Demographics

Building quality of life into our future

Written by: Peter Reichard

When considering Utah’s assets, it’s easy to rattle off a series of indicators that play directly into economic performance: a favorable tax environment, a strong workforce, a diversified economy, a fleet of strong higher ed institutions and one of the most well-educated populations in the nation. But one of Utah’s most important assets is less tangible. It comes up in conversation perhaps more than any other asset, but you can’t find it in federal statistics. … Continued

Utah Foundation’s Health Cost Series examines cost drivers

Written by: Sam Brucker

Note: This post was originally published on the website of the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. In 2016, Utah Foundation’s Priorities Project found that the cost of health care was Utahns’ biggest concern. In response, Utah Foundation produced a three-part Utah Health Cost Series from December 2017 to June 2018. The series provides an analysis of the overall cost of health care spending in Utah, the cost of health insurance for Utahns, … Continued

Utah Thrives: Quality of Life, Relationships, and Suicide

Written by: Dan Bammes

Every few years, Utah Foundation surveys Utahns about their quality of life. Their responses allow us to look back and see how their perceptions have changed over time. And we also recently published a research report on suicide, looking at how Utah compares to other states in the Mountain West and the nation. We’ll hear from Utah Foundation President Peter Reichard about those reports. In this edition of Utah Thrives, we’ll look closely at one … Continued

Utah housing concerns center on Salt Lake County and renters

Written by: Peter Reichard

Housing affordability has become one of the biggest topics in recent public discourse. That makes sense: Housing prices in Utah have increased sharply during the past five years. The median sales price of a home rose from $207,000 in 2013 to $298,950 in 2018. Median rents in Utah have increased from $851 in 2012 to $986 in 2017. From a longer-term perspective, housing cost increases in both Utah and most other Western states have consistently … Continued

Utah Foundation wins top awards for policy research

Written by: Dan Bammes

The Governmental Research Association, the national organization for public policy research professionals, has recognized Utah Foundation’s work with two of its top awards. The selections were announced August 1st at GRA’s national conference in Detroit. The three-part Utah Health Cost Series was honored with the Most Distinguished Research award. Utah voters put health care at the top of their list of priorities during 2016’s Utah Priorities Project, with their concern focused mainly on the cost … Continued

Utah Thrives: Farming in Utah’s Urban Counties

Written by: Dan Bammes

For several generations now, the most profitable crop grown on farmland in Utah’s urban counties has been new houses. Farmland has been disappearing and with it the lifestyle that was once a big part of Utah’s culture. But through the years, farming has survived and adapted, sometimes taking advantage of that urban growth. In this edition of Utah Thrives, we’ll hear about the agricultural protection status that farmers in Wasatch Front communities are able to … Continued

The Utah Health Cost Series — Video

Written by: Sam Brucker

Utah Foundation’s three-part Utah Health Cost Series is summarized here in this short video:     You can find all three installments of the report here.

Utah Thrives — The Future of Transportation

Written by: Dan Bammes

What if the public transit system worked more like Uber? What if we could keep the air cleaner in Utah’s national parks by driving electric cars? And how would our society change if our cars were better at driving than we are? Those are among the questions explored by a panel of experts at a recent Utah Foundation event on the Future of Transportation in Utah. We’ll hear from David Christensen, Executive Director of USU’s … Continued

Utah Thrives – Income Tax Changes

Written by: Dan Bammes

It was called the Jones-Mascaro bill, after Democratic State Representative Pat Jones and Republican Representative Steve Mascaro. The idea was to limit the income tax break that large families were getting under Utah law. Over a dozen years, the legislature rejected the idea time after time. But now, thanks to the tax reform enacted by Congress and the response of the Utah legislature to those changes, a policy similar to Jones-Mascaro is in place – … Continued

Utah Thrives – Making Landfills Last

Written by: Dan Bammes

Once a week, we haul that big trash bin out to the street, waiting for a trucks to come along and empty it. Where the stuff we don’t want or can’t use anymore goes doesn’t really concern us – out of sight, out of mind. But managing that never-ending stream of waste coming from our homes is a big concern for the jurisdictions we live in. And they’re getting more sophisticated as time goes by … Continued