The NCR-Stat: Baseline Survey 2024 is a collaborative initiative developed by the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, the Southern Rural Development Center, and Auburn University. The survey explores essential topics related to household, business, and community well-being. It aims to learn more about the conditions, issues, and challenges faced by rural and urban communities and their residents in the North Central Region.
Conducted as a 20-minute online survey through the Qualtrics platform, it covers a broad spectrum of topics, including household demographics, income, workforce participation, entrepreneurship, caregiving, housing, broadband access, migration and staying behavior, civic engagement, community belonging, health, food security, well-being, and environmental concerns. The survey was designed to maximize participation across a diverse range of household types, geographic locations, ages, and racial and ethnic groups, ensuring comprehensive and balanced representation.
Building on the 2022 survey, the NCR-Stat: Baseline Survey 2024 features both adapted and expanded questions, introducing new topics like moving and staying behaviors and the recreation economy. Data collection took place from August to November 2024, primarily through the Qualtrics platform, with additional responses gathered via computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) in select states to reach offline populations. High data quality was maintained through attention-check questions and mandatory responses, with all collected data fully coded and de-identified to safeguard participant confidentiality.
Survey Conducted: 2024 / Respondents: 4,383
Research and Reports
Research
- What makes rural entrepreneurs stay? Social and economic characteristics of in-migrants and locals / Research Brief (January 2026)
Reports
- North Central Region Household Survey Reports (December 2025)
- The Civic Muscle Index Online Report created by the University of Missouri Extension’s Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES), is a tool for Missouri communities to identify peer counties and explore measures of belonging, contribution, leadership, and vitality. The Civic Muscle Index utilizes the NCR-Stat: Baseline Survey 2024 in the leadership section of the reports.
Baseline 2024 Survey – Other Regions
In collaboration with our sister centers — the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, Southern Rural Development Center, and the Western Rural Development Center — NCRCRD also conducted the Baseline Survey 2024 household survey in the Northeast, Southern, and Western regions of the U.S. Like the NCR-Stat: Baseline Survey 2024, these datasets are open access and available to all.
- Northeast Region – NER-Stat: Baseline Survey 2024
- Southern Region – SR-Stat: Baseline Survey 2024
- Western Region – WR-Stat: Baseline Survey 2024
- 4-Region Household Dataset – 4R-Stat: Baseline Survey 2024
Provides all four regions’ Baseline 2024 open access data in one download (North Central, Northeastern, Southern, and Western).
Additional Resources
Outdoor Recreation Dashboard generates tables that compare regional and state level data on outdoor recreation topics from all four Baseline 2024 surveys.
Outdoor Recreation Dashboard
The Outdoor Recreation Dashboard created by University of Minnesota Tourism Center summarizes and compares data from the outdoor recreation questions asked on the North Central, Northeast, Southern, and Western regions’ Baseline Survey 2024. Check out the dashboard for a rare opportunity to compare regional and state-level household data!
Video
- Regional Pulse: Insights from the 2024 Multi-Region Household Surveys Webinar (recorded 5/9/25; 51 minutes)
- Recording features Maria I. Marshall, NCRCRD Director, Zuzana Bednarik, NCRCRD Research and Extension Specialist, and John J. Green, Director, Southern Rural Development Center presenting the 2024 baseline household surveys conducted across three major U.S. regions as wekk as key findings from each of the regional datasets — NCR-Stat, SR-Stat, and NER-Stat.