This South Carolina tourist spot was named one of the nation’s best beach towns
If you’re dreaming of a beachfront lifestyle, a South Carolina town is among the best places in the United States to settle down, a new report finds.
North Myrtle Beach ranks No. 5 on a list of U.S. communities offering the best living conditions near the water, according to results published Wednesday from personal finance website WalletHub.
And Myrtle Beach wasn’t too far behind, earning a No. 11 spot in the rankings.
The tourist destinations were named top waterfront spots after WalletHub said it examined 191 U.S. cities, including those close to oceans and lakes. Each city received scores in six categories: costs, weather, safety, economic opportunities, quality of life, and health and education.
Among the 145 cities near the ocean, North Myrtle Beach earned a top 10 ranking after it received nods for its pleasant weather and economy, a category that weighed population growth, unemployment, bankruptcy and poverty rates. It also had some of the best health and education opportunities, results show.
Myrtle Beach also received one of the highest scores for weather. It edged out North Myrtle Beach in the quality of life category, which was a measure of restaurants, music venues, recreation areas and other attractions.
It’s not the first time a South Carolina city has earned national recognition as a top place to call home.
Last year, Charleston and Greenville were named among the best cities for retirees. The separate studies from WalletHub and SmartAsset weighed costs, activities and other factors, McClatchy News reported.
More recently, Charleston and Columbia earned top spots on a list of most desirable places for new graduates to start their careers.
And in May, a South Carolina beach was named among the best in the nation. Beachwalker Park in Kiawah Island made it into the top 10 on an annual list from Stephen Leatherman, a professor who studies sand, water quality and safety along the U.S. coastline, McClatchy News reported.
In the most recent report, the only other South Carolina city to make it into WalletHub’s waterfront rankings was Port Royal at No. 94.
Overall, the top town near the beach was Naples, Florida. The lowest spot on the list went to Holiday, Florida, outside of Tampa.
When it comes to the best lakefront spots in the U.S., North Carolina boasts two of the top 10. Cornelius and Davidson, located along Lake Norman roughly 20 miles north of Charlotte, ranked No. 5 and No. 6, respectively, according to WalletHub.
