55+ Communities in Myrtle Beach, SC: What Buyers Should Know
If you're looking at homes in Myrtle Beach and keep seeing "55+" or "age restricted" in the listings, you probably have two questions. What do those words actually mean, and which communities around here have them?
Both are fair questions, and the answers matter more than most buyers expect. The age designation is a legal status under federal law, not a marketing label. It comes with rules that are recorded in the community's documents, and those rules are what you're agreeing to when you close.
Below, I'll walk through what the 55+ designation means, which communities in the Myrtle Beach area publish one, how to confirm a community's rules before your due diligence period ends, and what owning here looks like on the tax side.
Quick Answer
A 55+ community is housing that qualifies for an exemption under the federal Fair Housing Act. To use it, at least 80 percent of the occupied homes must have at least one resident who is 55 or older, and the community must publish and follow policies showing that intent. The remaining homes can be occupied by residents of any age, and each community sets its own rules for those. On the Grand Strand, Del Webb at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach and Del Webb North Myrtle Beach are two communities that publish a 55+ designation, along with several older neighborhoods in Conway and Murrells Inlet. The rules that bind you are in the community's recorded covenants, so read those before you commit.
I've been licensed since 2006, and for more than 17 years I also owned a home improvement and contracting company that did new builds and fix and flips. That background is why I push buyers to read the governing documents and look closely at how a community is built and maintained, not just the clubhouse.
What Does 55+ Actually Mean?
The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination based on familial status, which includes households with children. Housing for older persons is an exemption from that rule, and a community has to qualify for it.
Under HUD's regulations, at least 80 percent of a community's occupied units must be occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older (24 CFR 100.305). An occupied unit counts if at least one occupant is 55 or older on the date the exemption is claimed. The same regulation says each community may decide the age restriction, if any, for the units that are not occupied by someone 55 or older.
Two things follow from that, and they surprise a lot of buyers:
The rule is about the community, not about you individually. It's an 80 percent threshold across occupied homes, which is why some communities can allow a younger spouse or a younger owner in a share of the homes.
Every community writes its own rules within that framework. Minimum ages for other residents, limits on how long grandchildren can visit, and rules about who may inherit or rent the home vary from one neighborhood to the next.
You'll also see homes described as "age targeted," which is a different thing entirely. Age targeted usually means a community was designed with single-level floor plans and low-maintenance yards but carries no recorded age restriction at all. If the distinction matters to you, confirm it in writing rather than relying on how a listing is worded.
Which Myrtle Beach Area Communities Publish a 55+ Designation?
Here's what the communities themselves publish, as of September 23, 2026. Availability, pricing, and amenities change, so treat this as a starting point for your own research rather than a current inventory.
Del Webb at Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach. Del Webb lists this as a 55+ community within the Grande Dunes master-planned community. The builder describes a clubhouse with a fitness center, an indoor pool and a resort-style outdoor pool, tennis, pickleball and bocce courts, and social clubs, plus access to a residents' only Ocean Club with private oceanfront access and dining (Del Webb).
Del Webb North Myrtle Beach. Del Webb describes this as a 55+ community with low-maintenance new homes a short golf cart or bike ride from Crescent Beach and Ocean Drive, with sports courts, pools, a fitness center, and a lifestyle director (Del Webb).
Myrtle Trace South, Conway. The homeowners association describes Myrtle Trace South as an active 55+ community of 149 single-family homes between Highways 501 and 544, with conservation areas and golf course views, a clubhouse used for cards, games, and club meetings, and a saltwater pool open April through October (Myrtle Trace South HOA).
Myrtle Trace, Conway. The association describes Myrtle Trace as a retirement community of 518 homes with mandatory HOA membership, where every home is bound by a Master Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Reservations, and Restrictions that is recorded with the Horry County Register of Deeds. The association itself recommends that prospective buyers review those governing documents before buying (Myrtle Trace HOA). I'd take that advice for any community on this list.
Other neighborhood names come up regularly in Conway, Murrells Inlet, Little River, and Surfside Beach when buyers search for age-restricted homes. I'm not listing designations for those here because I couldn't confirm each community's current status from the community's own published documents, and a listing description is not the same as a recorded covenant. The next section is how to check any of them yourself.
If you'd rather start by seeing what's actually for sale, you can browse homes across Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand and then verify the rules on anything that interests you.
How to Verify a Community's Age Rules Before You Buy
This is the part I'd not skip, and it's straightforward.
1. Ask for the covenants in writing. The binding document is usually called a Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions. Many associations publish theirs, and the Myrtle Trace association points buyers to its own site for exactly this purpose.
2. Check the recorded version. Declarations are recorded with the Horry County Register of Deeds, so the recorded document is the one that governs, not a summary sheet or a sales brochure.
