St. Marys receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
North Myrtle Beach
St. Marys
Opportunity
69 · Top 24%
vs79 · Top 9%
Growth
87 · Top 1%
vs83 · Top 2%
Climate
85 · Top 9%
vs88 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 15%
vs26 · Bottom 22%
Housing affordability
67 · Bottom 29%
vs84 · Top 44%
Access
91 · Bottom 46%
vs93 · Top 46%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 8%
vs40 · Bottom 17%
Measured values
| Metric | North Myrtle Beach | St. Marys | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,855 | 19,166 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,722 | $74,288 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $51,483 | $37,015 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 885/sq mi | 751/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $416,900 | $312,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,263 | $1,183 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 82.2% | 61.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 4.8% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.9% | 29.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.4% | 17.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,008 | 241 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 50.8 | 12.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 21.4% | 60.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 43°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.5" | 47.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 16 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.5 min | 28.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 61.9 | 33.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 1 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.78 | 14.84 | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
North Myrtle Beach
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
St. Marys
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, wildfire, coastal flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
North Myrtle Beach
64
Your Score
64
Area Score
St. Marys
73
Your Score
73
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: North Myrtle Beach, SC · St. Marys, GA · How this is calculated: methodology