Everyone knows at least a few of his or her neighbors. Anyone whose ancestors settled in the area long ago can likely trace that relationship to quite a few people in Beaufort County. But a new study by Realtors Property Resource, a company that provides data to realtors, gives a breakdown of all those who’ve made their home — or second home — in Beaufort County.

The study starts with some basic data about the county: the total population is 48,762 people; the median household income is $39,269; the median age is 44.7. But the following is a bird’s eye view of the five different categories that local residents fall into.

 

ROOTED RURAL

By far, the largest percentage of county residents are categorized as Rooted Rural. Rooted Rural folks make up only 2 percent of the U.S. population; in Beaufort County, that number climbs to 15.3 percent.

According to the study, this group enjoys time spent outdoors, hunting, fishing or working in their gardens. Indoors, they enjoy watching television with a spouse

and spending time with their pets. When shopping, they look for American-made and generic products. These communities are heavily influenced by religious faith,

traditional gender roles and family history.

Rooted Rural folks are mostly married couples, most with no children living at home. Eighty percent of homes are owner occupied and home values are pretty low: nearly 50 percent are valued under $100,000.

Socioeconomically, far-right political views on religion and marriage prevail, as does a “do it yourself” ethic. Many grow their own vegetables, work on their own cars and ATVs, and find computers and smartphones a bit complicated — that’s why they pay bills in person and don’t make Internet purchases. Clothes, to the Rural Rooted, are a necessity, not a fashion statement. Pets are popular with these folks, as are satellite dishes, faith-based radio and gospel music, and the Wal-Mart pharmacy.

 

RURAL RESORT DWELLERS

Only 1 percent of U.S. households fall into the Rural Resort Dwellers category, but in Beaufort County that number is 11.1 percent.

Rural Resort Dwellers appreciate the change of seasons and the outdoor activities that go along with them. Many of these largely blue-collar workers are on the cusp of retirement. While they have simple tastes, they are passionate about their hobbies. Some of these folks own second homes in Beaufort County, because homes are valued at about 8 percent less than the median home value in the U.S. A majority of Rural Resort Dwellers are married with no children at home and have at least two vehicles.

“Simple tastes and modesty characterize these blue-collar residents. They shop for timeless, comfortable clothing, but only when something must be replaced. They pay little attention to advertising and usually stick to the brands they know. They spend time with their spouses and also maintain a social calendar,” the report reads.

As for Rural Resort Dwellers’ likes, they like domestic vehicles, fishing, hunting and motorcycling, working on cars and yards. They’re not afraid to make online purchases of items that are hard to find in Beaufort County, and their preferred watching runs to Animal Planet, Discovery Channel and the DIY network, the report said.

 

DOWN THE ROAD

Nearly 50 percent of all the people in the Down the Road category live in mobile homes, and while 2/3 of those households are owned, nearly 20 percent of them are valued under $50,000. In Beaufort County, 8 percent of households fall into the Down the Road category, as opposed to 1.1 percent nationwide.

It’s a younger, more diverse category: workers are in retail, service, manufacturing, construction; more are involved in agriculture and mining, as compared to the U.S. overall. These neighbors have higher unemployment rate (11.6 percent) and 1/5 of them live below the poverty level, according to Realtors Property Resource.

Most of this group has a lower level of education — 37 percent have a high school diploma; 38 percent with some college education or a degree.

The Down the Road-ers like convenience and playing the lottery, have preference for R& B, hip-hop and rap, and when it’s time to shop, Wal-Mart is the choice. They are family-oriented and observe time-honored customs, according to the report.

 

SOUTHERN SATELLITES

The Southern Satellites of Beaufort County represent 7.1 percent of the population. The nationwide figure is 3.2 percent. These are settled married people who own their own homes almost 2/3 of which are single-family homes most likely built around 1970 or later. They’re employed in variety of jobs and enjoy country living.

Southern Satellites are concerned about the cost of things, rather than quality or brand loyalty and get most of their information from TV. While 41 percent of these folks have a college education, they still fall below the median household income and have a higher unemployment rate (9.2 percent) than the national average.

These folks like vehicles — owning three vehicles is common—and they’re partial to trucks. They have satellite dishes, own dogs and do their own remodeling. Country music is their listening choice, while reading material leans toward fishing/hunting or home service magazines.

These folks are also Wal-Mart shoppers for most of their needs and when it comes to eating out, they’re partial to low-cost family restaurants, the report said.

 

COMFORTABLE EMPTY NESTERS

The Empty Nesters make up 5.8 percent of Beaufort County’s population, compared to 2.5 percent of households in America.

“Most are professionals working in government, health care or manufacturing. These Baby Boomers are earning a comfortable living and benefitting from years of prudent investing and saving. Their net worth is well above average. Many are enjoying the transition from child rearing to retirement. They value their health and

financial well-being,” the report said.

This is the 55 and older crowd, married couples, most without children at home. For the most part, they’re college graduates (34 percent), and nearly 66 percent have some college education. These folks are physically active, financially active, and like eating at home as opposed to eating out. They take good care of their homes — most of which were built between 1950 and 1990. They love sports, especially golf. Comfortable Empty Nesters own computers, stock, mutual funds and real estate.