For the first time, most Utah voters believe the state is on the wrong track and that their quality of life is worse now than five years ago.
More than 60% of Utahns believe that Utah is on the wrong track and that their quality of life is worse now than five years ago. These and other findings will be released Tuesday in the Utah Foundation’s 2024 Utah Priorities Project report titled: “Priced Out and Fed Up.” The title refers to Utah voters’ concerns about the cost of living and government dysfunction. By heeding voters’ concerns, state leaders can work to govern by the will of the people to get the state on the right track and thereby improve the quality of life for all Utahns.
“For the first time, the majority of Utah voters say that we’ve had a bad five years and things are heading in the wrong direction,” said Shawn Teigen, Utah Foundation president and report co-author. “They are truly fed up.”
Highlights of the report:
- The cost of living and political dysfunction topped the most important issues in 2024.
- For the first time in the Utah Priorities Project, housing affordability is the No. 1 concern.
- Secondary priorities included education and environmental concerns.
- More than 3 in 5 Utah voters think Utah is on the wrong track – the largest share observed since 2004.
- More than 3 in 5 Utah voters consider themselves worse off than five years ago – higher than during the Great Recession or early in the pandemic.
- The top four issues were often the same among subgroups, although the order varied.