Richfield Wellbeing Survey Findings
May 2021
Summary
Richfield City is one of 30 cities currently participating in the Utah Wellbeing Survey Project and has been involved since 2020. This 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.
What is in this report?
This report describes findings from the 2021 Richfield survey with initial information on changes since 2020 and some comparative information with other project cities. Feedback from city leaders and planners is welcome. We will continue with analysis and reporting.
How was the survey conducted?
In January and February 2021, Richfield City advertised the survey via monthly newsletter and water bills, social media, local radio, and the city website. All city residents age 18+ were encouraged to take the online Qualtics survey.
How many people responded?
- 65 viable surveys were recorded in this 2021 survey effort with 88% complete responses.
- The 2020 survey had 94 responses. The 2020 Richfield Wellbeing Survey report is available on the Utah Wellbeing Project website.
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The adult population of Richfield was estimated at 5,238 based on the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. The 65 survey responses represent 1.2% of the adult population and have a conservative margin of error of 12.08%. Based on these numbers, these survey findings should not be considered representative of the full city of Richfield.
Key Findings in Richfield
Overall Personal Wellbeing and Community Wellbeing in Richfield were above average among 29 study cities.
Highest Rated Wellbeing Domains:
- Safety and Security
- Local Environmental Quality
- Living Standards
Most Important Wellbeing Domains:
- Safety and Security
- Mental Health
- Living Standards
Red Zone Domain: (High Importance, Low Rating)
- Leisure Time
COVID-19 had greatest impact on Social Connections, Cultural Opportunities, and Mental Health. Overall personal wellbeing declined in last year for 46% of respondents.
More than a quarter of respondents indicated that they had experienced feeling depressed, lonely, or anxious more often than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The majority of respondents felt Population Growth was too fast, but they were more divided on the Pace of Economic Development.
Top concerns for the future of Richfield were:
- Opportunities for Youth (81% Moderate or Major Concern)
- Youth Vaping/E-Cigarettes (75% Moderate or Major Concern)
- Recreation Opportunities (72% Moderate or Major Concern)
- Substance Abuse (68% Moderate or Major Concern)
- Water Supply (65% Moderate or Major Concern)
Internet access and options was a top additional concern written in by 30 people.
The availability of preferred type and price of housing were the greatest obstacles to those seeking new housing. These obstacles were highlighted by more people in 2021 than in 2020.
What do people value most about Richfield ?
Small town feel, good economy, quiet and peacefulness, and access to nature.
Survey Respondent Characteristics
Full Time Residents of Richfield | 98.5% |
Part Time Residents of Richfield | 1.5% |
Length of Residency - Range | 0.5-75 years |
Length of Residency - Average | 22 years |
Length of Residency - Median | 20 years |
Length of Residence 5 Years or Less | 24.6% |
Demographic characteristics of the survey respondents are compared below with U.S. Census information from the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. As the table shows, survey respondents were not fully representative of Richfield. People who are female, have at least a 4- year college degree, are married, own their home, and have children in household were particularly overrepresented. People age 18-29 are particularly underrepresented. Not all respondents provided demographic information. Weighting was not used in any of the analysis for the findings presented below. Updates will be provided later in 2021 to account for weighting by demographic characteristics.
Table 1
Demographic Characteristics of Survey Respondents and U.S. Census Data for Richfield
Demographic Characteristics | Online Surveys | American Community Survey 2016-2020 Estimates |
|
---|---|---|---|
2020 (N=94) | 2021 (N=65) | ||
Age 18-29 | 10.2% | 7.1% | 22.6% |
Age 30-39 | 27.3% | 26.8% | 22.2% |
Age 40-49 | 20.5% | 23.2% | 15.3% |
Age 50-59 | 8.0% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Age 60-69 | 17.0% | 14.3% | 15.0% |
Age 70 or over | 17.0% | 10.7% | 10.8% |
Adult female | 54.5% | 66.1% | 49.3% |
Adult male | 45.5% | 33.9% | 50.7% |
No college degree | 65.5% | 48.2% | 77.1% |
College degree (4-year) | 34.5% | 51.8% | 22.9% |
Median household income | NA | NA | $48,776 |
Income under $25,000 | 5.8% | 0.0% | 26.0% |
Income $25,000-$49,999 | 22.1% | 19.6% | 26.7% |
Income $50,000 to $74,999 | 36.0% | 30.4% | 15.3% |
Income $75,000 to $99,999 | 14.0% | 21.4% | 14.2% |
Income $100,000 to $149,999 | 16.3% | 19.6% | 13.6% |
Income $150,000 or over | 5.8% | 9.0% | 4.2% |
Latter-day Saint | 70.1% | 87.3% | NA |
Other religion | 12.6% | 5.5% | NA |
No religious preference | 17.2% | 7.3% | NA |
Hispanic/Latino | NA | 1.9% | 3.7% |
White | 98.9% | 96.4% | 95.2% |
Nonwhite | 1.1% (includes Hispanic/Latino) | 3.6% | 4.8% |
Married | 81.6% | 87.3% | 54.6% |
Children under 18 in household | 53.4% | 61.8% | 45.3% |
Employed (combined) | 60.3% | 69.6% | 54.3% |
Out of work and looking for work | 1.1% | 0.0% | 4.3% |
Other | 38.6% | 30.4% | 41.5% |
Own home/owner occupied | NA | 96.4% | 63.3% |
Rent home/renter occupied/other | NA | 3.6% | 36.7% |
Overall Personal Wellbeing and Overall Wellbeing in Richfield
Survey participants were asked about their overall personal wellbeing and overall community wellbeing in Richfield. These wellbeing indicators both measured on a 5-point scale from very poor (1) to excellent (5). The average personal wellbeing score in Richfield was 4.13, with 84% of respondents indicating their wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale. The average score for community wellbeing in Richfield was 3.88 with 73% of respondents indicating city wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale.
