Published October 4, 2026 in Market Update

North Myrtle Beach sales rose even with rates above 7%

By Bill Sullivan

Real estate, Primary market

Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.28% as of October 1, 2026. That is the headline cost of money right now. Yet the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 2,062 homes sold across North Myrtle Beach in the three months ending July 31, 2026, up 4.1% from the same months a year earlier. Demand did not disappear. It adjusted.

Realtor.com noted that mortgage rates crossed 7% in late September for the first time since January 2025. That matters for NMB because most buyers here are financing. Higher rates compress what a buyer can afford. But the local sales count says buyers found a way.

Fewer homes were for sale, down 18.6% from a year ago per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That kept buyers competing for less. The National Association of Realtors put the national months-supply at 4.9 months, the highest in over ten years. NMB is tighter than that in several ZIP codes, as you will see below.

ZIP 29582: The beach-side core of NMB

ZIP 29582 covers the beach side of NMB, including OD, Crescent Beach, and Windy Hill. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 477 homes sold here in the three months ending July 31, 2026, up 12.5% from a year earlier. The median sale price was $431,000, down 1.7%. Prices dipped a little, and more buyers came. That is the trade-off higher rates push sellers toward.

If you own an oceanfront high-rise condo in OD, Crescent Beach, or Windy Hill, remember that HOA dues and special assessments are real ownership costs. Buyers factor those in on top of the rate. Price your unit with that full picture in mind.

About 1 in 5 homes in ZIP 29582 went under contract within two weeks of listing, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That share was 21.3%. Not every home sold fast, but the ones priced right did not wait long.

ZIP 29566: Cherry Grove, including channel homes

Cherry Grove sits in ZIP 29566. It is the only NMB section with channel homes and boat docks. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 273 homes sold here, up 14.2% from a year earlier. The median price was $314,000, down 6.3%. Days on market fell 22 days shorter than a year ago.

Channel-side buyers want water access and a dock. That is a different buyer from a beach-side buyer, and the numbers reflect different price points. If you own a Cherry Grove channel home, flood insurance is a major ownership cost. Buyers will ask about it. Know your annual premium before you list.

Pending sales in ZIP 29566 rose 19.1% from a year earlier, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is the pipeline still filling. New listings jumped 25.5% too, so more sellers came to market. More supply and more buyers moved at the same time.

ZIP 29568: Off-beach, west of Highway 17

ZIP 29568 covers much of the off-beach, single-family territory west of Highway 17. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 445 homes sold, up 34.8% from a year earlier. That is the strongest sales gain of any ZIP code in this market. The median price was $325,000, up 1.6%.

West of 17 is where year-round families, retirees, and relocators buy. It is also where buyers priced out of the beach side often land. With rates above 7%, that group grew. Homes here are mostly outside the high-risk flood zones, though that must be verified for any specific property.

At 2.7 months of supply, ZIP 29568 is the tightest ZIP code in this market by a clear margin. Sellers here got 98.4 cents of every list dollar, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is the closest to full price of any ZIP in NMB.

ZIP 29579: The largest sales count in the market

ZIP 29579 recorded 484 homes sold in the three months ending July 31, 2026, the highest single-ZIP count in the market per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. But that number was down 15.4% from a year earlier. The median price was $367,950, down 5.7%. More homes sold here than anywhere else, and yet volume fell.

The median days on market in ZIP 29579 fell to 70 days, 31 days shorter than a year ago per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Homes that sold here sold faster. The ones that did not sell are a different story. Pending sales fell 21.2%, which means the pipeline is thinner heading forward.

ZIPs 28467 and 28468: The North Carolina side of NMB

ZIP 28467 recorded 246 homes sold, down 12.8% from a year earlier per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. The median price was $344,450, down 0.9%. Days on market stretched 15 days longer than a year ago. This ZIP moved in a different direction from most of NMB.

ZIP 28468 told a different story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 137 homes sold, up 3%. The median price was $430,000, down 2.3%. Days on market stretched 51 days longer than a year ago. But 16.8% of homes sold above list price, up 13.8 points from a year earlier. That jump is worth watching.

What the wider picture says

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. house prices rose 2.1% year over year between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026. NMB prices dipped in most ZIP codes over the same window. Local and national are not the same story.

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home sales fell 2.0% in August 2026 nationally. But year-to-date through the first eight months of 2026, national sales were still up 1.6%. NMB's own 4.1% gain in total sales outpaced that national year-to-date figure.

Realtor.com reported active listings up 6.3% nationally from a year ago. In NMB, the Real Estate Data Aggregator shows homes for sale fell 18.6% from a year earlier. Less inventory here, more nationally. That gap shapes how NMB prices and days on market behave.