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March 16, 2012

Northeast Nebraska Regional Blueprint for Sustainability Survey Results of 16

Northeast Nebraska

Regional Blueprint

2012 Regional Survey Results

Counties in Region

Antelope

Boone

Burt

Butler

Cedar

Colfax

Cuming

Dixon

Dodge

Knox

Madison

Nance

Pierce

Platte

Stanton

Thurston

Wayne

March 16, 2012


Reason

Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District (NENEDD)

performed a Northeast Nebraska Regional Survey as a second step

in the Regional Blueprint for Sustainability. The survey was an effort

to reach out to citizens and will provide the ground work in moving

forward for a comprehensive regional assessment and strategic

plan. The final product will allow the region to be prepared for

opportunities and challenges.

The December 6

th, 2012 kickoff meeting brought together over 70

leaders from around the state to form a series of committees that

will be instrumental in creating this plan. The economic

development, transportation, housing, environment and education

committees discussed the challenges faced in each classification. A

month long survey was conducted to further identify the

instrumental components of the plan. A series of committee

meetings will be held to identify goals and potential projects.

Methodology

NENEDD staff utilized SurveyMonkey, an on-line service. The

survey link was emailed out to all contacts and was uploaded to

www.nenedd.org, The survey link was also embedded on

http://www.facebook.com/NENEDDNorfolk

Outreach

� January 16 – Email news release through email distribution

list of over 600 and follow up release on NENEDD

Facebook

� January 18 – Email news release and Facebook

� January 27 – Email release and Facebook

� February 1 – 3rd

– Email requests and phone calls ED

partners and clerks to forward on

� February 7th – Email news release, Fremont Tribune news

brief, WJAG Morning Coffee interview

� February 8 – Facebook posts on KEXL, WJAG and EVEDC

� February 9 – Email news release and Facebook post.

Facebook post on City of Norfolk. WJAG/106Kix/LiteRock

Radio Review flyer, Butler County Chamber of Commerce

Weekend Highlights flyer

� February 10 – NorfolkDailyNews.com

� February 11 – Norfolk Daily News, news brief

� February 14th – Email release

Survey Purpose

Region Overview:

Underserved

Outreach

Long-term goal

Upon completion of the Regional Blueprint

for Sustainability Assessment NENEDD

hopes to have a clear vision for guiding

economic and community development in

Northeast Nebraska. This plan will enable

us to apply for grants, create and

accomplish goals and most importantly

serve the needs of the citizens residing in

this great area of the state. We hope to

identify and secure funding to allow for

completion of in-depth planning and/or

implementation of identified goals. The

unified effort of leaders will further show

that we can work together to promote

ourselves as a region not just as individual

areas.

Response

There were 613 responses from the

January 16th date of release to the closing

date of February 15th, 2012.

March 16, 2012


Table 1: Source 2010 Census

County Male Female Total 2010 Total 2000 Population Change

Antelope 3,329 3,356 6,685 7,452 -767

Boone 2,746 2,759 5,505 6,259 -754

Burt 3,370 3,488 6,858 7,791 -933

Butler 4,213 4,182 8,395 8,767 -372

Cedar 4,496 4,356 8,852 9,615 -763

Colfax 5,426 5,089 10,515 10,441 74

Cuming 4,533 4,606 9,139 10,203 -1,064

Dixon 2,964 3,036 6,000 6,339 -339

Dodge 17,978 18,713 36,691 36,160 531

Knox 4,262 4,439 8,701 9,374 -673

Madison 17,298 17,578 34,876 35,226 -350

Nance 1,870 1,865 3,735 4,038 -303

Pierce 3,668 3,598 7,266 7,857 -591

Platte 16,150 16,087 32,237 31,662 575

Stanton 3,033 3,096 6,129 6,455 -326

Thurston 3,449 3,491 6,940 7,171 -231

Wayne 4,817 4,778 9,595 9,851 -256

Total 103,602 104,517 208,119 214,661 -6,542

Reviewing the above demographics and the survey results leads to a top priority of reversing the population

decline and increasing our workforce.

March 16, 2012


Under 19

5%19-24

1%

25-34

13%

35-44

14%

45-54

29%

55-64

30%

Over 65

8%

Age

Under 19

19-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

Over 65

Five hundred and fifty eight

people responded to this

question:

• Male: 286

• Female: 272

According to the 2010 Census,

our region has a combined:

• Male: 103,602 (47.78%)

• Female: 104,517

(50.22%)

Chart 2

We had 559 people

respond to the age

inquiry. Of those, 67%

were older than 45

years of age.

Male

51%

Female

49%

Gender

Chart 1

March 16, 2012


Chart 3

Chart 4

March 16, 2012


Chart 5

Chart 6

March 16, 2012


COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES

Chart 7

Five hundred and seventy-nine people responded to this question, rating 5 as a priority and 1 as not

important. The highest rated answer was “attracting and retaining workforce” followed by

“developing strategies to reverse declining population”.

