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Geographic Features
Georgetown, South Carolina is a historic seaport located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, and Sampit River. It is South Carolina's third oldest city, being founded in 1729 and became an official sea port in 1739. Today the riverfront has a scenic Harbor Walk between the town's oldest buildings, the Kaminski House and the Rice Museum. This boardwalk is lined with great restaurants that serve fresh seafood and southern favorites.
Georgetown has retained its historic southern charm and boasts oak lined streets and beautiful antebellum mansions. Take a tour to explore the over 50 antebellum mansions, a few of which are operated as charming bed and breakfast inns.
With a population of over 9,000, Georgetown has mild year round weather and rarely gets any snow. Locals enjoy playing world class gold and tennis all year round.
Natural beauty is one of Georgetown's greatest assets; there are white sand beaches and pristine marshes with marine wildlife. Canoe and kayak the saltwater marshes, take a naturalist guided tours of black water cypress-tupelo swamps, go saltwater fishing in the Atlantic, and try fresh water fishing. The Brunswick barrier islands are nearby and offer an even more relaxing environment for enjoying the ocean and natural splendor.
Price Range
Georgetown features over 4,000 housing units that are mostly single family detached homes with 3 to 4 bedrooms. The median home value is $145,410. This is lower than the national average.
- Less than $93,000 19.2%
- $93,001 - $185,000 53.52%
- $185,001 - $370,000 23.55%
- $370,001 - $554,000 1.7%
- $554,001 - $740,000 0.8%
- $740,001 - $926,000 0.95%
- More than $926,000 0.28%
Daily Life
Georgetown is overflowing with historic beauty and creates the perfect environment for relaxation and fun. It has retained a quiet way of life and offers white sand beaches, pristine marshes with marine wildlife, excellent golfing, lovely shops, and delicious food. Fresh seafood and low country cooking are popular fare. Georgetown offers little traffic and most people living here do not have long commutes to their workplace.
Living on the Atlantic Ocean means that favorite water sports are abundant. Locals enjoy fishing, boating, kayaking, surfing, and swimming. Imagine spending a sunny day fishing on beautiful water and bringing home fresh sea bass, snapper, grouper, mackerel and flounder for dinner. The miles of beach are perfect for strolling and looking for dolphins.
Georgetown's historic buildings are windows to the past; many in the downtown area have been carefully restored and converted into charming shops and restaurants. Wander the waterfront and watch boats slowly float by.
Mild year round weather makes this a truly exceptional town. Locals never have to shovel snow and are able to play golf and tennis all year round. The Grand Strand is famous for its premier golfing opportunities.
Golf
Among the famous Grand Strand, Georgetown has world class golf courses. Golf at DeBordieu was designed by Peter Dye and his son PB and can be described as 'an exhilarating 18 stop nature tour'. This course winds through the stunning marshland of DeBordieu and features a 17th hole that was voted "number one" on the Grand Strand.
The popular Waccamaw is made up of 12 of the most awarded courses in Georgetown County. It includes three of "America's Top 100 Public Courses," one of Golf for Women magazine's "Top 25 in America," six 4 1/2-star courses, and one 5-star course, one of only three in the Southeastern United States.
The Wedgefield Plantation course features 7,072 yards of golf with a course rating of 72.7 and a slope rating of 132.
Only a short drive away is famous Myrtle Beach. It is home to over 120 courses of such high caliber that it has been dubbed the 'Golf Capital of the World.' World-class golf course architects including Tom Fazio, Pete Dye, the late Robert Trent Jones Sr., and many others have designed courses. There are even courses designed by pros like John Daly, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus.
Recreation and Sports
Georgetown offers a wide selection of recreation that keeps everyone happily fulfilled. The most popular way to enjoy the great year round weather is through one of the many outdoor activities available. Canoe and kayak the saltwater marshes, take a naturalist guided tours of black water cypress tupelo swamps, go saltwater fishing in the Atlantic for sea bass, snapper, grouper, mackerel and flounder, and try fresh water fishing in five different rivers for bass, catfish, shad and mullet. Hunting is also a popular sport; catch deer, quail and turkey.
Explore Georgetown's history by taking a historic tour and stroll under 200 year old oak trees. There is a staggering concentration of antebellum mansions, a few of which are converted into charming bed and breakfast inns. Wander the Harborwalk and explore the lovely waterfront boardwalk between two of Georgetown's most historically significant buildings, the Kaminski House and the Rice Museum. There is also a great selection of art galleries and delightful shops offering a treasure trove of antiques, clothing, art, books, and music.
