largest home type in 5 of the 8. The lines below add what the table can't show, where one of the 8 most booked towns leads its peers or differs from the rest.
- Myrtle Beach
Of the 13 beach towns in South Carolina with 200 or more homes, Myrtle Beach had the most Airbnb homes, at 8,669, and had the lowest nightly rate, at $271, in the 12 months to October 2026. Apartments and condos were the largest home type in Myrtle Beach, at 81% of homes.
- Hilton Head Island
Of the 13 beach towns in South Carolina with 200 or more homes, Hilton Head Island had the longest typical stay, at 5.9 nights, in the 12 months to October 2026. Apartments and condos were the largest home type in Hilton Head Island, at 50% of homes.
- North Myrtle Beach
In the 12 months to October 2026, apartments and condos were the largest home type in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at 67% of homes.
- 4Folly Beach
Of the 13 beach towns in South Carolina with 200 or more homes, Folly Beach had the highest occupancy, at 48%, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 5Isle of Palms
Of the 13 beach towns in South Carolina with 200 or more homes, Isle of Palms had the highest nightly rate, at $804, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 6Murrells Inlet
Of the 13 beach towns in South Carolina with 200 or more homes, Murrells Inlet had the highest guest rating, at 4.86, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 7Kiawah Island
Of the 13 beach towns in South Carolina with 200 or more homes, Kiawah Island was booked furthest ahead, about 103 days before arrival, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 8Surfside Beach
Of the 13 beach towns in South Carolina with 200 or more homes, Surfside Beach had the biggest share of homes that sleep 8 or more, at 58%, in the 12 months to October 2026.
When to go
Busiest and Quietest Months
June, July and August rank as the busiest months for Airbnb nights across the beach towns in South Carolina, and December and January as the quietest. June is the busiest month in 6 of the 18, while North Myrtle Beach, Isle of Palms and Kiawah Island peak in July. Across the 18 towns, nightly rates run lowest in January, at about $350, and highest in June, at about $512. Across the 18 towns, stays run longest in February, at 7.3 nights, and shortest in September, at 4.0 nights.
June ranks first, January last
Airbnb months in calendar order. The number is the month's rank, and 1 is the busiest. The bar shows its part of Airbnb nights.
- Three busiest months
- Other months
Month by month: rank, typical stay and nightly rate
| Rank | Month | Typical stay | Nightly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June | 5.3 nights | $512 |
| 2 | July | 5.5 nights | $503 |
| 3 | August | 4.6 nights | $426 |
| 4 | May | 4.5 nights | $442 |
| 5 | April | 4.7 nights | $416 |
| 6 | September | 4.0 nights | $372 |
| 7 | March | 5.6 nights | $389 |
| 8 | October | 4.3 nights | $364 |
| 9 | February | 7.3 nights | $357 |
| 10 | November | 4.4 nights | $357 |
| 11 | December | 4.5 nights | $359 |
| 12 | January | 6.5 nights | $350 |
Who comes
Where Guests Come From
Among guests who left a review, 98% come from within the United States. The top home cities among those guests are Charlotte, Atlanta and Columbia. Hilton Head Island draws the most from abroad, at 2.6%, among towns with 200 or more homes.
Top home cities
Among guests who left a review
98% from within the United States
The money view
Revenue, Occupancy and Nightly Rate
Among the 13 towns with 200 or more Airbnb homes, Folly Beach has the highest estimated revenue per home, at $97,132 a year. Of those 13, Folly Beach has the highest occupancy, at 48%, and Myrtle Beach has the lowest nightly rate on Airbnb, at $271. The most booked of the 18, Myrtle Beach, earns about $27,835 per home.
Highest revenue per home of these 13
A year, AirROI estimate
- Folly Beach $97,132
- Isle of Palms $96,553
- Kiawah Island $57,666
- Murrells Inlet $50,680
- Fripp Island $45,195
Highest occupancy of these 13
Nights booked, AirROI estimate
- Folly Beach 48%
- Isle of Palms 43%
- Murrells Inlet 43%
Lowest nightly rate of these 13
On Airbnb, AirROI estimate
- Myrtle Beach $271
- Edisto Beach $371
- Garden City Beach $383
- North Myrtle Beach $389
- Pawleys Island $407
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular beach town in South Carolina?
By AirROI's estimates, Myrtle Beach is the most booked of the 18 beach towns in South Carolina, with 170,852 Airbnb stays in the 12 months to October 2026. Hilton Head Island is second, with 80,590. This counts Airbnb bookings only.
What is the most affordable beach town in South Carolina?
By AirROI's estimated nightly rate on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, among beach towns in South Carolina with 200 or more homes, the lowest are Myrtle Beach ($271), Edisto Beach ($371) and Garden City Beach ($383). That is the average asking price on booked nights, not what it costs to live or buy there.
What are some small beach towns in South Carolina?
By AirROI's count of active Airbnb homes as of October 2026, the smallest of the 18 beach towns it lists in South Carolina are North Litchfield Beach (133), Fantasy Harbour (164) and Little River (167). AirROI's list starts at 100 homes, so smaller places are not on it.
What beach towns in South Carolina offer the strongest Airbnb returns?
Returns depend on what a home costs to buy and run, which AirROI's figures do not cover. On AirROI's estimated revenue per home in the 12 months to October 2026, among beach towns in South Carolina with 200 or more homes, the highest are Folly Beach ($97,132), Isle of Palms ($96,553) and Kiawah Island ($57,666). Among the same towns, Folly Beach has the highest occupancy, at 48%.
Method
How These Lists and Numbers Are Made
How a town gets on this list. A town needs 100 or more Airbnb homes with recent stays. A language model then judges the place from its name, state, country and coordinates, not from words in its name: it has to be on an ocean or sea coast with its own beach, seafront or harbour, or on a Great Lake with a public beach, and within about 10 km of the shore. The town's own listings can back that up, with 30% of its homes listing beach access, or 10% with ocean views, waterfront homes or beach in their titles besides. A town whose listings do not gets a second, stricter check, which asks whether people go there for that or mainly for something else. Big cities stay off. Corrections come last: places the checks got wrong are added or taken off, and rows that name one place are joined.
How the figures are made. Stays, occupancy, nightly rate and revenue are AirROI estimates built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. A town's stays are its bookings in the period, and the typical stay and busiest month come from the same data. Guest ratings, home sizes and how far ahead guests book are the latest figures in each town's AirROI data. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 873,423 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. A town needs 1,000 reviews before this page gives its share from abroad.