Does Community Size Affect Resident Satisfaction? Data from the Nebraska Rural Poll

The Nebraska Rural Poll is a mailed sample survey of non-Metropolitan Nebraska Households that is now entering its 22nd year. In that regard, it is the largest and longest running thing of its kind in the nation. The survey has now reached over 56,000 respondents. Within the collected Rural Poll data are a number of variables that have been measured every year since 1996. The bulk of these variables are measured on five-point Likert type scales questioning the extent to which respondents are “Satisfied” with various aspects of their lives and their communities. In this context, we define satisfaction as the fulfillment of a need or want. Thus, the extent to which one is satisfied or dissatisfied indicates the adequacy of that fulfillment