For a change of pace many people visit one of the remote Brunswick barrier islands. They offer an even more relaxing environment for enjoying the ocean.
Nightlife
There is a fine selection of restaurants in Georgetown that serve freshly caught seafood and low country cooking. Beef 'O' Brady's, Goat Island Grill, Pita Rolz, and River Room are all local favorites.
Most of the bars in Georgetown are perfect for having a cold beer. Watch your favorite game at Rebar Sports Tavern or try P & D Lounge or Schooner's Bar and Grille.
Enjoy first-rate local theatre at the Strand Theatre, an Art-Deco building complete with an original marquee.
Festivals and Events
The Winyah Bay Heritage Festival celebrates the rich history of the Winyah Bay area, with an emphasis on conservation, art, hunting, fishing, decoy carving and other area traditions. All proceeds benefit the Georgetown County Historical Society and the Georgetown County Museum.
The International Paper (IP) Baseball Classic has been showcasing South Carolina's Finest in High School Baseball for over 20 years.
The Wooden Boat Show is held every June and celebrates spectacular boats of every shape and size. There is a Family Boat Building contest, small boat races, and expert skills demonstrations.
Nearby Pawleys Island hosts the Pawleys Island Festival of Music, which has been beloved for over 20 years for its wine gala, incredible live music, visual and performing arts, and delectable culinary treats. Featured music includes jazz, symphony orchestras, bluegrass, gospel, beach music, blues, and big band. The festival is held throughout various indoor and outdoor venues.
The Atalaya Arts and Crafts Festival held at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet. From pottery to jewelry, hundreds of arts and crafts vendors showcase and sell their handcrafted items.
Parks
Hobcaw Barony is 17,500-acre wildlife refuge that was originally part of a 1718 royal land grant that became subdivided into 14 individual plantations. Wall Street millionaire and presidential adviser Bernard Baruch wintered here. His daughter eventually created a foundation to use the land for the "purposes of teaching and/or research in forestry, marine biology, and the care and propagation of wildlife, flora and fauna in connection with colleges and/or universities in the state of South Carolina."
The Georgetown Lighthouse sits at the mouth of Winyah Bay and can only be reached by boat. It is the oldest active lighthouse in South Carolina and is over 87 feet tall.
The Brookgreen Gardens is the showplace of art and nature developed in the 1930s by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington. Once four colonial rice plantations, this 9,000-acre garden is meticulously maintained. It is dotted with over 550 pieces of America's finest 19th and 20th century sculptures, the largest showcase of American figurative sculpture in the US. Artists include Frederic Remington, Daniel Chester French and Mrs. Huntington. There are over 2,000 species of plants.
Huntington State Park is a picturesque oceanfront park that boasts some of the most pristine wildlife areas around. There are miles of trails that wind their way through the beach, wetlands, and sand dunes. Several species of birds live in the fresh and saltwater lagoons, making this a great spot for bird watching.
Schools
The Georgetown County school district has over 10,000 students and has an average of 14 children per classroom. This is below South Carolina's state average of 15 per class. The districts test scores are slightly below the state average in both reading and math.
Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods in Georgetown include the City Center, Maryville, Kensington, Yauhannah, Hopewell, and Sampit.
Area History and Culture
Georgetown, South Carolina has one of the longest histories in America. In 1526 this area became the first European settlement by English settlers, who were soon followed by the Scottish and French. From this time to the Revolutionary War, Georgetown succeeded in establishing itself as a major producer of indigo and rice. British troops occupied Georgetown from July 1780 to May 1781 and many fights between Francis Marion and British troops took place in the area.
After the American Revolutionary War, indigo was no longer profitable and local planters focused on the growing of rice. By 1840 Georgetown produced one half of the total rice grown in the United States and the port exported more rice than any other port in the world.
Following the Civil War, Georgetown encountered a general upheaval including drastic political and economic changes. Rice crops failed and soon no longer supported the local economy. After a several hurricanes devastated the remaining farms, rice was no longer cultivated in the region. The lumber industry quickly grew to be Georgetown's leading industry. The Atlantic Coast Lumber Company was incorporated in 1903 and by 1914 it was the largest lumber producing plant on the East Coast.
The Great Depression had devastating effects upon Georgetown and in 1932 Atlantic Coast Lumber Company declared bankruptcy. Recovery started in 1936 when International Paper Company built a plant. Georgetown Steel and an array of other smaller plants have further increased Georgetown's industrial base. Commercial fishing has also become a large area industry.
Today retirees and vacationers have made tourism an increasingly significant component in the area's economy.
