Survey of Rural Challenges Shows Optimism

 

According to a just-completed study by Save Your Town, rural people were twice as likely to say they were optimistic about their communities’ future as negative.

Continuing lack of housing, inactive downtowns, and population losses ranked the highest as rural community challenges, joined by lack of childcare.

The ongoing need for workers, support services, and usable buildings, stiff competition from online businesses, and marketing ranked as the highest challenges to rural small businesses. 

Defying stereotyped media profiles of poverty, crime, and drug abuse as the primary rural challenges, rural people continually ranked these near the bottom as community challenges. 

Rural businesses innovate. Far from stuck in their ways and out of date, the most common business assets listed in 2023 were innovative ideas and up-to-date marketing techniques. 

Although rural economic development often centers around jobs, it was one of the least-mentioned challenges in this survey. Rural people mentioned available jobs or good jobs as often as mentioning a lack of jobs or low-paying jobs. 

For all the reports of a lack of small business lending, rural people said usable buildings are harder to find than loans, a continuing trend from previous surveys. 

A new question in 2023 asked, “Do you think your community will be better off in 10 years?” 

More than twice as many people responded positively than were negatively about their community’s future.

Lack of housing, inactive downtowns and population losses continue to rank the highest as rural community challenges. Lack of childcare also ranks in the top 5.

The top five rural community challenges in 2023 were: shortage of good housing, downtown is dead, not enough volunteers, losing young people and lack of childcare.

Through open-ended responses, participants could enter more detailed answers about their challenges. Out of 177 comments, the most common topics mentioned broke down into these categories. 

Attitudes: Poor leadership, sticking with outdated methods and infighting were mentioned by 39% of responses. 

Infrastructure: Empty buildings, a lack of housing or usable commercial buildings, broadband, water, wastewater, and transportation featured in 26% of responses.

Economic opportunity: Lack of funding, lack of services and support for small businesses, and a need for a specific business in the community were mentioned in 26% of answers. 

People mentioned their community’s assets in 233 responses on the open-ended questions.  

Natural resources, land, outdoor recreation, location and tourism were the most common assets, mentioned in 64% of responses. 

Committed people, volunteers, an engaged community, workforce and effective local leaders were mentioned in 48% of the answers. 

Events, arts, education and culture came up in 32% of the comments. 

Local businesses, a thriving downtown, the variety of local businesses, business development and agriculture featured in 28% of responses. 

Infrastructure, buildings, housing, broadband and technology were considered an asset in 9% of answers. 

Healthcare was listed as an asset in 7% of responses. 

The first question is, do you think this survey fairly reflects the issues facing Ash Grove, Willard and Republic? The second question is, what are you going to do about it?