Demographics & Population

Crowded Neighborhoods: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Many of the Utah Priorities Project’s issues are concerns viewed through the lens of growth. A growing population puts pressure on housing, water, the education system, and air quality – all of which are high-priority issues for Utah voters. With the crowded neighborhoods issue, the Utah Foundation attempted to isolate how concerning growth was on its own. Based on survey results, Utah voters prioritized crowded neighborhoods among the items of low importance. Utahns may have … Continued

Transportation: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Utah is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. The 3.4 million population is expected to increase to approximately 5 million by 2050. As Utah’s population grows, concerns about roads and transportation grow with it. Utahns spend about 23 minutes getting to work each day. Most drive alone. Over 16% – the next largest group – work from home. Read the research brief for more about transportation in Utah, including road usage charges, revenues … Continued

Immigration: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Staff

Utah voters consider immigration of medium importance, but the 2024 Utah Priorities Project showed large differences among demographic groups. Almost 9% of Utahns were born in a foreign country. About 42% of those individuals are naturalized citizens, and around 40% are estimated to be unauthorized immigrants. Utah policy toward immigrants has fluctuated over time, but recent programs seem welcoming. This may be due in part to the fact that Utah immigrants play an outsized role … Continued

Economic Scenarios for Ogden Valley’s Proposed Incorporation

Written by: Christopher Collard

Incorporating into a city can give residents a sense of self-determination. Being able to elect one’s own leaders to make decisions for the local area can be empowering. However, it does come with a cost. The new city would be responsible for directly providing services for the newly incorporated area, or contracting with another service provider. A private entity hired the Utah Foundation to perform a supplementary analysis to the state’s required feasibility study. This … Continued

Priced Out and Fed Up: Cost of Living and Government Dysfunction are Voters’ Top Issues

Written by: Christopher Collard

Each November, Utahns have a chance to shape government to fit their needs. Ideally, the voters’ voices serve as a compass to correct the course of government and shape society. However, information gaps can preclude an ideal outcome. First, politicians and policymakers need to understand Utahns’ priorities. Second, voters need relevant background on the issues that matter most. The Utah Foundation’s Utah Priority Project seeks to fill those information gaps and provide that background. Priced … Continued

Moving Utahns Toward Homeownership: Benefits, Rates, Affordability, and Obstacles

Written by: John Salevurakis

The American Dream is deeply embedded in the identity and ethos of the United States. At its core is the belief that anyone – regardless of their background – can achieve success, upward mobility, and a better life through hard work, determination, and opportunity. Homeownership is both a symbol of achieving the American Dream and a way it is achieved. Policymakers are increasingly focused on housing as it has become a significant issue for voters … Continued

Healthy Communities: Enhancing Open Space

Written by: John Salevurakis

Utah’s natural resource endowments and its past cultivation of urban and suburban open spaces will likely continue to spur population growth in the future. As a result, additional stress will be placed upon existing endowments. Doing nothing in the coming years threatens to decrease the quality of life that Utahns – both newcomers and long-timers alike – have come to expect and value. This report provides an understanding of why open space is important, looks … Continued

The Comforts of Home: Family Life in Utah

Written by: Christopher Collard

UTAH SOCIAL CAPITAL SERIES Check out the other sections of the Utah Social Capital Series. Links will become live as reports are published Civic Engagement Social Trust Community Life Family Health Social Cohesion Focus on Future Generations Social Mobility Overall Index Family is the basic building-block of society and a core component of social capital. To the extent that families are stable, the larger civilization benefits from greater social stability. To the extent that family … Continued

Measuring the Miles: Road Usage Charges in Utah

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

Utah has joined about a dozen states in exploring a new kind of revenue for road maintenance that charges drivers for miles driven, rather than fuel consumed. While many states have conducted research and pilot projects on road usage charges, Utah and Oregon are the only two states with currently operating programs. Measuring the Miles: Road Usage Charges in Utah examines the broader movement toward road usage charges among the states; how these charges can be … Continued