Two Conways, One Address: What Changes on the Other Side of the City Limits

Two homes can both list "Conway, SC" on the listing sheet and still sit under different governments. One is inside Conway's city limits. The other is in unincorporated Horry County and only uses Conway for mail. The address looks the same. The tax bill, the utility bill, the trash pickup and the council that votes on nearby development are different.

Most buyers find this out after closing, when the first water bill comes or when they look for a trash cart that never arrives. In Conway the split is worth checking before you make an offer, because the costs on each side are set up differently.

The Conway median already counts both sides

The Coastal Carolinas Association of REALTORS® publishes its Conway figures by ZIP code. Its August 2026 local market update for ZIP codes 29526 and 29527 shows a single-family median sale price of $314,020 for August 2026. Homes took 122 days on market to sell, and 767 homes were for sale. In the same report, the August 2026 townhouse and condo median was $227,000 on just 24 closed sales, and CCAR warns that small samples can make percent changes look extreme. The data was current as of September 10, 2026.

Because the data is grouped by ZIP code, it includes every sale with one of those two ZIP codes, inside the city or not. So the median price compares homes whose yearly running costs can differ for reasons the price doesn't show. Two homes at the same price aren't the same cost to own if one pays city millage and the other pays county fire and solid waste levies, buys city water at a different rate, or hauls its own trash.

Where the tax bill splits

Some levies apply to every Horry County property. According to the South Carolina Association of Counties' 2025 property tax schedule, Horry County's countywide millage totaled 52.1 mills for tax year 2025. The schedule also lists the Horry school operating levy at 109.1 mills and school debt service at 10.0 mills. The same document explains that owner-occupied homes taxed at the 4% legal residence ratio are exempt from school operating millage. They still pay the school debt service levy.

The split comes after that. For tax year 2025 the schedule lists Conway's municipal levy at 98.1 mills. The City of Conway's FY 2026-27 budget raises it by the 3.3% cost-of-living rate, to 101.3 mills. Property in unincorporated areas doesn't pay that levy. It pays several levies the county schedule applies only to unincorporated areas. For tax year 2025, those are a Fire District levy of 20.2 mills and a County Fire Apparatus Replacement levy of 1.5 mills, both for unincorporated areas other than Murrells Inlet, plus a Solid Waste Program levy of 8.1 mills. Single-family homes in unincorporated areas also pay an $89 stormwater fee.

The comparison below lists only the items that differ by side of the line.

City residents pay more in property tax, but some of that higher millage covers costs that unincorporated owners pay through other levies and fees. To compare two homes, you need the full set of line items, not the city millage alone.

Water is where the city line costs the most

According to the city's utility rate schedule, effective July 1, 2026, out-of-city customers pay exactly double the in-city base charge and double the per-1,000-gallon charge for water. Sewer works almost the same way, and the rate page notes that Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority may provide sewer outside the city instead.

So outside the limits there are two common utility setups. A home on city water pays the out-of-city rates. A home served by the Authority pays that utility's posted schedule. The Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority rate page lists a combined water and sewer base charge of $26.85, with volume charges of $1.59 per 1,000 gallons for water and $2.48 for sewer on the first 8,000 gallons. The page puts the average combined bill at $59.41 for 8,000 gallons.

Two homes a short drive apart can therefore have very different utility bills. Asking the seller which utility sends the bill, and for a few recent statements, tells you more than the listing description will.

Trash works much the same way. The city's Solid Waste Department provides weekly garbage, recycling and yard-waste collection inside the limits. The rate sheet lists an $85 purchase for the green cart and a $70 purchase for the blue recycling cart, with no monthly fee for recycling. Unincorporated homes use the Horry County Solid Waste Authority's convenience centers, which only unincorporated residents may use, with a four-cubic-yard daily disposal limit. The centers around Conway are Homewood, Landfill, Recycle Road, Jackson Bluff, Kate's Bay, Browntown and Toddville. Bulky items such as mattresses and furniture follow the same split. The Authority sends unincorporated residents to its centers and municipal residents to their own municipality.

