Find Senior Living & Care in Murrells Inlet, SC

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10,044

Population of Murrells Inlet

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3,846

Residents aged 65 and older in Murrells Inlet

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88

Senior Living & Care Options in Murrells Inlet

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$5,254/Month

Average cost of Senior Living & Care in the area.

Murrells Inlet, with a population of 10,044, is home to 3,846 residents aged 65 and older. The city offers 88 senior living and care options. The average monthly cost of senior living & care in the area is $5,254.

Three public groups, not a local government, shape daily life in Murrells Inlet, SC. The Census counts the inlet as an unincorporated community in Georgetown County. So the county, the state, and a regional agency each handle a share of the services older adults use.

Georgetown County Parks, Recreation, and Aging Services runs the public parks and senior programs. South Carolina State Parks manages Huntington Beach State Park. WRCOG, the Waccamaw region's council of governments, oversees aging services for the area.

For senior living in Murrells Inlet, SC, that setup adds up to plenty of room outdoors. The state park spreads across 2,500 acres here, with 3 miles of beach. South Carolina State Parks reports more than 300 bird species spotted inside it, so bird watchers have lots to look for.

Georgetown County's Waccamaw Bikeway is a paved trail through Murrells Inlet, SC, Litchfield, SC, and Pawleys Island, SC. Most of it runs beside Highway 17. It crosses the park and the marsh on its way up to the edge of Georgetown County.

Along the water, the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk is a half-mile wooden boardwalk beside a saltwater estuary. That's how Hammock Coast, the visitor guide from the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, describes it.

Each September, the Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival is held at Atalaya, inside the park. The park warns that most areas inside the festival gates aren't wheelchair or stroller friendly, so plan the outing with that in mind.

A NOAA weather station at Brookgreen Gardens, near Murrells Inlet, SC, supplies the area's 1991 to 2020 climate normals. Its figures show an average low of 36.8°F in January and an average high of 88.4°F in July. In short, winter nights average above freezing, and July runs hot.

Medicare lists Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in Murrells Inlet, SC, as an acute care hospital, meant for short-term care of a new illness or injury. It's one of four Tidelands Health hospitals, and Tidelands also offers virtual care around the clock for many common conditions. Medicare lists emergency services there and at two others: Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital in Georgetown, SC, and Grand Strand Regional Medical Center in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Below, each type of care has its own list and its own tour questions. Every provider is listed, and you're free to reach out to any of them at your own pace.

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Murrells Inlet, SC at a Glance

Park trail icon
Huntington Beach State Park has 2,500 acres and 3 miles of beach.
Hospital icon
Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital is on Highway 17 in Murrells Inlet, SC.
Senior center icon
Georgetown County's Waccamaw Senior Center is in Pawleys Island, SC.
Weather icon
NOAA normals: 36.8°F January low, 88.4°F July high.

Home Care in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

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With home care in Murrells Inlet, SC, a paid aide comes by at agreed times to help around the house. Typical tasks include bathing, dressing, preparing meals, laundry, and errands. One household might need two brief visits a week, and another might want an aide on hand most of the day. It's practical, personal help rather than medical treatment. For someone whose house still suits them, it's often simpler than moving. WRCOG runs a Home Care Services Program for people 60 and older. It offers personal care and homemaker services, provided by a range of agencies across the three counties it serves. Participants choose the agency they prefer, after an in-home assessment decides who qualifies. Meals are part of the picture, too. WRCOG serves hot weekday meals at 20 senior community centers in the region, with transportation help for people who can't drive there. Homebound seniors can receive up to five frozen meals a week once an assessment is complete. Georgetown County also lists home-delivered meals for homebound residents 60 and older, plus a homecare service for basic housekeeping and personal care. Public programs have their own eligibility rules, so some households also hire a private agency. When you phone the agencies below, you might ask about the backup plan when the usual aide calls in sick. It's good to know each agency's minimum shift length, along with its hiring checks. You may want to find out who oversees the aides in the field and how regularly that person checks in. It helps to ask if an aide can run errands by car, and whose car it would be. If seeing the same aide week after week matters, it's fine to say so up front. Ask, too, what it takes to add hours on short notice when health changes. Keeping a short notebook of each call makes the agencies easier to tell apart later. Once a few agencies near Murrells Inlet, SC, stand out, request a written outline of tasks and hours from each, and lay the outlines next to one another. The average price of Home Health services in the area is $30 - $31 per hour.
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Independent Living & Active Adult Living in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

