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Search By Area MapLitchfield Beach, SC
Geographic Features
Named after a former rice plantation, Litchfield Beach is an unincorporated section of Georgetown county just north of Pawleys island, which it is often grouped with. Pawsleys is a small narrow island that only one to three houses wide. White sand beaches line its eastern coast and a tidal estuary and marsh expand on the west, giving the town a secluded feeling.
Although tiny, Litchfield Beach is part of the Grand Strand and is a popular tourist destination. Visitors flock here to enjoy the mild weather and relaxing pace. Coming here is like stepping back in time. Everything moves just a little bit slower and is much more quiet than everyday life.
Its northern neighbors are the famous Brookgreen Gardens and Huntington State Beach Park, lush areas where you can explore natural lagoons, sand dunes, go bird watching, wander through 2,000 species of plant life, and enjoy the largest collection of American figurative sculpture in the US.
The lovely beaches offer endless water recreation opportunities. Beach combing, swimming, kayaking, boating, fishing, and surfing are all popular activities in Litchfield Beach. Plus, golf and tennis are played year round outdoors.
Price Range
Litchfield Beach homes have a median price of $301,006. This is higher than in comparison to both South Carolina and the United States. Most of the homes are single-family homes with 3 to 4 bedrooms built between 1970 and 1994 but there are some apartments and housing complexes.
- More than $1,851,000 2%
- $1,388,001 - $1,851,00 2%
- $962,001 - $1,388,000 5%
- $740,001 - $962,000 4%
- $554,001 - $740,000 10%
- $370,000 - $554,000 19%
- $185,001 - $370,000 30%
- $93,001 - $185,000 16%
- Less than $93,000 12%
Daily Life
Litchfield Beach is so small that it isn't even an incorporated community. People recognize it by its charming small town feel and beautiful beaches. Daily life here is slow and calm.
Even though this area is among the Grand Strand, there is only one hotel on the beach. Most visitors rent beach homes and stay a while. Many families come back year after year, staying in the same home. Retirees and snowbirds come to escape cold winter temperatures.
Litchfield Beach is beloved for its miles of wide sandy beaches, world-class golf courses, village-style feel and fine dining. It boasts quaint shops, hometown restaurants and pristine, natural beauty.
This is definitely a car-oriented town. The majority of residents use their cars to drive to and from work. The small community size and spread out residential area makes this place ill fitting for public transportation. Other than the village center most area are not suitable for walking or bicycling to and from work or stores.
Golf
Litchfield Beach has lots of golfing opportunities locally and just a short drive away to Myrtle Beach. The Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort has three championship golf courses carved through the marshes and the rivers of the Waccamaw Trail.
Neighboring Pawleys Island offers thirteen challenging golf courses, designed by such greats as Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye and Tom Fazio. Caledonia Golf and Fish Club was ranked the 5th Best New Public Course in America by Golf Digest when it opened in 1995 and has remained on their 100 Best Public Courses ever since. Heritage Club is Pawleys Island's highest ranked course at number 46 on Golf Digest's list. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, Pawleys Plantation Golf Course is on a creek and has been ranked among the South Carolina's 'Top 25 Layouts' by Golf Digest. River Club is the only course in the area that feature 'bent grass' greens. It has one of the highest ratings of any of the courses along the Grand Strand, receiving 4.5 starts in Golf Digest's 'Places to Play.' Another highly ranked course is the True Blue Golf Club. It was recently named #1 in the Myrtle Beach area by Golf Digest and has earned many other nods for its beautiful and well designed course.
Recreation and Sports
Litchfield Beach is known for its wonderful beaches, which are often sparsely populated. It is ideal for families who want to play in the sand and swim in gentle waters undisturbed except for the occasional passing pod of dolphins. During high tide, explore the salt marsh with a kayak or canoe and look for birds. Fishing is a very popular sport in the area. Going deep-sea fishing on a chartered boat may yield tuna, wahoo, and sea bass. On shore beach fishing, pier fishing, and crabbing in the saltwater creeks are great ways to catch your own dinner, which always tastes better.