Annexation connects the two Conways

The city line moves over time. According to Conway's annexation and rezoning page, annexation "is required when a property or properties are contiguous to the City Limits," and owners of noncontiguous property may also apply. The same page says a rezoning may follow annexation when the property's existing county zoning doesn't match a city zoning district.

Because of that, a home's status can change, and a parcel next to the limits may be treated differently from one far out in the county. Buyers looking near the edge of town should ask the city's planning office about a specific parcel. The answer affects the tax levies, the utility rates and the zoning rules for that land.

Which council approves what gets built nearby

This fall, two large proposals around Conway are going through two different processes, and they show the difference clearly.

The first is inside the city. MyHorryNews reported that the Conway Planning Commission voted 5-1 on Oct. 8 to recommend rezoning 67 acres at Mill Pond Road and U.S. 501. According to the Myrtle Beach Sun News, documents filed with the commission describe 236 multifamily units, two anchor stores, four sit-down restaurants, fast-food restaurants, a coffee shop and a gas station or convenience store, with construction expected to finish by the end of 2029. The same article lists the roads involved as Church Street, which is U.S. 501, plus Mill Pond Road, Camelot Street, Richardson Street and Lochwood Lane. It reports that the traffic analysis calls for a second exit lane on Lochwood Lane and finds a traffic signal warranted at two intersections. A representative for Rise Partners said land has been set aside for a park. The Planning Commission only advises. The final vote belongs to Conway City Council, which had the proposal on its Oct. 19 meeting agenda, and that page posts the meeting's agenda and packet.

The second is in the county. WMBF reported that the Horry County Planning Commission unanimously recommended rezoning more than 200 acres near Old Reaves Ferry Road and Highway 905 for a proposed 372-unit housing complex. Horry County Council has the final say, and residents who spoke said development is outpacing infrastructure.

Both projects carry a Conway name, but they go before different councils, with different meeting calendars and different zoning rules. If you plan to follow and comment on what gets proposed near the home you buy, your side of the city line tells you whose meetings to watch.

Retail is also moving along the U.S. 501 corridor. The Sun News reported that Del Taco, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen are planned next to a new Food Lion in a 5.75-acre development at 3425 U.S. 501 by Impeccable Development. The paper also reported that no groundbreaking date has been set. Road capacity is lagging behind. The Sun News also reported that SCDOT pushed completion of the U.S. 501 widening between Myrtle Ridge Drive/Gardner Lacy Road and S.C. 544 to Spring 2027. The project had originally been scheduled to finish in November.

What to get before you write an offer

1. Whether the parcel is inside the city limits, from the county tax records or the city's planning office.
2. The tax district on the most recent tax bill, which shows the levies that actually apply.
3. The name of the water and sewer provider, plus a few months of recent bills.
4. How trash is handled, whether that's a city cart account or trips to a county convenience center.
5. Any pending rezonings nearby, and whether they go before City Council or County Council.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Conway, SC mailing address mean the home is in the city? No. The mailing address doesn't settle it. Inside the city limits, a home falls under the City of Conway's millage, utility rates and zoning. Outside them, it falls under Horry County's levies and zoning, even with the same Conway address.

Does every out-of-city home get water from the City of Conway? No. The city's rate page lists out-of-city water and sewer rates and also notes that Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority may provide sewer outside the city.

Who approves a rezoning near a home outside the city limits? The Horry County Planning Commission makes a recommendation, and Horry County Council makes the final decision, as in the Old Reaves Ferry Road case this month.

This post is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Tax districts, exemptions and utility service depend on the specific parcel, so confirm your situation with the county, the utility or a qualified professional.

If you own a home on either side of Conway's city line and want to know how buyers will compare its running costs with similar homes nearby, Liat Edri can walk you through a valuation that accounts for the city line. Request a free home valuation to get started.