3. Ask the association the specific questions that apply to you. Common ones: what is the minimum age for a second occupant, how long may a guest under that age stay, what happens if the qualifying resident passes away, and are rentals allowed and for how long.
4. Do it during your inspection and due diligence window. In South Carolina your contract gives you a defined period to investigate the property, which I explain in my post on what due diligence means in a Myrtle Beach transaction. Document review belongs in that window, not after.
What Else to Check Besides the Age Rule
The age restriction gets all the attention, but these are what actually shape the monthly cost of ownership.
What the HOA fee covers. In some communities the fee covers lawn care, pest control, internet, and cable. In others it covers common areas only. That difference can be worth hundreds of dollars a month, and it's why comparing raw fee amounts between communities tells you very little. I break the general picture down in my guide to how HOA fees work in the Myrtle Beach area.
Reserves and any planned assessments. Ask for the budget and reserve study, and ask whether a special assessment has been discussed. Roofs, private roads, and clubhouse systems are the expensive shared items.
Rental and occupancy rules. If you plan to be here seasonally, or you expect to hand the home to a family member later, read those clauses specifically.
How the home is built and maintained. From my contracting years, the things I look at hardest on an older single-level home are the roof age, the HVAC age, and any sign of moisture around the slab or crawlspace. On a new build, I want to understand the warranty and who handles service calls after closing. My guide to buying new construction in Myrtle Beach covers that process.
What Property Taxes Look Like Once You're 65
South Carolina has two separate benefits for homeowners, and they are filed in two different offices. People mix them up constantly.
The 4 percent legal residence assessment ratio. Owner-occupied primary residences are assessed at 4 percent rather than the 6 percent that applies to other property. The Horry County Assessor handles this (Horry County Guide to Assessment).
The Homestead Exemption at 65. The South Carolina Department of Revenue describes this as a complete exemption of taxes on the first $50,000 in fair market value of your legal residence for homeowners over age 65, totally and permanently disabled, or legally blind (SCDOR). Horry County adds that the homeowner must have been a legal resident of South Carolina for at least one year, on or before December 31 of the year prior to the exemption, and must have been approved for the 4 percent assessment (Horry County Tax Payer Services). Horry County's assessment guide notes the homestead exemption is applied for at the Auditor's Office, which is a separate office from the Assessor.
The practical takeaway for anyone relocating here: the one-year residency requirement means the exemption generally isn't available in your first year. Plan for that, and confirm your own situation with the Horry County Auditor's Office. If you're comparing counties, I've written about how property taxes differ between Horry and Georgetown County.
Can Someone Under 55 Live in a 55+ Community?
Sometimes, and it depends on the community's own rules. Federal regulation requires that at least 80 percent of occupied units include at least one resident 55 or older, and it allows each community to set the age restriction, if any, for the remaining units (24 CFR 100.305). So a younger spouse or a younger owner may be permitted in one neighborhood and not another. Get the answer from the association in writing before you write an offer.
What's the Difference Between Age Restricted and Age Targeted?
Age restricted means the community claims the housing for older persons exemption and enforces recorded age rules. Age targeted means the homes were designed with features like single-level layouts and low-maintenance yards, but there is no age requirement to buy or live there. Only the recorded covenants tell you which one you're looking at.
Are 55+ Communities Only New Construction?
No. The Grand Strand has both. Del Webb at Grande Dunes and Del Webb North Myrtle Beach are newer builder communities, while neighborhoods like Myrtle Trace and Myrtle Trace South in Conway are established and sell on resale. Each comes with different tradeoffs on warranty, maintenance, and HOA structure.
Do I Have to Be 55 to Buy in One?
That depends on whether the community's rules govern ownership, occupancy, or both, and they are not always the same thing. Some declarations restrict who may occupy a home while allowing broader ownership. This is a question for the association and, if the answer is unclear, for a real estate attorney before you close.
Final Thoughts
The clubhouse tour is the easy part. What actually determines whether a 55+ community fits you is in the recorded covenants, the HOA budget, and the details of how the home was built and maintained. Those are all knowable before you commit, and the due diligence period exists so you can know them.
If you're weighing two or three communities and want help reading the documents and comparing what the fees actually cover, book a Zoom call with me or call or text me at (843) 385-6630. I'm glad to go through them with you, community by community.
The information in this article is for general educational purposes and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Market conditions change, so please confirm details with the appropriate professional before making decisions. Beach Properties Group, Keller Williams Innovate South, 601 21st Ave N, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577, (843) 443-9400. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Brian Staub is a real estate agent in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina helping people buy with clarity and confidence.
Brian Staub
Beach Properties Group Keller Williams
601 21st Ave N, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 385-6630
[email protected]
https://beachpropertiesgroup.com/