March 16, 2012


Chart 8

Responders were asked to rate the importance of addressing 20 different items. The top 5 were rated

below:

1. Maintaining quality K-12 school systems

2. Quality of employment opportunities

3. Access to higher education opportunities

4. Safe drinking water

5. Technology infrastructure

March 16, 2012


Chart 9

There 590 responses to the above question. Top responses were:

1. Job creation/retention

2. Regional partnerships to attract new business

3. Access to highway/roadway

4. Access to markets

5. Active economic development organizations

March 16, 2012


Chart 10

Five hundred and seventy-nine people responded to this question. The most highly rated items for

influencing the future were:

1. Attracting and retaining workforce

2. Developing strategies to reverse declining populations

3. Cooperating with neighboring communities for essential services

March 16, 2012


HOUSING

Table 2: Source, 2010 Census

County

Housing Units,

2010 households

homeownership

rate, 2006-2010

Median household

income 2006-2010

Antelope 3,284 2,791 72% $ 37,058

Boone 2,649 2,382 72.60% $ 40,703

Burt 3,467 2,951 74.30% $ 43,817

Butler 4,053 3,451 75.30% $ 44,595

Cedar 4,148 3,419 81% $ 40,497

Colfax 4,097 3,706 80.80% $ 48,133

Cuming 4,204 3,841 75% $ 44,278

Dixon 2,688 2,389 77.10% $ 42,388

Dodge 16,584 14,994 66.70% $ 42,849

Knox 4,788 3,847 75.40% $ 36,798

Madison 15,014 13,663 67.90% $ 44,089

Nance 1,801 1,528 76.00% $ 41,610

Pierce 3,222 2,917 82.60% $ 48,318

Platte

County 13,378 12,378 73.80% $ 49,523

Stanton 2,633 2,419 78.00% $ 47,713

Thurston 2,408 2,054 65.60% $ 39,048

Wayne 3,776 3,316 70.00% $ 45,000

Total 92,194 82,046

Average 74% $ 43,319

March 16, 2012


Chart 11

According to the 2010

Census data per

county, 74% are

homeowners in our

region. We had 575

responses to this

question of which 92%

(530) are homeowners.

Based on that

comparison, this chart

shows a higher

response from

homeowners than

renters.

Forty-nine people answered this question. Responders were allowed to select multiple answers.

Sixteen responders

(32.7%) said they rented

because of a lack of

affordable homes.

Thirteen (26.5%) people

responded for each of the

following:

• Lack of down

payment funds

• Lack of financial

assistance

• Lack of quality

dwellings for

purchase

Rent

8%

Own

92%

Rent vrs owning

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Lack of affordable houses

Lack of down payment funds

Lack of financial assistance

Lack of quality dwellings for purchase

Home maintenance expenses are too high

Preference of renting

Other

Temporary resident of community

Why do you rent?

Chart 12

March 16, 2012


Chart 13

We had 575 responses to this question. Three hundred and two responders have lived in their community for

over 20 years, and 418 have lived in the region for over 20 years. This shows that there is an additional 113

residents who have moved to the region, but for the most part, relocation has been within the area. This, along

with a regional population loss of 6,542 from the 2000 Census to the 2010 Census, needs to be considered when

developing strategies to increase population.

Chart 14

When asked why they had moved to the community in the past five years, 119 of those surveyed

responded. Job opportunities are rated as the highest reason.

March 16, 2012


Chart 15

Chart 16

Five hundred and sixty-eight people answered the question on rating housing problems. Adequate, affordable

rental units was the highest rated housing problem, followed by poor, dilapidated housing.

March 16, 2012


Chart 17

Those surveyed were given an open-ended question that asked where they wanted the region to be in

20 years and 303 people answered. Responses were then grouped into the above categories. The

highest desire was an increased population.

March 16, 2012


Residents were then asked what the goals were to achieve where they want to be in 20 years. Below is a

sampling of responses.

• Location is a huge plus for shipping goods across the country.

• Need much better access to a rail line that can be utilized by the area manufacturers and agricultural

community.

• Good leadership, strong employment and quality health care.

• The region working together to achieve the ultimate goal, sharing resources and ideas.

• Utilize multiple age groups for input, look to outside people to see what would be attracting.

• An open attitude is important.

• Complete road & infrastructure projects

• Tax incentives, infrastructure improvement (get highest bandwidth of Internet possible)

• Encourage people with knowledge to share their knowledge so everyone can improve their standards of

living/health. Use of knowledge can cut costs to the benefit of everyone.

• Improve infrastructure and actively recruit new businesses to the area.

• Public/private investment in infrastructure

• Leadership training for elected officials and community leadersDevelop a "systems" approach -

recognize the individual components that interrelate and affect the whole

• Preserve heritage while valuing diversity

• First, residents need to work together with a positive attitude and be willing to invest in economic

development. Second, infrastructure needs to be improved, including highways, power and natural gas,

and broadband.

• Adequate employment opportunities, diversified employment, adequate - affordable housing, visionary

leadership on the part of county & community leaders

• More aggressive economic development strategies both locally, regionally, and statewide.

• Active local and regional economic development, as well as educating the general public through press

releases

• Begin by educating grade school age students that there are opportunities to get a college education

and come back to the rural areas and be able to have the opportunities for jobs. Improve the housing

stock - both rental and ownership.

• Infrastructure, recruitment of international families, continued focus on existing industries and

opportunities.

• Seek natural gas source to increase our potential for new industry. Increased recreational opportunities

such as trails and park enhancements to entice younger demographics to the area

• Community/City leaders must be trained to look for opportunities and be brave enough to invest money

and time into creating small business, which should snowball into med to large business attraction.

• Develop better housing standards, requiring better maintenance of housing, whether rental or owner-

occupied.

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