When Hurricane Katrina pounded her way through the Gulf Coast, Orleans Parish, La., and Harrison County, Miss., were among the areas hardest hit. The counties, which are home to New Orleans and Biloxi, Miss., respectively, also share other traits. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that with median household incomes of about $31,000, they lag the national average of $44,684 by 44 percent. The

_____ environments in those counties will influence the general environment of businesses that try to locate there.
a. technological
b. sociocultural
c. economic
d. demographic
e. political/legal

B
Demographic information, such as income levels, is a part of the sociocultural component of the general environment.