Business, Planning & Development

Georgetown is located on the coast of South Carolina, north of Charleston and south of Myrtle Beach. Georgetown and the surrounding areas, situated on the Atlantic Coast, are commonly referred to as being part of South Carolina’s Lowcountry and the Grand Strand.

The city is bisected by U.S. Highway 17, providing easy access along the coast from Charleston to Wilmington, and connecting to Interstate 95 by U.S. Highway 521.

Our waterfront ties the city to the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and the Atlantic Ocean through Winyah Bay. The Atlantic Ocean is approximately 12 miles from downtown Georgetown by water through Winyah Bay.

The Georgetown Airport (KGGE)  is 5 miles south of the downtown. It has 2 asphalt-surfaced active runways (6,001′ x 100′) and (4,700′ x 150′), which allow it to handle most private aircraft.

For commercial flights, Georgetown is served by Charleston International Airport (CHS) and Myrtle Beach International (MYR).

Basic Historical facts

• Founded in 1729
• Third oldest city in South Carolina.
• County seat for Georgetown County
• Established as official port of entry in 1732
• Named for George Prince of Wales, who became King George II of England

• City Code of Ordinances
• City Council Agendas and Minutes
• Sign up for Meeting Schedule Updates
• 2024 Annual Report
• City Council Expense Reports

The City of Georgetown is a Mayor-Council form of government.  This includes a Mayor and six (6) Council members elected at large with four (4) year terms.  Georgetown City Council meets on the third Thursday of every month at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.  The current year’s schedule can be found on our calendar.  All regular and special meetings of the council are open to the public.
If you have any questions about City Council, please contact our City Clerk at 843-545-4002.

Fopr more information and current council members please visit the city council page by clicking here.

Population: 8,470 people 

Race and ethnicity: 4.28k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic), 3.82k White (Non-Hispanic), 121 Other (Hispanic) 

Median age: 48.8 years 

Per capita income: $28,945 

Median household income: $50,000 

Poverty: 15.5% of people below the poverty line 

• Households: 3,670 households, with an average of 2.2 people per household 
• Housing: 4,418 housing units, with 83% occupied 
• Education: 27.5% of people have a bachelor’s degree or higher 

Average high temperature: 76.2 F

Average low temperature: 53.8 F

Average annual temperature: 65 F

Average monthly rainfall: 4.7 inches

Closest Beach: DeBordieu (8.4 miles)

Closest Public Beach: Pawleys Island (10.7 miles)

Largest Employer:  Tidelands Health MUSC

Georgetown County

Georgetown County, S.C., has 813.6 square miles of land area and is the 8th largest county in South Carolina by total area. 

Georgetown County is bordered by Berkeley County,Williamsburg County, Horry County, Charleston County and Marion County, South Carolina.

General Census Data

Population: 63,404

Median household income: $71,313

Bachelor’s degree or higher: 33.4% 

Employment rate: 45.9% 

Total housing units: 35,916 

Median age: 51 

Per capita income: $39,403 

Poverty: 16% of people are below the poverty line 

Mean travel time to work: 28.4 minutes 

Racial makeup: 66.7% white (non-Hispanic), 28.2% Black (non-Hispanic), 1.14% other (Hispanic)