UNO Researchers Launch New Survey for Nebraska Metro Areas

Omaha – Researchers from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) are introducing a new Nebraska public survey aimed at understanding the issues facing the state’s metropolitan areas.

Organized by UNO’s Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR), the Nebraska Metro Poll is designed to complement the Nebraska Rural Poll, which has been conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the past 18 years.

“There are numerous changes happening across the state,” explained David Drozd, project manager for the new poll. “While we’ve learned a great deal about the public’s perception of Nebraska’s rural communities, we do not have nearly as much information from the states’ highest population areas.”

A letter announcing the 50-question survey will be sent soon to 7,500 randomly selected households in the Omaha and Lincoln areas. The full survey will be mailed out around April 11. The Metro Poll will survey residents of Cass, Douglas, Lancaster, Sarpy, Saunders, Seward and Washington Counties.

Questions in the survey include how people view changes in their community over the past year, levels of personal satisfaction with public services, perception of crime rates in their area, and other measures used to determine key issues that need to be addressed.

“In addition to some questions the rural poll uses every year, we wanted to include a focus on what makes communities successful,” Drozd explained. Comparing how responses are similar or different between urban and rural areas will provide key insights, Drozd noted.

Participation in the survey is voluntary and a self-addressed stamped envelope is included to avoid any burden of cost to participants. For additional ease of use, an optional link will be provided for participants to complete the survey online. 

The written survey will also be available in Spanish and sent bilingually to select households. The project is fully supported by the UNO Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS). 

For additional information on the survey, please contact the UNO CPAR at 402.554.2132. 

For media questions, please contact Charley Reed, UNO media relations coordinator, at unonews@unomaha.edu or by phone at 402.554.2129.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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