Real estate investing in Conway, SC
Conway is the Grand Strand's inland anchor, set on the Waccamaw River about fifteen miles from the coast. It is the Horry County seat, home to a walkable historic downtown, and, most importantly for investors, the location of Coastal Carolina University. That university changes the entire investment calculus: Conway is a long-term and student-rental market, not a beach vacation market, and it offers the kind of steady, year-round cash flow that the seasonal coast does not.
Where the beach towns live and die by the summer calendar, Conway runs on durable, non-tourism demand: students, university staff, county employees, and families who want more house and land for the money than the coast provides. For a buy-and-hold investor focused on cash flow and stability, that is a meaningful advantage.
Conway property types and pricing
Inventory is predominantly single-family, with historic homes near downtown, newer subdivisions on the outskirts, and a stock of more affordable housing that supports rental math. Pricing generally runs below the beach submarkets, which is precisely the point: lower entry prices against steady long-term rents produce the cash-flow profile many investors are actually after.
Proximity to Coastal Carolina University supports a distinct student-rental niche, where homes configured for multiple bedrooms and roommates can produce rent-by-the-room income that beats a conventional family lease.
Where investors are looking in Conway
Proximity to Coastal Carolina University shapes where investors look. Neighborhoods within a short drive of campus support the strongest student-rental demand and rent-by-the-room math. The historic downtown holds character homes near the Riverwalk, while newer subdivisions along Highways 501 and 905 offer conventional family-rental inventory. As always near the Waccamaw, checking the flood zone for the specific street matters as much as the neighborhood itself.
The Conway rental market
Long-term rental is the core strategy in Conway, full stop. The university provides a renewing pool of student tenants, and the broader year-round economy supports conventional family rentals. Short-term vacation rental is minimal and not the reason to buy here. The result is a market that trades seasonal upside for predictability, which is exactly what a cash-flow investor or a BRRRR strategy wants.
River proximity is the main physical risk to price in. Parts of Conway have a history of flooding from the Waccamaw, so flood zone, elevation, and insurance are central to the analysis on any given property.
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 34% |
| Feb | 35% |
| Mar | 40% |
| Apr | 44% |
| May | 48% |
| Jun | 52% |
| Jul | 54% |
| Aug | 53% |
| Sep | 46% |
| Oct | 44% |
| Nov | 38% |
| Dec | 34% |
For contrast: this is the seasonal swing that beach short-term rentals carry. Conway's long-term, student-driven rentals avoid this curve entirely, which is the point.
Short-term rental data · Conway
The strongest tenth of listings here gross $5,347 a month or more; the median listing makes $1,808. June is the strongest month and January the weakest. Averages cover every listing in the market, including part-time ones, so a well-run property can sit well above them. Compare all nine submarkets. AirROI, data through 2026-08-08.
How rental returns work in Conway
Conway is a cash-flow market, and the math is refreshingly simple. Lower purchase prices against steady long-term or student rents produce strong cash-on-cash returns when the property is bought right. Near campus, rent-by-the-room can lift gross income above a conventional family lease, though it raises turnover and management costs. This is also the most natural BRRRR market on the Strand: buy below market, renovate, rent, and refinance on the improved value.
Financing an investment property in Conway
Conway finances cleanly. Conventional single-family homes are standard collateral, DSCR loans qualify on rent for the long-term-rental strategy, and the lower purchase prices keep down payments accessible, which is part of what makes the BRRRR model work here. The main lender concern is flood: properties in or near the Waccamaw floodplain will need flood insurance, and that cost belongs in your numbers from day one.
Conway rules and costs that move the numbers
Conway's costs are simple, with one exception. South Carolina assesses non-owner-occupied property at 6 percent versus 4 percent for a primary residence, and Chapter3 will confirm the rental's tax line up front. The exception is flood: properties in or near the Waccamaw floodplain require flood insurance, and on a thin-margin cash-flow deal that premium can swing the return. Pull the flood determination and a real insurance quote on every address before you commit, because the rents here do not leave room for surprises.
The Conway investor thesis
- 01Long-term and student rental, not vacation rental, is the thesis. Conway is about year-round cash flow.
- 02Coastal Carolina University provides a renewing tenant base and a rent-by-the-room upside near campus.