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Independent living in Murrells Inlet, SC, suits anyone who still runs their own day but is tired of the roof, the gutters, and the lawn. Retirement communities in Murrells Inlet, SC, and independent living communities nearby usually take that work off your hands. Many add a dining room, group outings, or a van, but each package is different, so compare them carefully. There's plenty to fill a week, too. Georgetown County's Golden GOAT program invites people, particularly senior citizens, into its Walk with Ease program. The county calls it a gentle activity built on community, health, and wellness. Inside the state park, the Sandpiper Pond Nature Trail is a 2-mile out-and-back that the park rates Easy. It passes through maritime forest, and the Maxwell Observation Deck offers views of wading birds and alligators. Atalaya, the former Huntington home in the park, can be seen without stairs if you don't mind some backtracking. The park also mentions narrow hallways, turns, and uneven surfaces. Lifelong learners can look at OLLI@Coastal, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Coastal Carolina University. It offers non-credit classes, lectures, clubs, and trips for adults 50 and older. Its office is in Conway, SC. When you visit, it's useful to get a printed breakdown of the monthly fee, line by line. You might also learn whether a community van runs to the beach, doctors' offices, and shopping. Residents sometimes help plan outings, so ask whether there's a resident council or activity committee. Pet owners will want to see the pet policy and any size limits. Ask whether the same campus offers extra help down the road, so a later change in health wouldn't mean a second move. A shared meal is a quick way to meet the neighbors and hear how they spend their time. Spend an afternoon at two independent living communities near Murrells Inlet, SC, then picture which daily rhythm feels most like your own.
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Assisted Living in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

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Assisted living in Murrells Inlet, SC, combines a private apartment with day-to-day support from staff. That support covers activities of daily living. These are routine tasks like showering, dressing, taking pills on time, and getting down the hall to lunch. Unlike independent living, staff give hands-on help that follows each person's own care plan. Nursing homes go a step further, with daily skilled nursing that assisted living isn't built to give. South Carolina lets you look behind the tour. A community's inspection reports, with its response attached, are released to the public on written request, with people's names removed. So you might send a written request to the state's Department of Public Health, naming the assisted living community you're considering. Reading the reports at home can sharpen your questions for a second visit. On a walk-through, start with how the community assesses each newcomer, and how often the care plan gets updated afterward. You might ask who's on duty overnight and how many residents each overnight aide looks after. It's good to learn how medicines are stored and handed out, and what the typical wait is after a call button is pressed. If the person moving in has a favorite routine, such as an early breakfast or an afternoon walk, ask how staff would fit it into the day. Find out which services come with the monthly rate and what raises it later. You may also want to know the routine after a fall, and when relatives get a phone call. Some residents want to keep their longtime doctors, so it's sensible to ask if that works. Since those visits happen off site, it's useful to learn whether the community provides a ride and someone to go along. A lunchtime stop lets you see the dining room at its busiest and taste the food. A weekend visit can show how staffing changes when the front office is closed. After each visit, jot down what surprised you, and let those notes decide which assisted living communities in Murrells Inlet, SC, below earn a second look. The average price of care for Assisted Living in the area is $4,511 - $4,790 per month.
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Memory Care in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