A short drive south will bring you to the cute shops at Pawsleys Beach. From jewelry, to antiques, to the Famous Pawleys Island Hammock Shops, Pawsleys Island offers some of the finest shops anywhere along the entire Grand Strand. The Original Pawleys Island Rope Hammock continues to be very sought after more than a century after their invention. South Carolina riverboat captain Joshua John "Cap'n Josh" Ward wanted to create cotton-rope bed for the hot and humid nights out on the water. His design has remained a classic.
Litchfield Beach is just a short drive to the historic town of Georgetown and all the vibrant activities Myrtle Beach has to offer.
Night Life
The nightlife in Litchfield Beach is much more quiet than other areas on the Grand Strand. There are a few great restaurants that serve southern favorites and fresh seafood. The Tara Theater at Litchfield Beach as the Dino's variety TV Show. Join Dino for 90 minutes of music and laughter and relive the fun of one of America's favorite TV shows.
Neighboring Murrells Inlet is known as the 'Seafood Capital of South Carolina.' Their restaurant row boasts award winning seafood and barbecue restaurants.
The vibrant nightlife of Myrtle Beach is only a drive away. Whether you're interested in dancing at nightclubs, singing karaoke, watching live concerts, or learning the shag, there is a perfect venue for everyone.
Festivals and Events
Litchfield Beach doesn't host any festivals but its neighbors host many great events. Pawleys Island Festival of Music has been beloved for over 20 years for its fine wine gala incredible live music, visual and performing arts, and delectable culinary treats. Featured music ranges from jazz, syphony orchestras, bluegrass, gospel, beach music, blues, and big band, etc. The festival is held in different indoor and outdoor venues.
Pawleys Island also hosts the popular 4th of July Parade and the Annual Kayak Race.
On Sunday afternoons, local galleries have an open house tour. Trolleys take patrons in a continuous loop around five galleries. Each gallery has live music and serves wine and light refreshments.
The adored 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
The closest parks to Litchfield Beach are located in Pawleys Island and Murrells Inlet. Pawleys Island Nature Park features Pawleys Creek, sweeping views of the estuary, and a lovely landscaped garden. The City will be adding to the park land furnished by the McCarley family. Mrs. Mary Anne McCarley was the long time owner of the house and was a talented artist.
Located just north of town, the Brookgreen Gardens is the showplace of art and nature that was 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 and native animals and birds can be seen in the wildlife park. Special guided nature cruises and kayak trips wind through the tidal creeks and abandoned rice fields. Gourmet picnic baskets are available for purchase.
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. Daily nature programs are available to teach you about the local plants and animals. Several species of birds live in the fresh and saltwater lagoons, making this a great spot for bird watching. Amenities include RV and tent sites, nature trails, and a gift store. The Huntington home, Atalaya, is incorporated onto the grounds.
Schools
Children who live in Litchfield Beach would attend a school in the Georgetown school district. There are 10,340 students in the school district with 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.
The area public schools include Waccamaw High School, Waccamaw Middle School, and Waccamaw Elementary. Private schools include Waccamaw High School Island Christian Academy and Pawleys Island Montessori Day School.
Neighborhoods
Litchfield has one neighborhoodArea History and Culture
Litchfield Beach was first home to the Maccamaw Native Americans. During the 1700s, the English colonized the region and planted large tracts of rice. Rice planters were much more powerful and wealthy than tobacco, sugar, and cotton plantation farmers. Pirates frequented the coastline and hid in the areas winding creeks to raid British ship cargos.
During the Civil War the Confederacy used the inlet as a port to ship goods to England in exchange for war materials. The Union attacked in 1863 and the rice culture was never the same. After a devastating hurricane, the last commercial rice grower was out of business and fishing soon replaced it was the most popular industry.
Fish were caught and shipped north on schooners. Fishing soon became a popular recreational sport and in 1914 a fishing excursion on the Inlet cost only $5 per day trip.
During the Great Depression multimillionaire, Archer Milton Huntington developed his 9,000-acre garden and estate just north of what is now Litchfield Beach. He greatly boosted the local economy by hiring regional workers to construct his dream Spanish style home, complete with 22 fireplaces and 36 rooms. To further help the community, Huntington built a medical clinic, church, and community center.
In the 1960's this area began to grow into a popular vacation area, but has maintained what drew everyone here in the first place: sandy beaches, river landings, and a quaint seaside community.
