Nebraska survey reveals majority of rural students want to stay in small towns

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — What do young Nebraskans want from the places they live and what would it take for them to return to their hometowns?

Findings from the 2023 Greater Nebraska Youth Survey were released on Monday.  More than 3,700 middle and high school students have been surveyed since 2020.

The Nebraska Community Foundation and the Center for Public Affairs Research at UNO have been asking them about their priorities, values and desires.

The goal is to find out what it would take to get kids to move back to their hometown after college.

Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed said they are extremely or somewhat likely to live in the area they live in now.

And only 4% said they wanted to live in cities that are larger than what Nebraska offers.

The students ranked safety, good schools and proximity to family as the most important factors when deciding where to live.

A little more than half said the main reason to live somewhere else would be a job or business opportunity.

Nebraska Community Foundation President Jeff Yost said it’s a matter of discerning where one wants to live, work and play and where they most want to raise their families.

As young people continue staying in their hometowns, Yost predicts that the structure and development of their towns will continue to grow.

This will provide even more of a reason for young residents to return to their small hometowns.