Survey of Rural Challenges

The Survey of Rural Challenges is now open!

The survey is a collaborative initiative of SaveYour.Town and SmallBizSurvival.com and is conducted every other year. Although the survey started in the United States and Canada, it has received additional responses from countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand! Since 2015, more than 2,200 people have contributed their perspectives.

When the survey closes, rural development experts Becky McCray and Deb Brown (seriously, check out SaveYour.Town) analyze the survey findings and publish the results through reports, infographics, presentations, and articles on both websites.

Past Surveys

One of the biggest challenges facing rural leaders is separating assumptions from reality. Too often, decisions are based on anecdotes, outdated perceptions, or what someone believes is happening in small towns. The Survey of Rural Challenges, provides something far more valuable, a decade of insights gathered directly from the people who live, work, volunteer, and own businesses in rural communities.

If you’re serious about strengthening your community, the survey results from 2015 through 2025 deserve a place on your reading list. They reveal how some challenges, such as workforce shortages and downtown decline, have remained persistent through the years. While others issues, including housing, childcare, and support for small businesses, have emerged as pressing concerns over the past decade. The trends documented over ten years are compelling proof of the importance of listening to rural voices.

Take the Survey Now!

So what are you waiting for? Now is the time to provide valuable input:

Take the survey now!