Carolina Forest vs. Myrtle Beach: 2026 Buyer Guide — Hereda Team at Carolina Crafted Homes

Area GuidesNew ConstructionMarket Trends

July 17, 2026

TL;DR: Carolina Forest and Myrtle Beach are two very different markets sitting minutes apart. Carolina Forest leans heavily toward newer single-family homes, while Myrtle Beach is dominated by condos near the coast. Comparing the two comes down to what you're buying, not just where.

If you're weighing Carolina Forest against Myrtle Beach in 2026, the numbers tell a clearer story than the map does. These two areas sit close together in Horry County, yet they behave like separate markets. According to CCAR MLS data (2025 Annual Report), Carolina Forest saw 42.4% of its closed sales come from new construction, while Myrtle Beach came in at just 5.6%. That single gap explains most of what buyers notice when they tour both. Below, we break down prices, home types, and how fast homes move — using local Grand Strand data, not guesswork.

Carolina Forest vs. Myrtle Beach: how the two markets differ

The biggest difference is what's actually for sale. Carolina Forest is a master-planned area built largely around single-family homes. Myrtle Beach's market runs the other direction.

According to CCAR MLS (2025 Annual Report), condos made up 73.3% of the Myrtle Beach market, compared with 22.5% in Carolina Forest. So when people ask which area is "more expensive," the answer depends on the property type:

Myrtle Beach's blended median across all homes was $260,000 in 2025 (down 5.3% from 2024), pulled lower by its large condo share.
Carolina Forest's blended median was $398,944 (up 3.6%), reflecting its single-family focus.

Compare single-family to single-family, though, and the two look much closer. Through April 2026, the year-to-date single-family median was $490,000 in Carolina Forest and $527,000 in Myrtle Beach, per CCAR MLS Local Market Update (April 2026). Myrtle Beach's beachside single-family homes carry a premium, which narrows the gap most buyers expect to see. You can see how values shift across the region in our Myrtle Beach market-by-city breakdown.

Is Carolina Forest a good place to live for home buyers?

"Good place to live" means different things to different buyers, so it helps to separate what the data shows from what you should verify yourself.

On the market side, Carolina Forest stands out for buyers who want newer single-family homes with larger floor plans. According to CCAR MLS (April 2026), the Carolina Forest single-family median rose 19.8% year over year, while Myrtle Beach's single-family median fell 10.2% over the same stretch. Demand pressure is also higher inland: Carolina Forest recorded 10.4 showings per listing in 2025 versus 7.1 in Myrtle Beach (2025 Annual Report).

What the approved data does not measure — and what you should research directly — includes school attendance zones, commute times, and homeowners association rules. These vary property by property across Horry County. Environmental factors matter too; our Carolina Forest wildfire recap covers one example worth reading before you buy.

Carolina Forest homes for sale: supply and competition

Inventory is where these two areas separate most clearly. A tighter supply means more competition among buyers.

According to CCAR MLS (2025 Annual Report), Carolina Forest held just 3.5 months of supply, while Myrtle Beach sat at 8.4 months. A lower figure signals faster-moving conditions and fewer choices at any given time. Carolina Forest also closed 1,582 sales in 2025, down 7.5% from the prior year — a sign that demand is running ahead of what's available to buy.

Here's a side-by-side look at the core numbers:

Carolina Forest vs. Myrtle Beach — key market metrics (single-family unless noted):

  
       Metric Carolina Forest (Area 10B) Myrtle Beach (29572/29577) 
  Single-family median (YTD thru April 2026) $490,000 $527,000 
 Single-family median change (April 2026, YoY) +19.8% −10.2% 
 New construction share of sales (2025) 42.4% 5.6% 
 Condo share of market (2025) 22.5% 73.3% 
 Months supply of inventory (2025) 3.5 8.4 
 Showings per listing (2025) 10.4 7.1 
 Single-family days on market (April 2026) 129 117 
  
  
  

