Soul of the Community

The information in our study covers the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, N.C., Statistical Area.

In each community, the Soul of the Community Study identified factors that emotionally bond residents to where they live. Some of these community characteristics were rated highly by residents, and are therefore community strengths while others were rated lower, making them opportunities for improvement. This information can provide communities a roadmap for increasing residents’ emotional attachment to where they live, which the study found has a significant relationship to economic vitality.

In the Myrtle Beach area, social offerings (fun places to gather), openness (how welcoming the place is) and aesthetics (an area's physical beauty and green spaces) are the most important factors in connecting residents to where they live.

Social offerings (particularly the nightlife), aesthetics (particularly the natural setting) and education (particularly local colleges and universities) are perceived as community strengths. However, residents caring about each other was rated significantly lower in 2009 and is now the lowest-rated aspect of social offerings.

Meanwhile, openness is seen as an area needing improvement. Residents rate the Myrtle Beach area as being most welcoming to seniors and least welcoming to college graduates.

Not surprisingly, ratings of the local economy are down significantly in 2009, however the economy is still not a key factor emotionally connecting residents to their community. Meanwhile, basic services (community infrastructure) and civic involvement (due to increased voting in the Presidential election and in volunteering and attending public meetings) are significantly higher this year.

Residents who feel strong emotional connections to the area are most likely to be older, retired, city/urban-dwelling and home-owning. Those least likely to have a strong emotional connection are younger than 54, suburban-dwelling, renters and lower-income residents.