Town guide

Folly Beach, South Carolina

Folly Beach is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina, home to about 1,267 people across 13 square miles. Its ZIP code is 29439, and parts of 29412 are in Folly Beach too.

Homes sold for a median of $781 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population1,267101 per sq mi
Median home value$1,000,000Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$781Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking0%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Folly Beach

2 ZIP codes, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Folly Beach. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Folly Beach

Distances

Nearest major airportCharleston International Airport (CHS)14 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Charlotte, NC180 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Philadelphia, PA571 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Folly Beach; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Folly Beach

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Folly Beach had 2,078 residents in the 2020 census, down 2% since 2000.

It’s the 245th largest of 474 towns in South Carolina by population.

Charleston County grew from 88,006 residents in 1900 to 408,235 in 2020.

Folly Beach population by census2000: 2,116, 2010: 2,617, 2020: 2,0782,11620002,61720102,0782020

Charleston County, 1900–2020

Charleston County population, 1900 to 20201900: 88,006, 1910: 88,594, 1920: 108,450, 1930: 101,050, 1940: 121,105, 1950: 164,856, 1960: 216,382, 1970: 247,650, 1980: 276,974, 1990: 295,039, 2000: 309,969, 2010: 350,209, 2020: 408,23588K’00’10108K’20’30121K’40’50216K’60’70277K’80’90310K’00’10408K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 88°F in summer, and winter lows average 44°F. About 44.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near Folly BeachJan: high 58°F, low 44°F, 2.6 in; Feb: high 60°F, low 46°F, 2.6 in; Mar: high 66°F, low 52°F, 3 in; Apr: high 72°F, low 60°F, 3 in; May: high 79°F, low 68°F, 2.6 in; Jun: high 84°F, low 74°F, 4.9 in; Jul: high 88°F, low 77°F, 5.1 in; Aug: high 86°F, low 77°F, 6.1 in; Sep: high 83°F, low 73°F, 5.3 in; Oct: high 76°F, low 63°F, 4.1 in; Nov: high 67°F, low 53°F, 2.3 in; Dec: high 61°F, low 47°F, 2.9 in58°44°Jan2.660°46°Feb2.666°52°Mar3.072°60°Apr3.079°68°May2.684°74°Jun4.988°77°Jul5.186°77°Aug6.183°73°Sep5.376°63°Oct4.167°53°Nov2.361°47°Dec2.9Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Charleston City, SC weather station (5 miles away).

Jobs in Charleston County

226,330 jobs at 15,801 businesses in Charleston County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Charleston CountyHotels and restaurants: 36,908 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 36,658 jobs; Retail trade: 29,490 jobs; Professional services: 21,487 jobs; Administrative and support: 16,540 jobs; Manufacturing: 15,287 jobs; Construction: 13,514 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 10,298 jobsHotels and restaurants 16% Health care and social assistance 16% Retail trade 13% Professional services 10% Administrative and support 7% Manufacturing 7% Construction 6% Transportation and warehousing 5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

8 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Folly Beach.

Nearest hospitals

  • Roper HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Charleston5.3 miles
  • Musc Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Charleston5.5 miles
  • Charleston Va Medical CenterVA hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 5 of 5 · Charleston5.5 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors1
Specialist doctors1
Dentists3
Mental health providers2
Chiropractors1

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Folly Beach

Parks (4 nearby)

  • James Island Recreation Complex and Park · 16 acres2.4 mi
  • Thomas Johnson Park · 9 acres0.9 mi
  • Secessionville Historic District0.5 mi
  • Stonefield Community Common Ground Park0.8 mi

Grocery stores (4 nearby)

  • Publix1.3 mi
  • Food Lion1.5 mi
  • Harris Teeter1.5 mi
  • Walmart Supercenter1.6 mi

Pharmacies (2 nearby)

  • Walmart Pharmacy1.6 mi
  • Walgreens2.4 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Baxter-Patrick James Island Library1.5 mi

Museums

  • McLeod Plantation Historic Site4.2 mi
  • The Williams Mansion4.7 mi
  • Nathaniel Russell House Museum4.8 mi
  • Heyward-Washington House5.0 mi
  • Postal Museum5.0 mi

Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)

  • James Island Arts and Cultural Center1.6 mi

Counts are within about 2.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

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Where Folly Beach is

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Towns near Folly Beach

All South Carolina towns →

Shares ZIP codes with Charleston and James Island.

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.