Myrtle Beach & Horry County Down Payment Assistance
The Grand Strand has grown fast, and SC Housing helps year-round residents buy in a market shaped by tourism. Here is how the Homebuyer Program, Palmetto Home Advantage, and the First-Generation program work across Horry County.
How SC Housing works in Horry County
The Grand Strand is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, and while much of the attention goes to vacation homes, plenty of year-round residents, hospitality, healthcare, and service workers, need help buying. SC Housing is built for them. The forgivable SC Housing Homebuyer Program covers down payment assistance you do not repay if you stay, Palmetto Home Advantage offers a more flexible path, and the First-Generation Homebuyer Program adds help for first-generation buyers. A 640 credit score qualifies, and the assistance must be for a primary residence, not a vacation property.
Buying across Horry County
Away from the oceanfront, Horry County has real options for primary-residence buyers. The areas inland from the beach, Conway, Aynor, and the growth along Highway 501 and toward Carolina Forest, carry more affordable homes than the strand itself. Longs and Little River to the north, and Socastee to the south, round out the county. Neighboring Georgetown County is a more-affordable alternative. SC Housing works across all of it for a primary residence, within the county limits.
Built for the year-round workforce
Here is the key point for Horry County. SC Housing assistance is for people buying a home to live in, not investors or second-home buyers. For the Grand Strand’s year-round workforce, often first-time or first-generation buyers competing with vacation-home demand, that focus matters. The forgivable Homebuyer Program plus the First-Generation help can make a primary residence reachable in a market that is otherwise tough. See our First-Generation page.
SC Housing sets income and sales-price limits by county (with a targeted / non-targeted map) and publishes the current down payment assistance amounts on the SC Housing. Confirm your county figures before relying on one. See our eligibility page.
Common questions
What down payment assistance is available in Myrtle Beach?
SC Housing offers forgivable down payment assistance through the SC Housing Homebuyer Program, a flexible option through Palmetto Home Advantage, and extra help through the First-Generation Homebuyer Program, for a primary residence, not a vacation home. A 640 credit score qualifies.
Can I use SC Housing assistance for a vacation home in Myrtle Beach?
No. SC Housing down payment assistance is for a primary residence you will live in, not a second home or investment property. It is built for the Grand Strand's year-round residents and workforce.
What credit score do I need for down payment assistance in Horry County?
SC Housing requires a 640 minimum credit score. Income and price limits are set by county with a targeted / non-targeted map; confirm your current figures at SC Housing.
Ready to see your options?
Tell us your county, credit range, and price target, and we’ll map your South Carolina path in a no-pressure 20-minute call. No obligation.