If you want to see what rapid suburban growth looks like in the Carolinas, drive through Carolina Forest. Fifteen years ago this was mostly pine trees and swampland. Now it’s subdivisions, schools, shopping centers, and traffic. Lots of traffic. And that growth is creating real commercial real estate opportunity for anyone paying attention.
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**Location Relative to Highway 31**: Highway 31 visibility and access are essential. Backroad retail locations face harder lease-up. -
**Anchor Tenants**: Who’s anchoring nearby retail? Strong anchors drive traffic. Weak or empty anchors create risk. -
**Population Growth Assumptions**: Carolina Forest’s continued buildout is essential to your property’s success. Know the developer’s plans and track actual absorption.
Carolina Forest
Carolina Forest is basically Myrtle Beach’s inland suburb. Master-planned residential community with tens of thousands of residents. Young families, retirees, remote workers. The schools are good (by Grand Strand standards), the housing is affordable relative to the coast, and the commute to the beach is 15-20 minutes. It’s the kind of community that pulls in people who want the beach lifestyle without the beach prices and the beach traffic.
What Supports Strong Performance
- Located on Highway 31 with strong visibility and access
- Anchored by strong national retailers or service anchors
- Early entry with established traffic patterns
- Located in or near Carolina Forest residential development
- Good co-tenancy with strong adjacent retailers
What Creates Risk or Headwinds
- Backroad location without Highway 31 access
- Later entry with established competition
- Weak or vacant anchor tenant positions
- Away from Carolina Forest residential concentration
- Heavily dependent on continued residential buildout
From a commercial property standpoint, Carolina Forest has gone through the classic suburban cycle. Residential first. Then grocery stores and gas stations. Then strip centers with dentists and nail salons. Then urgent care clinics and banks. It’s maturing fast, and the commercial properties that got in early have done very well. The trajectory is still pointing up because the residential growth hasn’t leveled off.
The challenge? Not enough commercial space for the population. Carolina Forest is predominantly residential by design. The commercial zoning is concentrated along a few corridors — mainly Carolina Forest Boulevard and Highway 501. That limited supply means the existing commercial properties command decent rents and stay full. It also means that any well-positioned commercial land in this area has real value, because the demand for commercial development outstrips what the current supply can handle.
Highway 31 (Carolina Bays Parkway)
Highway 31 is the connector that makes Carolina Forest work. It runs north-south, connecting the Highway 501 corridor to North Myrtle Beach without going through the beach traffic on Highway 17. It’s become the preferred route for locals who need to get from the southern Grand Strand to the northern Grand Strand without sitting in tourist traffic. And it’s opened up development along its entire path.
The commercial activity along Highway 31 is still developing. There’s commercial land at several interchanges that hasn’t been built out yet. Some of these interchange sites have been pad-ready for a while. As Carolina Forest and the surrounding areas continue growing, these interchange sites become more valuable every year. I’m watching a few of them because the timing feels like it’s getting close.
Related: Hold or Sell Your Commercial Property: How to Decide
Related: Hampstead and the US-17 North Corridor
Related: How I Determine My Offer Price
| Highway 31 Corridor | Development Status | Opportunity |
|---|---|---|
| Hwy 31 / Hwy 501 Interchange | Developed | Established commercial |
| Hwy 31 / Carolina Forest Blvd | Developing | Retail pads, flex |
| Hwy 31 / Hwy 544 | Partially developed | Mixed commercial |
| Hwy 31 / Hwy 9 (NMB) | Developing | Retail, service commercial |
The airport connection
Myrtle Beach International Airport is expanding. The $93.5 million project adds six new gates, with runway reconstruction starting February 2026. The airport is near the Highway 31/Highway 17 interchange, and the expansion supports the broader growth narrative. More flights mean more visitors discovering the area, more people deciding to relocate, and more pressure on the housing market. That pressure pushes people inland to places like Carolina Forest. And Carolina Forest residents need commercial services. The cycle feeds itself.
What I’m looking at
Commercial land at Highway 31 interchanges. Strip retail along Carolina Forest Boulevard. Flex space in the corridors near Carolina Forest where contractors base their operations for serving the Grand Strand.
The growth here isn’t speculative. The rooftops are already in place. The population is already here. The commercial infrastructure just needs to catch up. That’s a much safer setup than betting on growth that hasn’t happened yet. You’re building for demand that already exists, not demand you’re hoping will materialize. I like those odds.
For the big picture on what’s happening in this market, check out my Myrtle Beach market report.
Seller takeaway
Carolina Forest and Highway 31 offer growth, but timing and location within these corridors are critical. If you’re evaluating properties here, call Roth Capital at 704-600-3839. We understand the Carolina Forest growth story and can position your asset appropriately.
Own commercial property or land in the Carolina Forest area? Let’s talk about what it’s worth right now. 704-600-3839.
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