-
The Grand Strand
been visited by many regional,
national, and international publications and
broadcasting companies. For example, in 2001 the area
was the scene for QVC Live-Fourth of July Picnic, Home
and Garden Television (HGTV) Vacation Living broadcasts.
Nationally the area has been featured in Southern Living
Vacations, The Baltimore Sun, Newsday, Coastal Living,
Chicago Tribune, and The Boston Globe. Internationally,
articles have appeared in Golf Monthly, Going for Golf,
Selling North America of the United Kingdom, Bellevue of
Germany, and Crossings of Canada.
-
-
In
addition, the Myrtle Beach area has received these
positive national reviews:
-
•
The Myrtle Beach area ranked No. 4 on a list of
50 of the most popular motorcoach destinations
of the decade, according to Byways magazine. The
publication is produced for the National
Motorcoach Network, a marketing network of more
than 2,000 motorcoach tour operators. Others in
the top five included Branson, Mo. (1),
Washington, D.C. (2), Nashville, Tenn. (3), and
New York City (5).
-
•
The Myrtle Beach area is No. 2 on the list of
top destinations for summer vacations in the
United States, according to the most recent AAA
survey. Others in the top five are Orlando, Fla.
(1), Washington, D.C. (3), Niagara Falls, N.Y.
(4), and Williamsburg, Va. (5).
•
Myrtle Beach is the second most popular beach in
the United States, according to USATODAY.com
Travel Guide, an affiliate of the newspaper
USAToday. The 2001 Beach Guide Top Ten Beaches
were compiled after more than 3,000 readers
responded, nominating hundreds of beaches from
Hawaii to Maine.
-
-
•
The International Association of Golf Tour
Operators named the Myrtle Beach area the
established golf destination of the year for
2000. Destinations are rated on customer
satisfaction, support from suppliers and
airlines, quality of golf courses and
accommodations, and access to tee times.
-
•
Restaurant Business magazine ranks the Myrtle
Beach area No. 1 in the U.S. for growth
potential. The area's market is growing nine
times faster than the national average, and
twice as fast as its closest competitor,
Flagstaff, Ariz.
-
•
The Myrtle Beach area has been named by Where to
Retire magazine as one of the 100 Best
Retirement Towns in America. Where to Retire is
the leading source of information for more than
400,000 affluent and well-educated Americans who
move across state lines to retire. Editors
travel throughout the United States, visiting
towns in all 50 states, to compile the "100
Best" list.
-
•
The Myrtle Beach area has again been named a
favorite travel destination by readers of
Southern Living magazine. In its fifth annual
Readers' Choice Awards, the area was named the
South's second favorite beach and third most
popular family destination. The area was
selected from 63 travel destinations, with some
18,000 ballots cast in the survey.
Back to Top
-
The Grand Strand has seen steady growth in population
in the past
several decades. This population explosion has been evident in the
increase of the number of residential construction starts and
infrastructure development.
The Census Bureau completes population updates every two years for
Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA). Horry County constitutes an
MSA because the population of the area is greater than 100,000. The
2002 census estimates Horry County’s population at 206,039 for the
1,134 square miles of land area. Although Horry County is the
largest in land area in South Carolina, its population accounts for
approximately five percent of the state’s population..
Horry County Population:
(U.S. Bureau of the Census)
|
1970 |
69,992 |
|
1980 |
101,419 |
|
1990 |
144,053 |
|
1998 |
174,762 |
|
2000 |
196,629 |
|
2005 (Projection) |
216,100 |
|
2010 (Projection) |
240,590 |
|
2015 (Projection) |
265,140 |
|
|
Source: Myrtlebeachchamber.com