News Articles

Is your city ready for an age boom?

June 10, 2026 (Deseret News) - Ashley Marshall-Cantor thinks the reason people don’t like to talk about aging is because “we’re a little scared of our own mortality and our loved ones’ mortality.” Unless it’s unavoidably close, they skirt the topic. But that’s not something cities, counties and communities should do, she said. Especially since Utah and the U.S. itself are aging. Marshall-Cantor is a research analyst with the Utah Foundation, which recently undertook an analysis of whether county and municipal … Continued

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How’s Utah doing? A new report offers some good and bad

June 10, 2026 (Fox 13) - A report released Wednesday by Tulane University provided a look at how the state is doing compared to the nation, and how the United States is doing. The Utah Foundation, which partnered with Tulane University on the study, came away with the conclusion that we are “a state of extremes.” There are extreme successes. Utah’s social capital is strong as are people’s feelings about children and families. The state’s economy is still strong with low … Continued

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What aging Moab needs most: housing and memory care

June 09, 2026 (Moab Sun Times) - The two things Grand County’s older residents say they need most — affordable senior housing and memory care — are the two things the area has the least of. That’s the early read from a new county survey of older adults, and it arrives just as a statewide report singles Grand County out for something rarer: actually having planned, on paper, for its aging population. A Utah Foundation report, “Preparing for Utah’s Aging Population: A … Continued

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Guest opinion: Things we don’t see: Addiction

June 04, 2026 (Standard Examiner) - …Reports from the Utah Foundation and the Utah Legislature note that 80% to 85% of prisoners in the state grapple with substance abuse problems so why are we only treating a restrictive amount of inmates instead of all you have substance abuse disorders?…

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Will SLC be awesome when you are 65?

May 18, 2026 (City Cast Salt Lake) - By 2060, Utahns older than 65 are estimated to be 23% of the state’s population. Are our cities ready for that? Host Ali Vallarta asks Utah Foundation research analyst Ashley Marshall-Cantor about the gaps and bright spots in local aging plans.

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Letter to the editor: Negative consequences of large data centers

May 16, 2026 (Deseret News) - …Utah ranks 48th out of 50 states for air quality. The health consequences are severe and well documented — the Utah Legislature itself published a report titled “Utah’s Public Health Crisis” cataloging the health impacts Utahns face from poor air quality. Utah Foundation research estimates air pollution causes between 2,500 and 8,000 premature deaths in Utah annually…

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Utah cities updating growth plans, but few include detailed strategies for aging populations

May 14, 2026 (Cache Valley Daily) - As Utah’s population ages, a new Utah Foundation report says many communities across the state are still not adequately planning for the needs of older residents, even as demographic changes accelerate. The report, Preparing for Utah’s Aging Population: A General Plan Inventory, found that only about one-third of Utah counties and roughly one in five municipalities have general plans with concrete strategies aimed at supporting aging residents. Researchers reviewed general plans from counties, cities and … Continued

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Housing and healthcare on Access Utah

April 29, 2026 (UPR) - Utah Foundation President Shawn Teigen joins us today to talk about housing and healthcare. A new report from the foundation says that programs that directly reduce purchase prices, such as well-crafted community land trusts and shared-equity mortgage programs with public and nonprofit partnerships, are better aligned with today’s cost realities than previous solutions. Another report looks at how healthcare costs burden us, the drivers of these costs, and the federal changes that impact us.

