Utah was just named one of America’s happiest states but according to the Utah Foundation, the state’s overall well-being may very well be on the decline. A recent study from WalletHub found that Utah is the fourth happiest state in the nation, averaging a score of 62.41, placing it just below Hawaii (66.31), Maryland (62.60) and Minnesota (62.43). While the study gives Utah flying colors in happiness, leading the nation in positive work and community … Continued
Utahns just aren’t feeling as good about life today as they were four years ago. That’s one of the big takeaways from the latest Utah Foundation report, “The 2022 Utah Personal Quality of Life Index: Is the Well-Being of Utahns in Decline?” The report focuses on personal quality of life – based on a survey where Utahns rate their well-being on a series of seven factors. In 2022, the Personal Quality of Life Index stands … Continued
“Social capital matters tremendously,” says Peter Reichard from the Utah Foundation. “It determines how well we will live, what we can hope for, and how much money the government might try to spend to ameliorate the consequences of society’s failings.” Because of the importance of social capital, the Utah Foundation recently published a social capital index that makes it possible to compare social capital in Utah to other states. Utah’s score placed it at the … Continued
A report released Tuesday by the Utah Foundation says the well-being of Utahns has dropped in 2022. Personal quality of life is the focus of the report. It’s based on a survey in which residents of the state rate their well-being on a series of seven factors. In the report, the Utah Foundation examines 2022 data and compares it to a similar survey in 2018. Additionally, the foundation also analyzes responses by population group. It … Continued
Today, the Utah Foundation released The 2022 Utah Personal Quality of Life Index: Is the Well-Being of Utahns in Decline? The report focuses on personal quality of life – based on a survey where Utahns rate their well-being on a series of seven factors. In this report, the Utah Foundation: compares 2022 data with the 2018 iteration of the survey; analyzes responses by population group; compares Utahns’ personal quality of life with their community quality of … Continued
Katharine Garff and her late husband Robert will be honored with the Insight Award at Utah Foundation’s 2022 Annual Luncheon on November 16 at the Marriott City Creek Hotel. The purpose of the Insight Award is to recognize civic leaders who, through a career of service or philanthropic support, have worked with integrity to provide insights in the public policy arena with the aim of improving government. Recent honorees have included Gov. Mike Leavitt and … Continued
SALT LAKE CITY — Across the U.S., home prices declined 0.77% from June to July, marking the first monthly decline in nearly three years. That’s according to Black Knight, a mortgage software, data and analytics firm, CNBC reported Wednesday. While the price drop is slight, it’s the largest single-month decline since January 2011, and marks the second-worst July for home prices dating back to 1991. “We’ve been advising for quite some time that the dynamic … Continued
Most Western metros see price decreases from June to July The Federal Reserve increased interest rates four times in five months (March, May, June and July) in part to slow inflation. That seems to be having an impact in the housing market. Mortgage rates are the highest they’ve been since 2009, and U.S. year-over-year home price appreciation peaked at 17.3% in March, falling to 13.7% by July. When looking at the 50 largest metro areas … Continued
When it comes to the network of relationships people use to benefit themselves and the larger community, Utah stands apart from the nation at large. In late July, the Utah Foundation released the eighth report in its Social Capital Series, summarizing the findings of the series and tallying the metrics we deployed. Utah emerged with a strikingly high composite score of 94. This contrasts sharply with the national number, 54. Social capital comes in many … Continued
Today, the Utah Foundation releases To a Higher Standard: Building Codes, Improved Efficiency and Air Quality in Utah. Utah has kept up to date on commercial building code standards, but it has maintained older residential building standards that fall short of more efficient building practices. The report explores possible new standards with an eye toward air quality, examining costs and benefits. Among the findings of the study: Driven by Utah’s rapid population growth, over 12% of Utah’s … Continued
As the pandemic began, we predicted that Utah would emerge economically stronger than the rest of the nation. That’s what happened. On multiple measures, Utah tracks among the nation’s tippy-top performers. Take, for instance, the GDP growth from 2019 through 2021, the unemployment rate, population growth or the poverty rate. The Beehive State also leads the nation on multiple measures of community and family life, along with social mobility. The Utah economy has been roaring, … Continued
Peter Reichard spoke with Salt Lake Chamber President Derek Miller about the Utah Social Capital Series. KSL will broadcast it on Thursday, August 18th — airing at approximately 7:20am, 11:47am, and 5:21pm.
