Where Do Our Students Want To Live After High School?

UNDATED (WJON News) -- A recent survey dives into where central Minnesota high school students see themselves living after graduation.

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The Career Force survey asked 9th through 12th graders where they would prefer to live after high school.

Nearly one-third said they are "not sure", 21 percent said a rural area someplace else, 18 percent said a large city or metro area someplace else, 14 percent said in or near my current town, 13 percent said in the same area but not my hometown, and 3 percent said the Twin Cities. Career Force says the preferences are very similar to those in the roughly 5,000 survey responses statewide.

When isolating the results to just the 12th-grade students, the 32 percent not sure drops to 26 percent, and a larger share indicates they want to live in or near their hometown or a rural place somewhere else as they get closer to graduation.

Career Force says these results challenge the common perception that most students plan to leave for major metropolitan areas. Instead, many appear open to rural and small-town communities, if opportunities align with their goals. The report says strengthening the connections to local employers and employment opportunities is key to retaining and attracting young talent.

The Career Force survey covers Benton, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Pine, Renville, Sherburne, Stearns and Wright Counties. Since the beginning of the school year, most responses have come from Sherburne, Wright and Stearns Counties. As additional schools participate, they say the picture will continue to sharpen.