This session presents how SDSU Extension designed, implemented, and analyzed the South Dakota Newcomers Survey, a statewide effort to understand the needs, motivations, and experiences of recent movers. By outlining the survey’s methodology, outreach strategy, analytical approach, and reporting process, the session highlights why newcomers are an essential population for community planning. Participants will learn key findings, how demographic and cultural preferences shape newcomer decisions, and how communities can use these insights to strengthen attraction and retention strategies. The session also demonstrates how states or individual communities can replicate the process to generate locally relevant data.
