Cache County Wellbeing Survey Report
July 2021
Summary
The Utah Wellbeing Project is designed to assess the wellbeing and local perspectives of city residents and to provide information to city leaders to inform their general planning process. It is important to note that the 2021 survey was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was intentional as the last round of wellbeing surveys were conducted in 2020 prior to the pandemic. This allows us to assess changes at this unique period of time. Future surveys are anticipated to gauge recovery.
This report summarizes findings from the 2021 survey from four cities in Cache County: Logan, Hyde Park, Nibley, and North Logan. Please see the individual city reports on the Utah Wellbeing Project website for more details.
How was the survey conducted?
In January and February 2021, cities in Cache County advertised the survey via social media, email lists, newsletters, local news coverage, and other ways of reaching out to local residents. All city residents age 18+ were encouraged to take the online Qualtrics survey.
Who responded?
- 1,298 viable surveys were recorded in this 2021 survey effort from Cache County.
- Logan had 563 responses, Hyde Park had 328 responses, Nibley had 305 responses, and North Logan had 102 responses.
- Overall, the completed surveys represent the spectrum of residents with regard to income and employment, but underrepresent males, those without a college degree, renters, those without children in their home, and those who were not married.
Additional information
Reports summarizing city-specific results from the survey may be found on the Utah Wellbeing Project Website. This information may help cities refine their messaging with residents on key issues, affirm existing plans, support future planning, and have practical implications for spending and providing services.
This project benefits from the partnership with the Utah League of Cities and Towns, which is helping cities envision ways to use the findings from the wellbeing survey to inform their general planning processes. Logan falls into the category of Established/Mid-Sized Cities, and Hyde Park, Nibley, and North Logan are all categorized in the Rapid Growth cluster of cities according to the Utah League of Cities and Towns.
Key Findings in Cache County
Overall Personal Wellbeing and Community Wellbeing scores were above average for Hyde Park, Nibley, and North Logan and below average for Logan compared to other study cities.
Wellbeing Domains (Categories)
The Highest Rated Wellbeing Domains for Cache County study cities were:
- Living Standards (all 4 cities)
- Safety and Security (all 4 cities)
- Connection to Nature (Logan only)
- Education (Logan only)
The Most Important Wellbeing Domains for all 4 Cache County study cities were:
- Safety & Security
- Mental Health
- Living Standards
- Physical Health
The Red Zone Domains (High Importance, Lower Quality) for Cache County study cities were:
- Logan – Mental Health, Local Environmental Quality (Physical Health approaches this zone)
- Hyde Park and Nibley – Physical Health
- North Logan – none
COVID-19 Impacts on Wellbeing
COVID-19 had greatest impact on Social Connections, Cultural Opportunities, and Mental Health. Declines in social connections and cultural opportunities were experienced most by North Logan respondents and mental health declines were experienced most by Logan respondents.
Overall personal wellbeing declined in last year for 35% to 53% of respondents from these 4 cities (highest in Logan, lowest in Hyde Park).
Community wellbeing declined in the last year for 32% to 61% of respondents from these 4 cities (highest in Logan, lowest in Hyde Park).
Community Connectedness and Action
Community Action was lowest for Logan, whereas the other three Cache County communities scored considerably higher. All four cities had similar scores for Community Connection.
Perspectives on Population Growth and Economic Development
The majority of respondents felt the Rate of Population Growth was too fast, while respondents were more divided over the Pace of Economic Development.
Landscapes and Wellbeing in Cache County Study Cities
The survey asked respondents to rate the influence of various landscape features on their wellbeing. Natural landscapes such as mountains, rivers, trails, city parks, lakes and farmland were all found to have highly positive impacts on wellbeing. Developed landscapes were mixed in their influence on wellbeing, with Nibley respondents indicating more negative influence of residential and commercial development on wellbeing and all four Cache County study cities, particularly Nibley, indicating a negative influence of manufacturing and extractive industry on wellbeing (common among more urban study cities).
Concerns for the Future of Cache County Cities
Top concerns varied across the study cities in Cache County as follows:
Moderate to Major Concerns by Over Two-Thirds of Respondents
- Logan
- Air Quality 85%
- Affordable Housing 79%
- Employment Opportunities 68%
- Roads and Transportation 65%
- Opportunities for Youth 63%
- Water Supply 62%
- Hyde Park
- Air Quality 70%
- Water Supply 68%
- Roads and Transportation 62%
- Nibley
- Roads and Transportation 66%
- Air Quality 66%
- Water Supply 64%
- North Logan
- Air Quality 73%
- Water Supply 69%
- Roads and Transportation 69%
- Opportunities for Youth 67%
Other concerns mentioned as “other” concerns specific to each city included:
- Affordable housing and social justice in Logan
- City planning and high-density housing in Hyde Park
- Loss of farmland and too much high density-housing in Nibley
- Lack of walking trails and too much high-density housing in North Logan
Contact Information
Dr. Courtney Flint
courtney.flint@usu.edu
435-797-8635
On This Page
The Utah League of Cities and Towns is a collaborator on this project and the following people have contributed to this effort in many ways: Casey Trout, Rachel Sagers, Caitlyn Rogers, Madison Fjeldsted, Avery Sadowski, and Sarah Wilson.
Utah State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution and is committed to a learning and working environment free from discrimination, including harassment. For USU’s non-discrimination notice,
see equity.usu.edu/non-discrimination.