New survey asks locals their thoughts on Myrtle Beach area. What it found
.JPG "Myrtle Beach residents were surveyed by Collaborate2031 on how they view Horry County’s economy.")
Horry County residents want to continue seeing Myrtle Beach grow while also seeing its leaders provide support to businesses and career needs, a new local survey found.
The Greater Myrtle Beach Collaborative, an organization that brings together different parts of the community to drive economic growth, announced the survey’s findings Wednesday. The group’s nonprofit foundation, Partnership Grand Strand, organized the Collaborate2031 Steering Committee, which conducted the survey and analyzed its findings.
More than 1,900 Horry County residents participated in the survey, according to the report. The hope is that the results help give community leaders insight into what they need to focus on when planning.
Residents were asked about how they viewed the local economy and what they wanted to see their leaders take on next. The survey was conducted from March 10 to May 5 of this year.
The committee also created the Benchmark Analysis Report to show how Horry County stands against other comparable cities, such as Wilmington and Charleston.
“The Collaborate2031 research tells us our next chapter must focus on strengthening livability and prosperity so that our community becomes an even better place to live, work, raise a family and build a career,” Greater Myrtle Beach Collaborative CEO Matt Pivarnik said.
How does Horry County compare to others?
Horry County residents want to see new and current businesses expanding in the area, according to the survey’s findings.
More than 80% of those surveyed supported community investments that help attract businesses, with 49% of respondents also saying that they would like to see growth in the healthcare and life sciences sectors.
In the Benchmark Analysis report, Horry County ranked third in micro-business growth when compared with five cities in the Southeast. Horry County also ranked first in population growth and domestic migrations.
That means that more people are choosing to move to The Grand Strand than other communities that were analyzed by Collaborate2031.
What are respondents’ top priorities?
Despite the positive growth, residents expressed concerns over how the county will be able to maintain its expanding population and development.
Sixty-five percent of people surveyed said that roads and traffic were top quality-of-life priorities, with public safety coming in second at 41%.
The other area where residents want to see improvement is in the type of jobs available. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed disagree that the region currently offers enough quality jobs outside of tourism, according to the report.
In the analysis report, Horry County ranked last in non-hospitality employment opportunities and last in technical workforce and population with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
“As a Steering Committee, our responsibility is to listen to residents, study the data and develop a strategy that helps Horry County remain a place where people want to live, work, raise families and build businesses,” Collaborate2031 Chair Clay Brittain said. “Collaborate2031 is about creating a shared vision and a practical roadmap that positions our community for long-term success.”
