Cheapest places to live in 2026 in SC. Why this Horry County city made list
.JPG "Conway downtown streets.")
Thousands of people are expected to make a move to South Carolina in the coming year. And with home prices on the rise in the Palmetto State, finding a place where you can get the most bang for your buck is probably at the top of the moving “to do” list.
It’s no surprise that the top landing place for those planning to relocate to the state is Myrtle Beach. But the coastal city didn’t make the list of the top “10 Cheapest Places to Live in South Carolina in 2026,” according to Houzeo, an online real estate site.
Only one city in Horry County made the list — Conway.
The city’s small-town charm with convenient access to Myrtle Beach earned it a place on Houzeo’s list. Conway is about 15 miles from the beach.
It offers affordable living with a wide-range of affordable homes — “an attractive choice for families, young professionals, and retirees,” the site stated. The median home price in Conway is $170,500, and the average rent is $1,793, according to the site. In addition, the cost of living is below the national average at 7%.
There are also quality schools and a balanced lifestyle, “making Conway one of the cheapest ocean cities to live in South Carolina.”
Conway has been identified as one of the top 10 Metros in South Carolina with the fastest growing sales price for homes, according to Redfin. In November 2025, home prices in the Horry County city were up by 4.5%. The Carolina Forest community in the Myrtle Beach area also was on the list, with home prices up by 10%.
The median home value in Conway is $287,000, according to Houzeo reporting.
Here are other South Carolina cities that made the list:
1. Bennettsville
2. Union
3. Dillon
4. Orangeburg
5. Newberry
6. Gaffney
7. Conway
8. Aiken
9. Laurens
10. Florence
This story was originally published December 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Cheapest places to live in 2026 in SC. Why this Horry County city made list."
