Garden City, sometimes known as Garden City Beach, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 9,209 at the 2010 census. Garden City Beach is located directly south of Surfside Beach. The developed part of the beach extends south beyond the limits of the Garden City CDP, into Georgetown County, and ends on a peninsula at the mouth of Murrells Inlet.

Geography

Garden City is located in southern Horry County and is bordered to the northeast by the town of Surfside Beach, to the northwest by U.S. Route 17, to the south by the Georgetown County/Horry County line, and to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean. U.S. Route 17 Business is the main road through the center of the community, leading northeast to the center of Myrtle Beach. Georgetown is to the southwest via US 17.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Garden City CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.47%, are water.

| align-fn = center

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Garden City had a population of 10,235. The median age was 61.5 years. 10.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 42.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 84.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 81.6 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 5,272 households in Garden City, including 2,765 families, of which 12.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.9% were married-couple households, 18.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 23.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. It is approximately long, with a rain shelter at the end of the pier which includes a bar and nightly live music during the tourist season.

Garden City Golf Cart Parade

The Garden City Golf Cart Parade is a Fourth of July parade that features red, white and blue-decorated golf carts. It has been a community tradition for almost 30 years. It originally started at Calhoun Drive behind Willards Fireworks. After a brief hiatus, it was held again on July 4, 2009.

Weather

Temperatures tend to be in the 80s (°F) during the summer months in Garden City, SC, and in the 40s during the winter. The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of , while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of . The annual average precipitation at Garden City is 54.57 inches. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is September with an average rainfall of 6.44 inches.

Hurricane Hazel

The worst disaster in the community's history occurred on 14 October 1954. Hurricane Hazel slammed into the community and left only two houses habitable.

Hurricane Hugo

In September 1989, Hurricane Hugo destroyed 43% of the beachfront structures along the coast in Garden City. In the aftermath of the storm, Horry County administrator M. L. Love said, "Garden City for all practical purposes is gone." The Kingfisher Pier, as it was known at that time, was also destroyed by Hurricane Hugo. Reconstruction of the pier began in February 1992. The Pier at Garden City, as it is known today, was fully operational July 1992, and no significant damage has been reported since then.

Transportation

Roads and highways

  • U.S. 17 Business
  • U.S. 17

Mass transit

  • The Coast RTA - Bus system operating seven days a week, 364 days a year. 15 routes throughout the Horry County/Grand Strand area, including Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Garden City, Conway, Loris, and Aynor.

References

  • The Pier at Garden City
  • Memories of Maze Mania