Nebraskans are feeling more optimistic about the state’s overall direction than the nation’s, according to the latest Nebraska Snapshot. Still, fewer than half of respondents believe either is on the right track, but residents appear to be putting their pandemic pessimism in the past.
The Nebraska Snapshot, released by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Bureau of Sociological Research, draws on seven Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Surveys conducted between early 2020 and November 2025, providing a longitudinal look at shifting public sentiment.
Negative attitudes toward the direction of country and the state were highest during the pandemic and the immediate years following. The share of Nebraskans surveyed who felt the country was headed in the wrong direction rose sharply from 40% in early 2020 to 62% later that year and peaked at 76% in 2022.
Nebraskans’ responses about the state’s direction were more measured, but pessimism was evident. Only 11% of respondents believed the state was going in the wrong direction in early 2020. That number ticked up in late 2020 to 17% and peaked in 2024 at 28%. In early 2020, 63% of Nebraskans surveyed believed the state was headed in the right direction, in contrast to only 40% who responded the same in 2024.
By 2025, optimism had rebounded. In the survey of 977 Nebraska adults, 41% of Nebraskans surveyed believe the state is headed in the right direction, with 26% disagreeing and one-third being unsure. For the country, 31% believe it is going in the right direction, while 49% responded the country is going in the wrong direction and 20% were unsure.
Major differences of opinion can be found when breaking down the responses by age and political party.
Younger respondents, ages 19-44, are more likely to believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, with 61% stating so in the 2025 survey. Only 40% of respondents 45-64 said the country is going in the wrong direction, and 48% of those 65 and up agreed. Similarly, only a third of younger Nebraskans surveyed say the state is going in the right direction, compared to 45% of those 45-64 and 47% of those 65 and up.
Democrats and independents are much more unhappy with the direction of the country and the state right now than their Republican counterparts. In the 2025 survey, 87% of Democrats and 59% of independents believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, compared to only 17% of Republicans. When asked about the direction of the state, only 21% of Democrats and 39% of independents stated they believed the state was headed in the right direction, while 57% of Republicans responded the same.
Smaller differences were found between male and female attitudes. In 2025, male respondents were more positive about the country and state going in the right direction, with 46% responding that the state was headed in the right direction and 38% responding the same about the country. Only 36% of females surveyed believed the state was going in the right direction, and 26% responded the same about the country.
NASIS is used by researchers, state entities and policymakers but also includes a core questionnaire that delves into demographics, quality of life measures, educational attainment and community satisfaction, among other variables. These core questions inform the Nebraska Snapshot series. Previous topics covered by Nebraska Snapshots included internet access, finances and how Nebraskans feel about their health.
All Nebraska Snapshots are available online. To include research questions on the next NASIS administration, email bosr@unl.edu.
