ZIP Code 29576

Murrells Inlet is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Georgetown County, South Carolina, United States. It is about 13 miles south of Myrtle Beach and 21 miles north of Georgetown, the county seat. The community was once primarily a fishing village. It has developed in modern times, along with the rest of the Grand Strand, as a tourist and retirement location. The area has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) and average monthly temperatures range from 46.5°F in January to 80.5 °F in July. The first land grants were given to Robert Daniell in 1711, who in turn sold to several other speculators. First planters arrived in the 1730s, some from Virginia, to begin developing agriculture and settlements. Wachesaw is loosely translated as "Place of Great Weeping", in reference to the burial grounds. Indian burial mounds have been found along the high bluffs at Wachesw that contained European beads, urns and other artifacts. The Waccamaw Neck planters comprised the elite class of the late 1700s and 1800s. These planters generally supported the American cause during the Revolutionary War. The wealthy rice planters also established social, educational and religious organizations, including the WaccAMaw Club and the Allston Planters' Club. In the nineteenth century, rice replaced indigo as the commodity crop throughout the Lowcountry region. It was divided into the two plantations named above. The plantations included The Oaks, Brookgreen, Springfield, Laurel Hill, Richmond Hill, and Wachedaw (from south to north).

Geography

Murrells Inlet is the primary city name, but also Murrells Inlt are acceptable city names or spellings, Garden City, Garden City Beach on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. Murrells Inlet is located in northeastern Georgetown County at 33°336N 79°256W (33.551593, -79.048794). The northern edge of the CDP follows the Horry County line. U.S. Route 17 (Ocean Highway) runs through the center of the community. It has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) and average monthly temperatures range from 46.5°F in January to 80.5 °F in July. The local hardiness zone is 8b, which means the climate is very hot in the winter and very cold in the summer. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Murrells inlet CDP has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19.5 km²) of which 7.4 square miles are land and 0.4 km², or 2.21%, is water. It is located on the banks of the Grand Strand River, which is a tributary of the Little Pungo River. The Little Strand is the largest body of water in Georgetown County, with an area of 1.7 sq mi (3.4 sq km) at its widest point. It was the site of the Battle of the Bulge, which took place in 1864 and 1875. The town has a population of about 2,000. The area has an average monthly temperature of 46 °F (15 °C) and an average annual temperature of 80 °C (24 °F).

History

The land around Murrells Inlet has a record of human settlement that goes back thousands of years, before written history. Shell mounds and archeological findings document the cultures of indigenous peoples who lived in this area. At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants included the historic Waccamaw people, who took advantage of the natural resources provided by the creeks and rivers. The first land grants were given to Robert Daniell in 1711, who in turn sold to several other speculators. First planters arrived in the 1730s, some from Virginia, to begin developing agriculture and settlements. These plantations prospered during the establishment of the rice culture of the late 1700s and 1800s. The rice plantation era came to an end after the emancipation of the slaves (rice cultivation was labor-intensive) and a series of hurricanes that climaxed with the 1893 Hurricane. The 1893 hurricane became known as the Flagg Flood, because families that lived on Magnolia Beach were swept away in the storm surge. Dr. Henry Flagg, Allard Flagg and Joshua Ward were among those who survived the storm and retired to the mill to live on their estates. After Dr. Flagg's death in 1901, his daughter sold Wachesaw and Hermitage estate to a real estate speculator, Samuel Fraser, a realtor and miller. The miller sold the estate to Samuel Fraser in 1913, and the estate was later sold to the Fraser family.

Demographics

As of the 2010 U.S. census, there were 8,547 people, 2,585 households, and 1,654 families residing in the CDP. The racial makeup of theCDP was 91.59% White, 7.12% African American, 0.16% Native American,0.29% Asian, 0.,04% Pacific Islander, 0,20% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. The median income for a household in the cDP was $39,877, and $47,194 for a family. The per capita income was $28,197. About 5.4% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those age 65 or over. The CDP has a population density of 751.8 people per square mile (290.3/km²), with 3,151 housing units at an average density of 429.3/.3/sq mi (165.8/ km²). It is one of the most densely populated areas in the state. The city has a median age of 47 years, with 15.5% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 26.9 percent from 25 to 44, 31.5 percent from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. It has an average household size of 2.14 and the average family size was 2.59.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Murrells Inlet, Horry County, South Carolina = 73.6. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 33. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 99. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Murrells Inlet = 5 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 1,330 individuals with a median age of 49.8 age the population grows by 24.30% in Murrells Inlet, Horry County, South Carolina population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,331.51 residents per square mile of area (514.10/km²). There are average 2.03 people per household in the 3,380 households with an average household income of $50,762 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 13.00% of the available work force and has dropped -6.05% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 14.90%. The number of physicians in Murrells Inlet per 100,000 population = 232.4.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Murrells Inlet = 54.4 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.8 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 112. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 208. 90 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 35.4 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 29, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Murrells Inlet, Horry County, South Carolina which are owned by the occupant = 70.31%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 16 years with median home cost = $121,670 and home appreciation of -9.81%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $4.47 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,977 per student. There are 11.1 students for each teacher in the school, 576 students for each Librarian and 384 students for each Counselor. 7.03% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 18.18% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 7.41% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).