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Memory care in Murrells Inlet, SC, serves residents whose memory loss, whether from Alzheimer's disease or another condition, makes a calm, predictable day important. Staff are trained in dementia care, and they keep a closer eye on residents than assisted living does. Communities often add secured doors, quiet common rooms, and activities planned around memory loss. For dementia care in Murrells Inlet, SC, the doors matter. South Carolina doesn't allow residents to be locked in or out of their rooms or common areas. Exit doors may be locked only with the state's written approval, or with delayed-egress locks the building codes allow. So a fair tour question is how staff keep residents safe near the exits, and whether the locked doors have that approval. Caregivers at home get support as well. WRCOG's Family Caregiver Program offers respite, meaning a temporary break, to unpaid caregivers. It covers people caring for someone 60 or older who is homebound or needs daily help. It also covers those caring for a senior diagnosed with Alzheimer's or a related dementia. WRCOG lists caregiver support groups, too, and two of them meet at Murrells Inlet, SC, addresses. On your visits, find out what dementia training new staff complete before working alone, and whether refresher training follows each year. Another good question is how the team responds to restlessness, attempts to leave, or a skipped meal. Ask what a weekday looks like from breakfast through bedtime, and how residents get fresh air. If you'd like regular updates, find out how staff share them and who your contact will be. You might also ask how the team spots the point where a resident's care should shift to a nursing home or another setting. It's good to know whether family can join activities or meals during a visit. During each visit, notice how staff calm a resident who seems confused or upset, and use what you see to compare the memory care communities in Murrells Inlet, SC, below.
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Long Term Care & Skilled Nursing in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

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Nursing homes in Murrells Inlet, SC, offer skilled nursing. Licensed nurses there provide medical care around the clock, and physical or speech therapy is often in the building. They serve people recovering after a hospital stay. They also serve people whose ongoing health needs call for daily nursing. To compare, assisted living covers personal care. Memory care adds a secure setting with dementia-trained staff. A nursing home layers constant medical care over both. Medicare's Care Compare shows each certified nursing home's inspection results, staffing, and quality data. It's a good first stop. On the phone, you might ask which therapies are offered and how many days a week they happen. It's smart to ask about discharge planning, too, and who sits in on care meetings. If you can, tour the building and see where therapy takes place. Pull up each skilled nursing option near Murrells Inlet, SC, on Care Compare before you call, so your questions can start from what Medicare reports. The average price of care for Long Term Care in the area is $8,758 - $9,300 per month.
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Compare Assisted Living Costs in South Carolina

For a sense of scale, the chart sets the statewide assisted living average, by the month, alongside the national one.

Our South Carolina page goes deeper. Look under nursing homes or home care for those costs and how people pay them. The independent living and assisted living sections there do the same.

Memory care isn't one of that page's cost sections. For now, anyone with a memory care question in Murrells Inlet, SC, can start with a call to WRCOG's Information, Referral, and Assistance hotline.

South Carolina -
$4,650
National Average -
$5,350

Local Resources for Older Adults in Murrells Inlet, SC

These organizations serve older adults in Murrells Inlet, SC, and across Georgetown County. Follow any link for current hours, rules on who qualifies, and how to reach the staff.

  • Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments Aging Services. The region's Area Agency on Aging, offering home care, meals, caregiver support, and the long-term care ombudsman program. WRCOG Aging Services
  • WRCOG Senior Rides. Scheduled, non-emergency medical rides for people 60 and older, booked ahead online. Senior Rides
  • Georgetown County Bureau of Aging Services. Six senior centers, home-delivered meals, homecare, and rides within the county. Bureau of Aging Services
  • Waccamaw Senior Center. The county's senior center in Pawleys Island, SC, open weekdays, with a monthly calendar. Waccamaw Senior Center
  • Huntington Beach State Park Access Guide. Free beach wheelchairs, a seasonal track chair, and a beach access point for people with disabilities. Access Guide
  • Waccamaw Neck Branch Library. Georgetown County Library's branch in Pawleys Island, SC, with programs for adults. Branch details
  • Medicare Care Compare. Look up any certified nursing home's inspections, staffing, and quality details. Care Compare

Frequently Asked Questions

Georgetown County runs the Waccamaw Senior Center at 83 Duncan Avenue in Pawleys Island, SC. The county lists its hours as 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on weekdays, and it's closed on weekends. The center shares a monthly calendar of events and a newsletter.