Metric	Carolina Forest (Area 10B)	Myrtle Beach (29572/29577)
Single-family median (YTD thru April 2026)	$490,000	$527,000
Single-family median change (April 2026, YoY)	+19.8%	−10.2%
New construction share of sales (2025)	42.4%	5.6%
Condo share of market (2025)	22.5%	73.3%
Months supply of inventory (2025)	3.5	8.4
Showings per listing (2025)	10.4	7.1
Single-family days on market (April 2026)	129	117

Source: CCAR MLS Local Market Update (April 2026) and 2025 Annual Report on the Coastal Carolinas Housing Market.

For national context, NAR reported the U.S. median existing-home price at $408,800 heading into April 2026, up 1.4% year over year, with a 4.1-month supply (CCAR Monthly Indicators, April 2026). Both Grand Strand areas priced above that national single-family midpoint.

Which area fits your search?

If new construction and a single-family layout sit at the top of your list, Carolina Forest offers far more of that inventory. If a lower entry price or proximity to the oceanfront matters more, Myrtle Beach's condo-heavy market opens up options that Carolina Forest simply has fewer of.

Neither area is objectively "better." They answer different questions. The right move is to match the market to your priorities — and to confirm the non-price factors, like school zones and HOA terms, before you commit.

Still deciding between Carolina Forest and Myrtle Beach? The pricing, home types, and inventory levels shift every quarter, and the single-family gap between these areas is narrower than most buyers assume. If you'd like help reading the current numbers for your budget and the type of home you want, reach out to our team and we'll walk through the local data with you.

FAQ

Is Carolina Forest a good place to live?
It depends on what you're looking for in a home. On the market side, Carolina Forest suits buyers who want newer single-family homes: according to CCAR MLS (2025 Annual Report), 42.4% of its closed sales were new construction, far above Myrtle Beach's 5.6%. Demand also runs high, with 10.4 showings per listing in 2025. What the market data doesn't measure — school attendance zones, commute times, and HOA rules — you should verify directly, since these vary across Horry County.

Is Carolina Forest more expensive than Myrtle Beach?
It's not a simple yes or no. Carolina Forest's blended median across all home types was $398,944 in 2025, higher than Myrtle Beach's $260,000 (CCAR MLS, 2025 Annual Report). But Myrtle Beach's figure is lower mainly because condos made up 73.3% of its market. Compare single-family homes only, and they're close: through April 2026, the year-to-date single-family median was $490,000 in Carolina Forest and $527,000 in Myrtle Beach (CCAR MLS, April 2026).

Does Carolina Forest have new construction homes for sale?
Yes, and in high volume relative to nearby areas. According to CCAR MLS (2025 Annual Report), new construction accounted for 42.4% of closed sales in Carolina Forest during 2025 — the market's defining feature. By comparison, new construction made up only 5.6% of the Myrtle Beach area. Buyers who prioritize newer single-family layouts generally find more of that inventory in Carolina Forest than in the more condo-driven Myrtle Beach market.

Are Carolina Forest homes selling quickly?
Supply is tight, which keeps competition steady. Carolina Forest held just 3.5 months of inventory in 2025, versus 8.4 months in Myrtle Beach (CCAR MLS, 2025 Annual Report). A lower months-supply figure points to a faster-moving market with fewer available homes. Single-family homes there spent about 129 days on market as of April 2026, and the area drew 10.4 showings per listing in 2025 — a sign of strong buyer interest relative to what's listed.

What's the main difference between Carolina Forest and Myrtle Beach real estate?
Property type. Carolina Forest is built largely around single-family and new-construction homes, while Myrtle Beach is condo-heavy near the coast. CCAR MLS (2025 Annual Report) shows condos at 22.5% of the Carolina Forest market versus 73.3% in Myrtle Beach. That difference shapes pricing, inventory, and the kind of home you'll tour. Choosing between them comes down to whether you want a newer single-family home inland or beach-proximate condo options.