- 03Lower entry pricing against steady rents produces the cash-flow and BRRRR profile many investors prefer.
- 04Predictability replaces seasonality. There is no summer cliff to plan around.
What a first Conway deal looks like
A classic first Conway deal is a modest single-family home bought below market, either held as a long-term rental or run as a student rental near Coastal Carolina University. Lower purchase prices against steady rents produce the cash-on-cash returns the beach markets struggle to match, and the buy, renovate, rent, refinance approach works here better than anywhere on the Strand. The one non-negotiable is flood: check the zone and price insurance into the deal before you write the offer, every single time.
What to watch before you buy in Conway
- Flood risk. The Waccamaw River has flooded parts of Conway. Check the flood zone, elevation, and insurance on every address before you offer.
- Student-rental management. Student tenants mean higher turnover and more wear. Price management and maintenance into your numbers.
- Proximity premium. Walk-to-campus homes command better student rents. Location relative to the university drives the rent-by-the-room math.
Where Conway sits
Conway is the Horry County seat, about 15 miles inland from Myrtle Beach on the Waccamaw River, which is part of the Intracoastal Waterway system. It is a historic river town of roughly 20,000 residents with a walkable downtown and Riverwalk, and it is home to Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College. It is not a beach town, and that shapes everything about its real estate.
The Conway market right now
Conway is one of the more affordable Horry County submarkets and currently favors buyers. Redfin reported a median near $280,000 for the three months ending May 2026 (down about 4.5 percent year over year) with days on market around 110, while other trackers put the median around $300,000 to $320,000; either way it sits below the Horry County average. See the Redfin Conway market page. Inventory ranges from 1940s historic homes downtown to new-construction subdivisions and active-adult communities such as Lakeside Crossing and Myrtle Trace.
Short-term rental rules, and why Conway is a long-term play
Short-term rentals are allowed under City of Conway and Horry County rules plus any HOA restrictions, but Conway is not an oceanfront vacation market, so the real rental demand here is long-term. Demand comes from Coastal Carolina University students and staff, Horry-Georgetown Tech, and a year-round county-seat workforce, which supports steady annual leases rather than peak-summer nightly rates. Average rents have run around $1,800 a month. For most investors, Conway is a long-term-rental and appreciation play, not an Airbnb play. Every jurisdiction's licenses and taxes: short-term rental rules by city.
What it costs to own in Conway: the 4 percent versus 6 percent property tax rule
South Carolina assesses an owner-occupied primary residence at a 4 percent ratio with the owner-occupant school credit, and a second home or investment at 6 percent with no credit, so the effective property tax on the same home can be close to double when it is not your primary residence. See the South Carolina Department of Revenue for the assessment-ratio rules. Full county math, with a calculator: Horry County property taxes.
Flood zones and insurance in Conway
Flood risk is the single biggest practical consideration in Conway, because the Waccamaw River runs through downtown. Conway saw serious river flooding after Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and, more severely, Hurricane Florence in 2018, when the Waccamaw crested at record levels and inundated parts of the city for an extended period. Some areas sit in flood zones that require flood insurance. Pull the FEMA flood map and the property's flood history before you buy anywhere near the river. What the three coastal policies cost: coastal home insurance costs.
Conway lifestyle and amenities
Conway offers an Americana river-town lifestyle: a preserved historic downtown, Riverfront Park and the Riverwalk, festivals through the year, and Coastal Carolina University events and sports. There are a dozen city parks, golf nearby, and Waccamaw River boating, fishing, and kayaking. Daily shopping and dining are well established, and the beach is about a 20 to 25 minute drive east.
Schools serving Conway
Public schools fall within the Conway attendance area of Horry County Schools. Conway is also home to Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College. Assignment is by address, and Chapter3 will confirm the exact schools on the district boundary map.
What it is like to live in Conway
Conway is an inland river town about 15 miles from the beach, with a preserved historic downtown, Riverfront Park and the Riverwalk on the Waccamaw River, and the energy of Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Tech. It offers more house and land for the money than the beach towns, a real downtown, and a dozen city parks, with the ocean a 20 to 25 minute drive east.
For a live-in buyer, the biggest practical consideration is flood: the Waccamaw River flooded parts of Conway after Hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018), and Chapter3 will check the FEMA map and the flood history for any address near the river. Housing ranges from 1940s historic homes downtown to new-construction subdivisions and active-adult communities.