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New report highlights growing health care affordability concerns across Utah

April 05, 2026 (Cache Valley Daily) - A new report from the Utah Foundation finds that a majority of Utahns are struggling with the cost of health care, even as most remain insured. According to the report, 69% of Utah residents experienced at least one type of health care cost burden, including expenses tied to insurance premiums, medical services or outstanding bills. Additionally, 86% of Utahns reported concern about affording health care in the future. The report, titled Primer: Healthcare Costs for … Continued

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This small Utah ski resort has billion-dollar expansion plans

March 28, 2026 (Deseret News) - Nordic Valley didn’t have a good winter. In fact, the small ski resort nestled in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah wasn’t open much this season due to unusually warm temperatures and lack of snow. But the 58-year-old ski area has transformational plans on the horizon to become a four-season destination. Clyde Capital Group is exploring possibly investing $500 million to $1.4 billion in a massive village at the base of the ski hill including … Continued

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Headline: Utah housing market update: What you need to know for 2026

March 21, 2026 (KSL.com) - It’s the American dream: work hard, save your money and buy a place to call your own. Find a home you love, move in and start building your future. If only it were that simple. For many Utahns, the path to homeownership has grown increasingly complicated. According to a 2024 Utah Foundation survey, housing affordability remains one of the top concerns for potential buyers…

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Report shows how ‘shared equity’ programs can help Utahns buy homes

March 20, 2026 (Deseret News) - Government programs can go only so far in helping Utahns buy homes in one the country’s most expensive housing markets, but there are other options available that involve private investors, according to a new report. “Appraising Utah’s Homeownership Approaches,” written by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Utah Foundation, highlights “shared-equity” programs where buyers and investors share both ownership of a home and its future appreciation. “Basically, it’s allowing you to get into a market that doesn’t exist … Continued

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This small Utah ski resort has billion-dollar expansion plans

April 06, 2026 (KSL.com) - Nordic Valley didn’t have a good winter. In fact, the small ski resort nestled in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah wasn’t open much this season due to unusually warm temperatures and lack of snow. But the 58-year-old ski area has transformational plans on the horizon to become a four-season destination. Clyde Capital Group is exploring possibly investing $500 million to $1.4 billion in a massive village at the base of the ski hill including … Continued

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Quantifying Utah Nonprofits

January 29, 2026 (KSL News Radio) - Shawn Teigen spoke on “Midday with Maria Shilaos” about the Utah Foundation’s newest report, The State of Nonprofits in Utah: A View of Charities from IRS Filings. (Recording starts at 9:54.)

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Opinion: From Uzbekistan to Utah — lessons on religion and social harmony

January 21, 2026 (Deseret News) - …This state is consistently mentioned in various international ratings and analytical center reports as one of the most stable and socially advanced regions in the United States. According to data from the Utah Foundation, in 2021, Utah ranked among the top 10 U.S. states in the “Social Capital Index.” This indicator reflects levels of public trust, economic stability, strength of family relationships, social cohesion and civic engagement. The state’s economic development has also been progressing … Continued

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Batteries, on-site power plants may accelerate launch of new data centers

January 06, 2026 (CoStar) - …On-site power plants, also known as behind-the-meter systems, could provide between a quarter and a third of the incremental electricity demand from data centers through 2030, according to a November report by investment bank Goldman Sachs. Joule Capital Partners started construction on a data center in Holden, Utah, that will produce its own power on-site, the Utah Foundation reported. Meanwhile, the Stargate data center partnership between OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank is expected to generate much … Continued

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Opinion: The ‘Utah Way’ prevails once again

December 16, 2025 (Deseret News) - As usual, Utah is leading the nation on key issues. We explore the importance of this and the political impact.   The Utah Foundation released a report stating Utah leads the nation in social capital, defined as how people use networks and social connections to benefit themselves and their communities. Why is this important to citizens and voters? Cowley: Strong communities are the result of strong families and strong churches. Lucky for us, Utah has … Continued

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Investing in People: Maximizing Returns from Higher Education in a Tech-Focused Economy

December 14, 2025 (Bitgit) - The Changing Landscape of Education and Workforce Investment As technological advancements rapidly transform industries, the traditional value of a four-year college degree is being reevaluated. Once considered a reliable route to financial security, conventional higher education now faces competition from vocational and technical programs that offer faster and more cost-effective entry into the job market. This shift signals a broader reconsideration of how both societies and businesses invest in developing talent for a technology-centric world. … Continued

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