Surfside Beach is a very small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of South Carolina. With a population of 4,280 people and two associated neighborhoods, Surfside Beach is the 86th largest community in South Carolina.

Surfside Beach real estate is some of the most expensive in South Carolina, although Surfside Beach house values don't compare to the most expensive real estate in the U.S.

Of important note, Surfside Beach is also a town of artists. Surfside Beach has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Surfside Beach’s character.

A relatively large number of people in Surfside Beach telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 11.64% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Another notable thing is that Surfside Beach is an extremely popular vacation destination. A significant portion of the population is seasonal. During the vacation season, the town experiences a large influx of people who take up residence in second homes they own in the area. As the vacation season ends, the population drops again, leaving behind a substantially quieter and smaller town.

Surfside Beach is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

As is often the case in a small town, Surfside Beach doesn't have a public transportation system that people use for their commute.

The citizens of Surfside Beach are among the most well-educated in the nation: 41.02% of adults in Surfside Beach have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree, whereas the average US city has 21.84% holding at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Surfside Beach in 2022 was $38,687, which is wealthy relative to South Carolina, and upper middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $154,748 for a family of four. However, Surfside Beach contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

The people who call Surfside Beach home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Surfside Beach residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Surfside Beach include English, German, Irish, Italian, and European.

The most common language spoken in Surfside Beach is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and French.