The University of Nebraska-Lincoln released the 2020 Nebraska Thriving Index today. Professor of Economics Eric Thompson said the index compares rural Nebraska to other neighboring rural areas on economic performance and conditions.
“So the Nebraska thriving index is a way to benchmark the economy in rural Nebraska by comparing it with other rural regions around the upper Midwest,” Thompson said.
Thompson said the main takeaway from the index is that residents in Nebraska’s rural regions experience a high quality of life but face challenges in areas including educational attainment. The index also found that Nebraska’s Tri-Cities area, Kearney, Grand Island, and Hastings, is the top-performing rural region in the state.