Mountain News Deserts

A similar survey conducted by the Greater Montana Foundation in June 2015 asked this question to
Montana residents in a slightly different way, and likewise found much greater concern with the
economy 2 .
When we look at how people responded by urban density – whether they lived in a rural, suburban
or urban place – the results changed slightly. People who lived in rural places were slightly more
concerned with infrastructure and local government than their urban counterparts, the Google
survey data suggest, as seen in Table 2. Rural residents were also less concerned with crime and
violence.
Table 2:
What issues in your community are most important to you and your family?
Health"&"education"
53.64%"
Crime"and"violence"
49.94%"
Infrastructure"(roads,"water,"power,"etc.)"
Local"government"
20.19%"
39.68%"
Overall"
Urban"
Suburban"
Rural"
The"economy/jobs"
52.47%"
The"environment"
31.23%"
Source: Google Consumer Survey, “How I Get and Use News”
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2 "The"Greater"Montana"Foundation"surveyed"526"Montana"residents"by"telephone,"asking"which"one"issue"
was"currently"the"most"important"facing"the"state."The"results:""
• The"economy:"32"percent"
• Education:"18"percent"
• Health"care:"12"percent"
• Moral"values:"8"percent"
• Energy"and"resource"development:"8"percent"
• The"environment:"4"percent"
• Illegal"immigration:"4"percent"
• Crime:"4"percent"
• Spending"and"state"taxes:"3"percent"
• Race"relations:"1"percent"
7"