Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Myrtle Beach STRs posted a $253 average daily rate at 54.0% occupancy in April 2026 across roughly 25,800 active listings.
Quick Answer: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Myrtle Beach market area is 74%. average monthly revenue in the Myrtle Beach market area is $7,053. average daily rate in the Myrtle Beach market area is $358. the top operator in the Myrtle Beach market area is Elliott Realty with 1,475 listings. market score is 52/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the wider Myrtle Beach market, which covers 3 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Myrtle Beach.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Myrtle Beach is one of the largest short-term rental markets on the East Coast, with approximately 25,800 active listings in the latest snapshot. The market is overwhelmingly oriented toward entire-place rentals: 25,676 of those listings (99.4%) are entire units, with private rooms accounting for just 150 listings. Bedroom distribution skews toward smaller units, with 1-bedroom (7,759) and 2-bedroom (8,422) listings together representing about 63% of supply. Three-bedroom units add another 5,766 listings, while 4-bedroom and 5-bedroom properties account for 2,079 and 1,771 respectively.
In April 2026, average occupancy across all listing types was 54.0%, the average daily rate was $252.56, and average monthly revenue per active listing was $3,600. RevPAR stood at $136.41. Year-over-year, occupancy declined 12.5 percentage points and revenue fell 4.7%, while ADR increased 3.4%.
Channel distribution shows heavy multi-platform activity: 16,597 listings appear on both Airbnb and Vrbo simultaneously, while 4,762 are Airbnb-only and 4,468 are Vrbo-only. The Grand Strand drew 18.2 million visitors in 2024, generating $13.2 billion in direct spending. The market’s investability score is 94.1 out of 100, though its seasonality score is 42.4, reflecting the strong but concentrated summer demand cycle.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 35% |
| Feb | 54% |
| Mar | 62% |
| Apr | 59% |
| May | 56% |
| Jun | 75% |
| Jul | 79% |
| Aug | 65% |
| Sep | 50% |
| Oct | 45% |
| Nov | 36% |
| Dec | 33% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Myrtle Beach are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Myrtle Beach market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Myrtle Beach market as a whole, which includes Myrtle Beach, so these counts are not Myrtle Beach-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elliott Realty | 1,475 | 12,713 | ★ 4.45 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 1,447 | 51,405 | ★ 4.30 |
| 3 | Big Fish Rentals | 699 | 34,813 | ★ 4.40 |
| 4 | The Litchfield Company | 664 | 960 | ★ 4.46 |
| 5 | Evolve | 583 | 21,406 | ★ 4.56 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Myrtle Beach?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Myrtle Beach are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 18.4% |
| vrbo | 17.3% |
| both | 64.3% |
Home Value Trends (Myrtle Beach)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Myrtle Beach are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Myrtle Beach — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Myrtle Beach takes a restrictive approach to short-term rentals. STRs are prohibited in all residential zoning districts with an ‘R’ prefix, with one exception: the RMV (Residential Multifamily Visitor) zone. Fewer than 30 residential-zone properties hold grandfathered status based on prior consistent use. The bulk of permissible STR inventory sits in commercial zones, particularly the 114-block coastal corridor east of Kings Highway to the ocean.
Operators must obtain a City of Myrtle Beach Business License. License fees are calculated on gross receipts rather than a flat rate; no fixed dollar amount is published. Operators must also register with the South Carolina Department of Revenue for a Retail License to collect and remit state accommodations taxes. Owner-occupied and primary-residence requirements do not apply.
The combined tax burden on guests stacks multiple layers: SC state sales tax (5%), SC state accommodations tax (2%), Horry County school district tax (1%), Horry County transportation tax (1%), City local accommodations tax (0.5%), City hospitality fee (1%), and Horry County hospitality fee inside city limits (1.5%), totaling a confirmed minimum of approximately 12%. Some sources cite totals as high as 16%; operators should verify current rates with the SCDOR and Horry County Treasurer.
In January 2025, Myrtle Beach enacted a zoning overlay across those 114 city blocks east of Kings Highway, prohibiting hotels and multi-unit STR buildings (2 or more units) from converting to long-term rentals. Individual units used as primary or second homes are exempt. Enforcement severity is rated strict, with violations carrying fines up to $500 and potential misdemeanor charges.
Market Comparison
Myrtle Beach’s April 2026 ADR of $252.56 sits above the US national median ADR of approximately $220 for all STR listings, while its 54.0% occupancy is broadly in line with the national median of roughly 55%. The market’s scale at approximately 25,800 listings makes it one of the densest STR concentrations on the East Coast.
The operator landscape is concentrated at the top. Elliott Realty leads with 1,475 listings and an average rating of 4.45, followed closely by Vacasa with 1,447 listings and 51,405 reviews at a 4.30 rating. Those two operators together hold approximately 11.3% of the market’s total listing inventory. Big Fish Rentals (699 listings, 4.40 rating), The Litchfield Company (664 listings, 4.46 rating, 960 reviews), and Evolve (583 listings, 4.56 rating, 21,406 reviews) round out the top five.
Evolve’s 4.56 rating across 21,406 reviews is the highest combined quality signal among the top five operators. The presence of five operators each managing 583 or more listings signals a professional management ecosystem that typically raises baseline quality standards across a market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
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