Blog

Significant Statistics | Can Carpenters Afford the Homes They Build?

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Having recently completed our “middle housing” project (see the project page here), the Utah Foundation continues to track Utah’s housing issues. A recent find is the Carpenter Index. AEI’s Housing Center created its Carpenter Index as a way of tracking housing affordability in the country’s 100 largest metro areas. The Index looks at the income for the average carpenter-headed household as a proxy for blue-collar Americans’ incomes. The gist of the question: Can carpenters afford … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | Broadening Utah Students’ Horizons

Written by: Peter Reichard

Broadening Educational Horizons, Bridging Socio-Economic Gaps How can Utah inspire K-12 students to look beyond a high school diploma? When looking beyond high school, some Utah students face low expectations, a shortfall in post-secondary readiness, a lack of knowledge around post-secondary options and financial challenges. Our new report, Broadening Horizons: Clearing an Early Path to Post-Secondary Success, not only explores these challenges, but also seeks to reveal the network of supports that can help smooth the … Continued

Video: The Missing Middle of the Housing Market

Written by: Christopher Collard

The Utah Foundation’s multi-part project on the “missing middle” of the housing market has been making waves among civic, business and policy leaders. Find out what middle housing is, why it matters and how to deploy it in this brief, engaging video.  

Utah Thrives Podcast | The Middle-Class and Social Cohesion

Written by: Peter Reichard

How does economic stratification look in Utah? Utah is unique among Western States on a key measure of social cohesion   In March, the Utah Foundation put out a new edition in our Utah Social Capital Series called The Soil of Common Ground: Social Cohesion in Utah. On maybe the most important metric, Utah came out on top nationally. On another, Utah stands alone in the Western states. In this edition of Utah Thrives, Utah Foundation Senior … Continued

Op-ed: America’s middle class is in trouble, but not in Utah

Written by: Peter Reichard

The nation’s middle class has gradually been shrinking. Fifty years ago, more than 60% of Americans were in the middle class. Now the percentage is less than 50%. It’s worth noting that the upper class grew during that time. But so did the lower class. In short, our nation is becoming increasingly stratified. This is particularly evident when we look at America’s major cities and the urban-rural divide. A robust middle class provides a pipeline … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | The Surprising Effects of the Pandemic on Families

Written by: Peter Reichard

Prior to Pandemic, Utah Family Life Saw Shocking Declines on Key Metrics The Pandemic Made Eye-Opening Impacts — both for Good and Ill   There’s only so much time in the day, and most parents need to know that they need to work intently to make sure family time is well-spent. And while families in Utah are well-structured, the time families spend at home may not be. That problem — and the surprising effects of the … Continued

Op-ed: How communities can change the playbook to expand housing options

Written by: Peter Reichard

Scanning the older cities of Utah (or indeed any state) you encounter in the historic core a mix of lot sizes and uses. You might see small setbacks and often find single-family homes alongside small multi-family housing. Often, these areas appear designed for pedestrian commuting, shopping and recreation. As you move away from the historic core into the suburbs, the old patterns dissolve into a new one: All of the residential lots are larger and … Continued

Op-ed: Utah has strong families, but warning signs loom

Written by: Peter Reichard

Confucius may have put it most succinctly in observing that “the strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.” Family is the basic building block of society. To the extent that families are stable, the larger civilization benefits from greater social stability. To the extent that family connections are strong, the members of that family will tend to enjoy stronger social capital and related socioeconomic benefits. Strong family health is inextricably linked … Continued

Significant Statistics | Utah Teacher Pay to 2020

Written by: Shawn Teigen

New data from the U.S. Department of Education suggest that, when adjusting for inflation, teacher pay has held steady from 1990 to 2020. Mountain States’ average teacher pay has — with one exception — been below the national average. Pay in Colorado, Nevada and Arizona neared the U.S. in 1990 but has since decreased. On the other hand, pay has increased in others, including Utah. (And New Mexico skyrocketed from 2019 to 2020.) However, Utah … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | Local Ground Rules and the Missing Middle

Written by: Peter Reichard

Expanding housing options in Utah will require expanding what our zoning allows. But what are the best ways of going about that? Answering that question is the topic of the latest installment in the new Utah Foundation study, Is the Middle Missing? A Guide to Expanding Options for Utah Homebuyers and Renters.   Utah Foundation Vice President Shawn Teigen and President Peter Reichard explore the findings of the report in this edition of Utah Thrives, the … Continued