It's Good to be Morrisville: A Diverse, Welcoming Community
Morrisville's town theme for 2013 is "Year of Community", and it's a great time to reflect on the broad spectrum of people, beliefs, cultures and ideas that mold us into a unique community and to celebrate both diversity and unity in our town. "I highly value Morrisville's strong and welcoming sense of community," says Mayor Jackie Holcombe. "It's reflected in our residential and business growth, and as we grow, new opportunities and choices arise in our community. Diversity makes our community strong, attractive and vibrant". Mayor Holcombe notes the tremendous diversity of Morrisville:
- The town's growing Senior population includes seniors who have lived in Morrisville their entire lives as well as seniors who have relocated to be close to their adult children and grandchildren.
- At the same time, our vibrant community is a magnet for young professionals. Morrisville has the third-lowest median age among Wake County municipalities.
- For a town of our size, Morrisville has a remarkable faith diversity, inlcuding Baptist, Holy Transfiguration Orthodox, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Hindu, Missionary Baptist, Islam and Nondenominational Christian worship opportunities.
- Morrisville is racially and culturally diverse -- one-fourth of town residents were born outside of the US. Asians make up 27% of our population -- 20% are Indian-American, nearly 500 are Chinese-American, and nearly 500 more are one of Korean-American, Vietnamese-American, Filipino-American or Japanese-American. African-Americans comprise 13% of our population. Like our region and nation, Morrisville's Latino population also is growing.
- Politically, we represent a broad spectrum: 41% Unaffiliated, 33% Democrat, 25% Republican and 0.6% Libertarian.
Jackie also observes that Morrisville's diversity contributes to our sense of community:
- Our location – close to Raleigh-Durham airport, Research Triangle Park and several major universities -- makes our town appealing to world travelers.
- In 2013, Morrisville was recognized by Nerdwallet as the best place in North Carolina to raise a family.
- With more seniors and young people, and our family-friendly atmosphere, we're seeing an increase in multi-generational households.
- A diverse population promotes commerce, with new opportunities for business owners and more choices for customers. For example, 33% of Morrisville businesses are owned by women; and Morrisville is home to a wide variety of ethnic restaurants.
- A multicultural community brings a host of festivals and events, such as the 2013 inaugural East Meets West Festival, which was produced byMorrisville Innovation Foundation and offered food and entertainment representing cultures from around the world. Also new in 2013 was the firstInterfaith Breakfast, held in May.
- Other community celebrations include our traditional July 4th pancake breakfast and fireworks, the Dharma Yoga Fest, India Independence Day, Turkish-American Iftar and community dinners and the Islamic Center of Morrisville open house.
- Morrisville is a leader in disability inclusion. For example, we were recognized by the Triangle Down Syndrome Network for our proclamationrecognizing October as Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
Jackie states, "It's a privilege to be Mayor of a town with such diverse and welcoming citizens. I believe that's what leads to our very strong sense of community". Want to learn more? Check out the latest video in the series It's Good to be Morrisville and consult the US Census Quick Facts. Or contact Jackie using one of the buttons at the top of this email.
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Many cultural events celebrate Morrisville's diversity
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Jackie promotes a strong sense of community
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