…The commission left what Shawn Teigen, the vice president and research director of the Utah Foundation, considers to be a “loophole” in the housing code. Instead of implementing an Energy Rating Index that would create a minimum energy performance standard for homes, they kept the current performance mechanism known as a REScheck. A REScheck essentially allows homebuilders to trade off what energy-efficient protocols to follow. For example, if a developer installs an energy-saving furnace, they … Continued
…As far back as 2016, number-crunchers at the Utah Foundation worked out that years of tax cuts cost Utah public education $1.2 billion a year. That’s a burden that gets shifted to local school boards, whose only tool is the property tax…
Spend it now or spend it later. In a tough housing market made tougher by inflation, should Utah update its building code to require builders to spend more on insulation, knowing it will raise the upfront cost? The Utah Uniform Building Code Commission will hold a public hearing Wednesday at 9 a.m. on updating the state’s building code for new housing in the state. Utah is only required to update its residential building code every … Continued
…To date, more than 98,500 degrees—including non-nursing programs, such as health informatics and health information management—have been awarded to students in all 50 states. To assess the impact it has had on nursing graduates—now more than 84,000—and the contributions those nurses have made in their communities, WGU tapped the Utah Foundation to conduct a research brief. Among the findings, the Utah Foundation estimates that of the 84,390 graduates since 2009, 79,181 are still active in … Continued
…Utah Foundation recently did a very interesting study on Utah’s “Social Capital Index.” It notes that social scientists affirm a long-term national decline in social capital — “the bonds between people and among networks.” Lack of confidence in major institutions, as outlined in the Gallup study, is a manifestation of the fraying of social capital. However, the Utah Foundation study showed that in 2021, “Utah had the highest level of social capital in the nation.” Utah … Continued
Today, the Utah Foundation releases America’s Nursing School: The Nursing Program at Western Governors University. The analysis, commissioned by Western Governors University (WGU), finds that the institution is playing a leading role in filling this vital health care and economic need across the country. Among the findings of the study: The number of unfilled openings in the health care sector doubled from the end of 2019 to the beginning of 2022. As an online university, WGU has … Continued
…A new analysis by the Utah Foundation found that WGU leads the nation in nursing graduates. According to the findings, the university has provided 84,390 nursing graduates from all 50 states since 2009 — 60,368 of whom received bachelor’s degrees in nursing and 24,022 of whom received master’s degrees in nursing. WGU nursing graduates make up 2% of all the registered nurses with an active license in the nation, according to the report which was … Continued
…According to Utah Foundation’s social capital index, “Utah had the highest level of social capital in the nation, and has consistently been among the top states during the previous eight years.” Utah’s social capital score is higher today than in past years, indicating an increase in social capital during the recent past. The reasons for these outcomes include improving civic engagement, high levels of social trust, strong and improving community life, the best family life … Continued
Despite a booming economy, a new survey reveals that housing prices and inflation are taking a toll on the quality of life in Utah. The Utah Foundation’s Community Quality of Life Index dropped to 64 this year out of a possible 100 points. The index has hovered between 70 and 73 points ever since the survey was first conducted in 2011. “The big headline in terms of community quality of life is that our community … Continued
The Utah Foundation released a report on Wednesday that indicated a decrease in the quality of life for Utah residents. The report, titled: “The 2022 Utah Community Quality of Life Index: Is a Booming Economy Making Life Better?” focused on community quality of life. The Utah Foundation conducts the survey yearly, taking the data in hopes to target ways that policymakers might improve the quality of life for the state’s communities. The findings are based … Continued
Despite a booming economy, a new survey reveals that housing prices and inflation are taking a toll on the quality of life in Utah. The Utah Foundation’s Community Quality of Life Index dropped to 64 this year out of a possible 100 points. Since the survey was first conducted in 2011 the index has hovered between 70 and 73 points. “The big headline in terms of community quality of life is that our community quality … Continued
Today, the Utah Foundation releases The 2022 Utah Community Quality of Life Index: Is a Booming Economy Making Life Better? The report focuses on community quality of life – based on a survey where Utahns rate their communities on a series of 20 factors. In this report, the Utah Foundation discusses the results of the 2022 survey, compares 2022 data with previous years, analyzes responses by population group, and suggests targeted ways that policymakers might improve quality of … Continued
Now here’s a factoid for ya. Spencer Cox, the Governor of Utah, is an alfalfa farmer. “What’s that got to do with the price of beef in Japan?” you might ask. We’ll get to that soon, but first we have to understand why Cox’s intimate connection to his state’s largest agricultural sector matters. Let’s start with some other factoids. Eighty-two percent of Utah’s water consumption goes to agriculture; households and businesses use 18%. Half the … Continued
