Where is COVID spreading? Here’s how Horry County’s new cases break down by ZIP code
New Horry County COVID-19 cases declined significantly in the last week, but the distribution of new cases in different areas of the county is still uneven.
Horry County added 1,466 new cases in the week of Sept. 19 through Sept. 26, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). The previous week, the county recorded 2,077 new cases, and the latest data continues a welcome decline in new infections after the area faced a surge in cases and hospitalizations that overwhelmed health systems and sparked a renewed push for vaccinations.
Across the county, vaccination rates differ widely based on ZIP code, and a Sun News analysis found a relationship between vaccination rates and incidence rates of COVID-19 cases, though other factors are also at play in the rate of new infections.
In the referenced time period, most ZIP codes fell below an incidence rate of five cases per 1,000 residents, but three areas in particular recorded a higher incidence rate. The incidence rate is calculated by comparing the number of new cases to the population in that ZIP code.
Here’s how Horry County’s new coronavirus cases break down by ZIP code
1. 29511 - Aynor
In the Aynor area, the 29511 ZIP code added the highest rate of COVID-19 cases during the week of Sept. 19 to Sept. 26. With 41 cases added, the ZIP code saw an incidence rate of 7.5 cases per 1,000 residents, according to DHEC data. Last week, the ZIP code ranked fourth in the county with an incidence rate of 7.9 cases per 1,000 residents.
2. 29527 - Conway, Bucksport and Bucksville
The 29527 ZIP code added around 5.6 cases per 1,000 residents, landing in the second-highest incidence rate in Horry County.
3. 29579 - Carolina Forest
The Carolina Forest part of Horry County has added 5.4 cases per 1,000 residents. The 29579 ZIP code ranked second in the county for its incidence rate last week, with 8.3 cases per 1,000 residents.
4. 29588 - Socastee and Forestbrook
The 29588 ZIP code added 230 cases in the time period in question, calculated to 4.7 cases per 1,000 residents, DHEC data shows.
5. 29526 - Conway and Red Hill
Around Conway and Red Hill, the 29526 recorded an incidence rate of 4.6 cases per 1,000 residents in the last week. The ZIP code was ranked sixth in the county last week.
6. 29544 - Galivants Ferry
In the western part of the county, the 29544 ZIP code added 24 cases, which comes out to an incidence rate of 4.3 cases per 1,000 residents.
7. 29566 - Little River
The Little River area has the third-highest vaccination rate in the county, but the 29566 ZIP code falls in the middle of the pack for its rate of new cases. The incidence rate during the week of Sept. 29 through Sept. 26 was around 3.7 cases per 1,000 residents, DHEC data shows.
8. 29582 - North Myrtle Beach
In North Myrtle Beach, 61 cases were added, according to DHEC. The incidence rate was around 3.66 cases per 1,000 residents last week.
9. 29569 - Loris
The Loris area logged an incidence rate of 3.64 cases per 1,000 residents, slightly below the incidence rate in the North Myrtle Beach area at 3.66 cases per 1,000 residents.
10. 29575 - Surfside Beach and Garden City
The coastal ZIP code of 29575 added 66 cases in total, which comes out to around 3.4 cases per 1,000 residents. The ZIP code recorded a drop from last week, when it had an incidence rate of 4.8 cases per 1,000 residents.
11. 29577 - Myrtle Beach
Both of the ZIP codes that cover the city limits of Myrtle Beach are in the bottom half of this week’s incidence rates. The 29577 ZIP code reported an incidence rate of 3.3 cases per 1,000 residents, DHEC data shows.
12. 29581 - Nichols and Ketchuptown
The 29581 ZIP code has the lowest vaccination rate in the county, and the ZIP code ranks 12th in the county for its rate of new coronavirus cases. It recorded an incidence rate of 3.1 cases per 1,000 residents.
13. 29568 - Longs
The 29568 ZIP code in the Longs area dipped below three cases per 1,000 residents, recording an incidence rate of 2.6 cases per 1,000 residents.
14. 29576 - Murrells Inlet and Garden City
The southern end of the county saw an incidence rate of 2.47 cases per 1,000 residents after logging an incidence rate of 2.84 cases per 1,000 residents last week.
15. 29545 - Green Sea
In the 29545 ZIP code, the exact incidence rate can’t be determined. The smallest ZIP code by population added fewer than five new cases in the last week, prompting DHEC to conceal the exact number of COVID-19 cases recorded in that time period. The highest incidence rate possible would be 2.46 cases per 1,000 residents.
16. 29572 - Myrtle Beach
The ZIP code with the lowest incidence rate in the county during this time also has the highest vaccination rate, according to DHEC. The 29572 ZIP code added 22 cases, coming down to an incidence rate of around 2.2 cases per 1,000 residents.
