City · Horry County, South Carolina

Loris, South Carolina

Loris is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, part of the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC metro area. It has 2,645 residents. Loris, South Carolina has a quality-of-life score of 23 out of 100 (low), ranking #12,051 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within South Carolina it ranks #133 of 268 cities and towns. It ranks best on restaurants and bars (high), comfortable days (high) and arts, entertainment and recreation (high). It ranks worst on median household income (low), natural hazard risk (high) and broadband subscriptions (low).

23Low

Quality-of-life score: #12,051 of 15,651 cities and towns
South Carolina: #133 of 268 in SC
Population: 2,645 (2020-2024)
Land area: 5 mi²
Density: 577.3 /mi²
FIPS code: 4542730

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 76 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety10#14,024/15,637
Economy15#13,272/15,631
Housing51#7,267/14,977
Health18#12,773/15,609
Healthcare26#11,581/15,650
Environment54#7,148/15,453
Education50#7,903/15,649
Infrastructure8#14,381/15,650
Community38#9,662/15,651
Leisure & amenities84#2,552/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Loris, South Carolina ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Horry County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Restaurants and bars · high16.4 /10k
96/100South Carolina 9.7 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHorry County value
Comfortable days · high34.0%
93/100South Carolina 31.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationHorry County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high6.9 /10k
87/100South Carolina 5.1 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHorry County value
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100South Carolina 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHorry County value
Distance to an airport · low11 mi
85/100South Carolina 24 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauHorry County value
Job growth · high1.4%
83/100South Carolina 0.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataHorry County value

Weaknesses

Median household income · low$36,899
4/100South Carolina $72,507United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Natural hazard risk · high93.5
6/100South Carolina 51.22025Federal Emergency Management AgencyHorry County value
Broadband subscriptions · low75.4%
8/100South Carolina 88.8%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.509
12/100South Carolina 0.475United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Drug overdose deaths · high27.7 /100k
12/100South Carolina 22.1 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataHorry County value
Average weekly wage · low$962
12/100South Carolina $1,226United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHorry County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Rent-burdened householdsImproving
66.7% (2015-2019) → 39.5% (2020-2024)
−27 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
38.8% (2015-2019) → 28.3% (2020-2024)
−10 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.9× (2015-2019) → 5.8× (2020-2024)
+48%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
New homes permittedWorsening
9.7 /1k (2021) → 5.7 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−42%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Average commute timeWorsening
24.3 min (2015-2019) → 31.6 min (2020-2024)
+30%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
11.7% (2015-2019) → 17.4% (2020-2024)
+5.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Loris, South Carolina improved on 2 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Rent burden−27 points66.7% → 39.5%
Rent / income−10 points38.8% → 28.3%

Declined1

Price / income+1.9×3.9× → 5.8×

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Loris, South Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	24.3 min2015-2019	31.6 min2020-2024	+7.3 min	Within the margin of error	5%
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.3%2015-2019	16.9%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Broadband subscriptions	70.1%2015-2019	75.5%2020-2024	+5.3 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Effective property tax rate	0.53%2015-2019	0.62%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	7%
High school diploma or higher	83.8%2015-2019	84.0%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Home price to income ratio	3.9×2015-2019	5.8×2020-2024	+1.9×	Declined	5%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4542015-2019	0.5092020-2024	+0.055	Within the margin of error	14%
Median household income	$38,5162015-2019	$36,8992020-2024	−4.2%	Within the margin of error	5%
Poverty rate	18.8%2015-2019	23.0%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Rent as share of income	38.8%2015-2019	28.3%2020-2024	−10 points	Improved	94%
Rent-burdened households	66.7%2015-2019	39.5%2020-2024	−27 points	Improved	97%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.7%2015-2019	17.4%2020-2024	+5.8 points	Within the margin of error	8%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Loris, South Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Loris, South Carolina in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Loris, South Carolina itself moved +1.1 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,645 residents (±35)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 women (+5.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

2,645 residents (±35)

Loris, South Carolina
South Carolina share

White57%1,500
Black35%933
Hispanic or Latino2.1%†55

Education

2,097 residents (±163)

Loris, South Carolina
South Carolina share

No high school diploma16%†336
High school or GED37%767
Some college20%†412

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,161 households (±171)

Loris, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $25k22%†258
$25k–50k39%†452
$50k–75k18%†208
$75k–100k8.7%†101
$100k–150k5.3%†62
$150k–200k4.4%†51
$200k or more2.5%†29

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,161 households (±171)

Loris, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Own56%647
Rent44%†514

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

501 households (±218)

Loris, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $75058%†291
$750–1,00022%†112
$1,000–1,50013%†

Home values

647 homes (±103)

Loris, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $150k30%†193
$150k–250k34%†222
$250k–400k28%†180

Age of homes

1,265 homes (±176)

Loris, South Carolina
South Carolina share

2010 or later8.2%†104
2000–200921%†267
1980–199915%†184

Size of homes

1,265 homes (±176)

Loris, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Studio7.4%†93
1 bedroom13%†169
2 bedrooms24%†300

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

908 workers (±155)

Loris, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Drive alone83%750
Carpool12%†106
Public transit0.0%0
Walk1.4%†13
Bike0.0%0
Work from home1.8%†16
Other2.5%†23

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

892 workers (±153)

Loris, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under 15 min21%†186
15–29 min22%†198
30–44 min38%†343

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Horry County, the county holding most of Loris's residents.

Horry County has 10,550 employer establishments, 265 for every 10,000 residents (1.07× the US rate of 248; 1.16× South Carolina's), with 123,792 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,014. The Census Bureau also counts 38,703 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 10,550; 38,703 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 265; US 248 · South Carolina 228
Paid employees: 123,792
Average annual pay: $42,014; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Horry County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	1,100	27.6	1.50×More than typical	23,092	$23,311	235
Lessors of real estate	943	23.7	1.92×More than typical	4,454	$48,446	5,571
Specialty trade contractors	797	20	1.29×More than typical	5,511	$52,309	2,983
Ambulatory health care services	737	18.5	0.89×About typical	6,417	$75,634	1,230
Full-service restaurants	588	14.7	1.92×More than typical	13,987	$24,851	119
Real estate agents and brokers	499	12.5	2.57×More than typical	1,826	$54,653	2,099
Services to buildings and dwellings	427	10.7	1.59×More than typical	2,663	$37,607	3,293
Clothing and accessories stores	390	9.8	2.70×More than typical	4,318	$24,179	341
Limited-service restaurants	389	9.8	1.22×About typical	6,938	$20,334	78
Construction of buildings	312	7.8	1.03×About typical	1,790	$75,722	1,326
Offices of physicians	283	7.1	1.10×About typical	2,848	$97,008	253
Building equipment contractors	252	6.3	1.05×About typical	2,552	$56,267	550

Rank places for an industry Open Horry County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 398,699 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Loris, South Carolina: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

208.6FY2017
0FY2019

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Loris, South Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

Loris, South Carolina's figures are part of those of Horry County, SC ($32.6M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Loris is mostly in Horry County.

See federal money in Horry County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Loris, South Carolina is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Russell FryR-SC-7 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 0.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Horry County50100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC50

Other cities and towns in Horry County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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