Poll Shows Most Rural Nebraskans have Economic Concerns
Lincoln, Nebraska, Nov. 1, 2024 — Most rural Nebraskans are at least somewhat concerned about their household’s cost of living, income and financial situation, according to the most recent report from the 2024 Nebraska Rural Poll, which focuses on the economy and trade policy.
Eight in 10 rural Nebraskans surveyed are either somewhat or very concerned about their household’s cost of living, nearly seven in 10 are concerned about their household income, and just over six in 10 are concerned about their household’s personal finances.
This is especially true for lower income households, the poll shows.
Persons with the lowest household incomes are more likely to be concerned about their personal finances. Almost eight in 10 respondents with household incomes under $75,000 are at least somewhat concerned about their finances, compared to 44% of those with household incomes of $100,000 or more.
“In earlier released results from the 2024 Rural Poll, we found rural Nebraskans have been increasingly pessimistic about their current situation,” said Brad Lubben, Nebraska Extension policy specialist. “These economic concerns may be a primary factor behind the declining general sentiment of rural Nebraskans. Higher consumer prices due to higher inflation rates of the past few years have spiked the cost of living and left many rural Nebraskans with concerns for their economic well-being.”
The 2024 Rural Poll also asked a series of questions about trade policy and its importance to Nebraska.
Fifty-five percent of rural Nebraskans surveyed think international trade is good for the state’s economy, while just 8% think it is bad. However, residents of the Panhandle are less likely than residents of other regions to agree. Just over a third of Panhandle residents surveyed (36%) say trade is good for Nebraska’s economy, compared to 66% of residents of the north-central region. While most respondents statewide think trade is good for the state’s economy, a smaller percentage (43%) think it is good for creating jobs in the state, compared to 16% who think it is bad.
Rural Nebraskans are less positive about international trade’s impacts on them personally, said Becky Vogt, the manager of the Rural Poll. At least four in 10 respondents think trade is good for their standard of living, while 35% think it is good for their job or business. Many rural Nebraskans think international trade is neutral for these items, according to the poll, but most respondents in agricultural occupations (67%) see international trade as good for their job or business.
When asked which factors should be used in determining U.S. trade policy, six in 10 respondents think protecting American jobs should be very important. Just over half think creating new export opportunities for the state’s agricultural producers and other businesses (55%) and lower prices for consumers (51%) should be very important considerations. Less important considerations include strengthening economic relationships with other countries (41%), strengthening and safeguarding political relationships with other countries (39%), creating choices for consumers (39%) and using trade policies to pressure countries that challenge U.S. economic and political priorities (27%).
“The Rural Poll findings help illustrate the complexities of trade and the economic impacts on Nebraskans,” Lubben said. “Trade provides consumers access to a global supply of goods and services that can increase choice and decrease costs. But trade can have differing implications for producers, where exports are good for the bottom line, but imports compete with domestic production.”
To learn more about rural Nebraskans’ perceptions of the economy and trade policy, policymakers, community leaders and members of the public are invited to a Rural Poll webinar at noon Central Nov. 13. More details and registration are available at https://ruralpoll.unl.edu.
The Rural Poll is the largest annual poll gauging rural Nebraskans’ perceptions about policy and quality of life. Questionnaires were mailed to more than 5,800 households in Nebraska in late spring and summer, with 1,010 households — representing 86 of the state’s 93 counties — responding. The margin of error for the poll is plus-or-minus 3%. Rural Prosperity Nebraska conducts the poll with funding from Nebraska Extension.