Where Can You Still Use a USDA Loan in Horry County?

Yes, a USDA loan still works in Horry County — just not at the beach. The eligible areas are inland. Most local buyers never find out they qualify. The word “rural” doesn’t sound like anything near Myrtle Beach.

Here’s the part that matters. A USDA loan in Horry County has two gates, and they’re independent. The property has to sit in an area USDA designates as rural. Your household has to come in under an income limit. Clear both and the program is open to you. Miss either one and it’s closed, no matter how strong the rest of your file is.

Does Horry County have USDA-eligible areas?

It does, and they’re in the half of the county most visitors never see.

Horry County is bigger and more agricultural than its reputation. Head west and north — out toward Aynor, up past Loris, along the Galivants Ferry stretch, into the areas beyond the Conway corridor — and you’re in a very different county than the one on Ocean Boulevard. That’s where to look.

One important caution: I’m telling you where to look, not what’s eligible. USDA determines eligibility by specific address, not by town name, and the boundaries don’t follow city limits or anything else intuitive. Two houses on the same road can land differently. USDA publishes an eligibility map where you enter an exact address and get a determination, and that determination is the only one that counts.

So never assume a listing qualifies because it feels rural. And never rule one out for having a Conway or Myrtle Beach mailing address. Check the address.

What is a USDA loan, exactly?

It’s a mortgage guaranteed by the United States Department of Agriculture, through its Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program. It’s built for buyers in designated rural areas.

USDA doesn’t lend you the money. A regular lender does, and USDA backs it — which is what makes the terms possible. You can use it to buy or build a home, or rehabilitate an existing one. It also covers closing costs and site work like grading, landscaping, and a driveway.

The full terms are on our USDA loan page. What I want you focused on here is the two gates, because that’s what decides whether the conversation goes anywhere.

What is the income limit for a USDA loan?

Household income can’t exceed 115% of the area’s median household income. That’s USDA’s standard, and the specific dollar figure depends on where you’re buying and how many people live in the home.

I’m not going to print a number here. Those limits get revised. A figure in a blog post has no expiration date on it. USDA’s eligibility site will give you the current limit for your address and household size, and that’s the one to plan around.

What I will do is warn you about the word doing the heavy lifting in that sentence.

Why does “household income” catch so many people?

Because it isn’t the same as the income on your loan application, and buyers routinely assume it is.

USDA looks at the household. Adults in the home whose income isn’t on your mortgage can still count toward the limit. An adult child working full time. A parent living with you. A partner who isn’t on the loan. You can be well under the limit as a borrower and over it as a household.

This is the exact opposite of how some other programs count. Take South Carolina’s Palmetto Home Advantage. It caps borrower income only. SC Housing states that cap isn’t based on total household income or family size. Two programs, two definitions, and the same family can be eligible for one and not the other. I go through the state programs in my post on how down payment assistance works in Horry and Georgetown counties.

Here’s what I’d actually do: before you get attached to USDA, sit down and count every adult in the household and what they earn. Do that first, not after you’ve found a house in Aynor.

Do you have to be a first-time buyer?

No. USDA doesn’t require it.

The guaranteed loan program has no first-time home buyer requirement, and existing USDA borrowers can refinance eligible loans through it as well. If you’ve owned before and you’re moving into an eligible area under the income limit, you’re not disqualified by history.

That surprises people, and it’s worth knowing if you’re moving from a beach-corridor rental into something inland with more land.

Can you use a USDA loan on a rental or a beach place?

No, and this one is firm.

USDA requires you to agree to personally occupy the dwelling as your primary residence, and the program explicitly excludes income-producing properties. There’s no version of this where a USDA loan finances a Surfside rental or a second home you visit in the summer.

I say this plainly because the question comes up constantly here. So much of this market runs on rentals and second homes. If that’s what you’re buying, USDA isn’t the tool, and we should be talking about conventional investment or second-home financing instead.

Why does this matter on the Grand Strand right now?

Because the beach corridor has priced out a lot of people who could comfortably own something fifteen minutes inland.

I talk to buyers who’ve decided homeownership isn’t realistic for them. They’re shopping the most expensive part of the county, because it’s the part they know. The inland half of Horry County is a genuinely different market, and it has a loan program attached to it that the coastal half doesn’t.

The tradeoff is real and you should weigh it honestly: you’re farther from the water, the commute changes, and the amenities are different. For some people that’s a dealbreaker. For others it’s the difference between renting and owning, and nobody ever told them the option existed.

There’s a second thing inland buyers notice. Listings out that way often sit on more land than anything comparable near the coast. USDA financing also covers site work as part of the loan — grading, landscaping, a driveway. If what you actually want is room rather than proximity to the ocean, the program and the geography point the same direction.

What’s the one thing to do first?

Check the exact address on USDA’s eligibility map before you tour the house.

Not the neighborhood. Not the town. The address. It takes a minute and it’s free. It also prevents the most avoidable disappointment in this process. You fall for a place that was never going to work with your loan.

Do that, then count your full household income. Those two checks, in that order, tell you almost everything about whether USDA is your path.

Let’s find out if your address qualifies

If you’re looking inland — Aynor, Loris, Conway, or anywhere out that way — send me the addresses you’re considering. I’ll check them against USDA’s map and run your household against the current limit. It’s a short conversation and it either opens a door or saves you weeks. Get pre-qualified and we’ll check USDA eligibility.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a USDA loan in Horry County?

Yes, in areas USDA designates as rural, which in Horry County means the inland parts of the county rather than the beach corridor. USDA determines eligibility by specific address rather than by town, and boundaries don’t follow city limits, so two nearby homes can land differently. Check the exact address on USDA’s eligibility map before assuming either way.

What is the income limit for a USDA loan?

USDA’s standard is that household income cannot exceed 115% of the area’s median household income. The specific dollar figure varies by location and household size and is revised periodically, so check USDA’s eligibility site for the current limit that applies to your address rather than relying on a published number.

Does USDA count income from people who aren’t on the loan?

Yes. USDA applies a household income test, so adults living in the home whose income isn’t on the mortgage application can still count toward the limit. This differs from programs that cap borrower income only, such as South Carolina’s Palmetto Home Advantage, so the same family can qualify for one program and not the other.

Do I have to be a first-time buyer to use a USDA loan?

No. The Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program does not require first-time buyer status, and existing USDA borrowers may refinance eligible loans through it. If you’re buying in an eligible area and your household is under the income limit, previous homeownership doesn’t disqualify you.

Can I use a USDA loan for a rental property or a vacation home?

No. USDA requires you to agree to personally occupy the home as your primary residence, and the program excludes income-producing properties. A rental or a second home on the coast would need conventional investment or second-home financing instead.

About Travis Buis

Travis Buis is a loan officer with Elite Home Lending serving Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand, working with buyers across Horry and Georgetown counties — including the inland half of the county that most coastal marketing ignores. He works with first-time and move-up buyers on USDA, FHA, VA, and state assistance programs, and starts by checking whether the address and the household actually clear the gates. His approach is to tell you early when a program won’t work, so you can spend your time on one that will. Get in touch.

Travis Buis, NMLS #1711446. Elite Home Lending, LLC — NMLS #2788023. Equal Housing Opportunity.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not a commitment to lend or an offer of credit. Program terms, rates, and eligibility standards are set by lenders, investors, and agencies and are subject to change without notice. Loan approval is subject to underwriting, credit approval, and property eligibility. Calculator results are estimates only. Nothing here is tax or legal advice — consult your CPA or attorney for your situation.