The center is one of six that the county's Bureau of Aging Services runs. Across them, the Bureau lists computer classes, trips, special events, and health screenings. Each center also hosts health promotion programs and time to socialize. Picking one event from the calendar makes an easy first visit.

The regional aging agency for Murrells Inlet, SC, runs a Senior Rides Program for planned medical trips that aren't emergencies. Riders must be 60 or older and finish an assessment. Once approved, they book online at least three business days ahead. That makes the program a good match for checkups set well in advance.

Georgetown County offers rides as well. It lists transportation to senior center activities, plus shopping trips, field trips, and in-county rides to medical and pharmacy stops. Senior living communities in Murrells Inlet, SC, may run their own transportation, so it helps to ask about it on each tour.

Murrells Inlet, SC, falls under the Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments. It's the Area Agency on Aging across Georgetown County, Horry County, and Williamsburg County. The South Carolina Department on Aging lists it as Region VIII, the Waccamaw Area Agency on Aging. Many services on this page run through it.

Its Information, Referral, and Assistance hotline is a simple first step. A live specialist picks up and links seniors in the three counties to help with health, housing, medicine, transportation, and aging in place. One call can sort out which program applies.

It helps to start with a short list of the daily help needed. Then visit several assisted living communities listed here, asking each one the same questions. Another local resource is WRCOG's Long-Term Care Ombudsman program. Ombudsman staff make in-person visits to nursing homes and assisted living communities, working to resolve residents' concerns.

The program also works with Friendly Visitor volunteers. On tours, you might ask how staff help a resident who needs a hand with bathing and dressing each morning. Lining up your notes from each visit makes it easier to see which community feels like the best fit.

Yes. South Carolina State Parks' Access Guide for the park says beach wheelchairs can be checked out free at the gift shop, first come, first served. A track chair is also on loan free from April to Nov. 15 each year, reserved online. Beach Access #4 has a concrete sidewalk with a roll-out mat to the dune line.

The gift shop and ranger station building has a ramp and benches for resting. For visitors who can walk a short way, the park rates the Kerrigan Nature Trail Easy. It's a 0.2-mile walk from the parking area to a deck over Mullet Pond, a spot to look for shorebirds and wading birds. Reading the Access Guide before a visit helps you plan which spots to see.

Georgetown County Library's Waccamaw Neck Branch Library is at 41 Saint Paul Place in Pawleys Island, SC, one of the system's five branches. It hosts programs for adults, including a casual needlework group and a community yoga class open to all levels.

The yoga class runs on donations, and the branch has a limited number of mats and blocks on hand. Both programs meet in the branch's DeBordieu-Cross Auditorium. Since schedules shift from month to month, Georgetown County's event calendar is the place to check days and times before you go.

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Helpful Guides

Assisted Living in Murrells Inlet, SC: Costs and Communities
Independent Living in Murrells Inlet, SC: Costs and Options
Memory Care in Murrells Inlet, SC: Costs and How to Choose
Assisted Living in Murrells Inlet, SC: Costs and Communities Independent Living in Murrells Inlet, SC: Costs and Options Memory Care in Murrells Inlet, SC: Costs and How to Choose

These sources were checked on Oct. 13, 2026: South Carolina State Parks, Huntington Beach State Park Access Guide, Huntington Beach State Park trails, Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival, U.S. Census Bureau, Georgetown County Parks, Recreation, and Aging Services, Georgetown County Bureau of Aging Services, Georgetown County Waccamaw Bikeway, Georgetown County GOAT trails, Waccamaw Senior Center, Georgetown County Library, Hammock Coast, NOAA climate normals, CMS hospital data, Tidelands Health, Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments, South Carolina Department on Aging, Coastal Carolina University, and South Carolina Regulation 60-84.