Trends in Well-Being in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Nebraska Rural Poll Research Report 19-3

Nebraska’s economy remained strong in the beginning of 2019. However, the continued weakness of the agriculture sector had the possibility of hampering the state’s economic growth. In addition, the March flooding had the potential for negative economic effects. Given these challenges, how do rural Nebraskans feel about their community? Are they satisfied with the services provided by their community? How do rural Nebraskans believe they are doing and how do they view their future? How satisfied are they with various items that influence their well-being? Have these views changed over the past 24 years? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 1,776 responses to the 2019 Nebraska Rural Poll, the 24th annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions about their community and well-being. Trends for some of the questions are examined by comparing data from the 23 previous polls to this year’s results. In addition, comparisons are made among different respondent subgroups, that is, comparisons by age, occupation, region, etc. Based on these analyses, some key findings emerged