Best In South Carolina Real Estate™: Grand Strand

Cumberland County, NC is sending the highest-income households to the Grand Strand — $374,948 average income, according to ALEX Intelligence’s 2026 migration data. This is not just about retirement; it’s about economic migration. The Grand Strand is attracting top earners from across the Southeast, not just neighboring counties. How does this shift impact long-term housing demand, investment, and community development? And why is the top source not even in South Carolina? Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Slide 1: Claire P. from Northern Virginia, USA (CC BY 2.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=29549918; Slide 2: Cprintz20 (CC BY-SA 4.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=51304015; Slide 3: Toohool (CC BY-SA 4.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=136258776; Slide 4: James Willamor (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=57248969 Average Income of Arriving Households, top 10 (ALEX Intelligence — U.S. Internal Revenue Service 2023) #1 Cumberland County, NC — $374,948 #2 Prince William County, VA — $218,971 #3 Loudoun County, VA — $187,033 #4 Morris County, NJ — $181,351 #5 Cook County, IL — $143,460 #6 Westchester County, NY — $134,025 #7 Middlesex County, NJ — $117,392 #8 Gloucester County, NJ — $117,113 #9 Anne Arundel County, MD — $116,756 #10 Fairfax County, VA — $115,789 Source: https://alex-companies.com/data/2026-10-13-grand-strand-mig-in-agi View and join any or all of our communities — AI, quantum, and real estate: https://alex-companies.com/reports/linkedin-groups If there's an AI, quantum, or real estate community you'd like to see us convene, tell us — this portfolio grows by request. Real Estate Strategy & Intelligence Leader. Democratized Blue Ocean Strategist & Operator. Diane Hart Alexander, MBA, MHA Chair & CEO, ALEX Companies Designated Broker, Alexander Tiffany Southwest, LLC dba ALEX.realestate, et.al. Texas License #574877-B · Broker License #565194-BB [email protected] · +1 713.591.9902