Buying in Conway to live, not just to rent
Conway is not a vacation-rental market; it is a primary-residence, appreciation, and long-term-rental market driven by the university and a year-round county-seat workforce. For a live-in buyer that means value, space, and a genuine community rather than seasonal swings. A primary residence is taxed at 4% with the owner-occupant credit; a second home at 6% without it.
Read the Conway HOA rules before you commit to a house
In a market with this many associations, the covenants matter as much as the house. Before you make an offer, read the HOA bylaws and rules, because they can restrict short-term and long-term rentals, pets, parking, golf carts, fences, and exterior changes. The classic trap: you have spent years training your dog to walk off leash, then buy into a community with a strict leash rule and lose the thing you valued most. Read the documents before you make an offer, not after.
Ask us and we will get you the governing documents for any Conway community, from our own files if we already have them or by requesting them for you if we do not. It is also why a Chapter3 agent asks a lot of questions about how you actually live: we would rather spend the time up front than match you to a home with a rule or an HOA that blocks what you enjoy or turns out to be a poor investment.
Conway community stats
Official figures from government sources, with no interpretation added. Each links to its source so you can read the full data yourself.
Population & income · U.S. Census Bureau
Cost, taxes & risk · government sources
How to pull the crime numbers yourself: on the FBI Crime Data Explorer, choose South Carolina, then select the local agency (the county sheriff's office or the city police department) to see reported offenses by year. On SLED, open the current "Crime in South Carolina" report and find the county and agency tables. Chapter3 will pull the current figures for a specific address with you.
Conway school stats
Public schools fall within the Conway attendance area of Horry County Schools. Conway is also home to Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College. Figures are from the South Carolina Department of Education report card and federal education data, with no interpretation added.
Conway High School · SC report card
For the elementary and middle schools that feed it, and for any exact address, read the full report cards at the South Carolina Department of Education. The report card also publishes SAT and ACT averages, Advanced Placement and dual-enrollment participation, college-and-career readiness, dropout rate, and chronic absenteeism. Ask your Chapter3 agent and we will pull the report card for the school an address is zoned to.
Who Conway suits
Conway fits long-term-rental investors who want steady student and workforce demand rather than seasonal swings, primary-residence buyers who want more house and land for the money than the beach towns offer, and buyers who value historic character and a real downtown. It is a growth-corridor, appreciation, and cash-flow market, not a vacation-rental market, and we will position it that way rather than sell it as something it is not.
Conway sits inland along the Waccamaw River, with a historic downtown and Coastal Carolina University nearby. That mix supports more long-term and student rental demand than short-term tourism, and pricing is generally more approachable than the oceanfront markets.
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Conway a good short-term rental market?
Not really. Conway is inland and allows rentals under city and county rules, but it is a long-term-rental market driven by Coastal Carolina University and a year-round workforce, not an oceanfront vacation market. Most investors here run annual leases.
Does Conway flood?
Parts of it can. The Waccamaw River runs through downtown Conway, and the city saw serious river flooding after Hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018). Some areas require flood insurance, and Chapter3 will check the FEMA flood map and flood history for the address.
Why is Conway cheaper than the beach towns?
It is inland, about 15 miles from the ocean, with a mix of historic homes and new construction, so buyers get more house and land for the money than in oceanfront submarkets.
What are property taxes on a second home in Conway?
South Carolina assesses primary homes at 4 percent with a school-tax credit and second homes or investments at 6 percent with no credit, so the effective tax on the same home can be close to double.
Which schools serve Conway?
Public schools fall within the Conway attendance area of Horry County Schools, and the city is home to Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College. Chapter3 will confirm the exact assignment on the district boundary map.
Is Conway better for long-term or short-term rentals?
Its inland location and Coastal Carolina University nearby support more long-term and student rental demand than short-term tourism.
Is Conway, SC good for real estate investing?
For long-term rentals, yes. Conway has the lowest entry prices on the Grand Strand, year-round tenant demand from Coastal Carolina University and local workers, and true fixer-upper inventory for BRRRR investors. It is not a short-term rental market, so estimate monthly rent, not nightly rates.
Why consider Conway?
Pricing is generally more approachable than the oceanfront markets, with a historic downtown along the Waccamaw River.