Comparing 2020 and 2021 survey data from Richfield, the average personal wellbeing score stayed the same and the community wellbeing score increased from 3.66 to 3.88. Note that the number of respondents differed between years and there is no tracking of individuals from one year to the next.
Perceived Changes to Wellbeing in the Last Year
The COVID-19 pandemic dominated much of 2020. Survey respondents were asked if their overall personal wellbeing or wellbeing had changed in the last year. Survey findings show that 46% of respondents indicated that their personal wellbeing declined in that time and 37% of respondents indicated that wellbeing in Richfield declined as well.
Comparing Wellbeing Across Utah Cities
The Utah League of Cities and Towns classifies Richfield as a Rural Hub City (and we combine this with Traditional Rural Communities). Within this cluster of cities, Richfield was highest in terms of the average overall personal wellbeing score and average community wellbeing score. Richfield was only statistically significantly different from Vernal in this cluster in terms of overall personal wellbeing, but it was statistically significantly higher than Vernal, Price, Moab, and East Carbon on overall community wellbeing.
Wellbeing Domains in Richfield
According to national and international entities that track wellbeing, there are a number of common dimensions or domains of wellbeing. In this survey, respondents rated ten domains on a 5-point scale from poor to excellent, suggesting how their wellbeing was doing well in each area. They were also asked to indicate the importance of each domain to their overall personal wellbeing on a 5-point scale from not at all important to very important. The top three highest rated wellbeing domains for respondents in Richfield were Safety and Security, Local Environmental Quality, and Living Standards. The three most important wellbeing domains were Safety and Security, Mental Health, and Living Standards.
Wellbeing Matrix for Richfield
The graph below illustrates the relationship between the average rating and the average importance of wellbeing domains for survey respondents from Richfield. Safety and Security, Living Standards, and Mental Health were highly important and rated above average among the domains. Leisure Time fell into the red quadrant or “Red Zone”, indicating that it was of higher-than-average importance, but rated lower than average. Physical Health approaches thisquadrant as its importance score was above average, but its rating is near the overall average rating. Please note that all domains except for Cultural Opportunities had an average rating above 3.0 (moderate) and the importance score for all domains was higher than 3.0 (moderately important).
Changes in Wellbeing Over Time
The graphs below show how the domains were rated in 2020 and 2021 by Richfield residents.
How did the COVID-19 Pandemic Impact Wellbeing Domains?
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact was most strongly felt regarding Social Connections and Cultural Opportunities. Improvements were reported in Leisure Time for 20% of respondents and Connection with Nature for 17% of respondents.
Emotional Impacts from COVID-19
Richfield City asked about emotional issues and COVID-19. While many did not experience negative emotions or a decline in positive emotions, there were clearly people in Richfield who felt an emotional impact from the COVID-19 pandemic and its related challenges.
Community Action & Connections in Richfield
Survey participants were asked about community actions and community connection in Richfield. Both questions were scored on a 5-point scale from not at all (1) to a great deal (5). When asked about the degree to which people take action together in response to local problems or opportunities in Richfield, the average score was 3.14. When asked about the degree they feel connected to their community, the average score was 3.17.
Comparing Community Action and Connection Across Cities
The graphs below show how Wellbeing Project cities compare on the degree to which people take action in response to local problems and opportunities and how connected people feel to their city as a community. Richfield is in the mid-range on perceived community action and in the top 5 on community connection based on the number of people indicating a 4 or 5 on a 5- point scale.
Participation in Community Activities
Respondents were asked to indicate whether or not they participated in seven different activities and a community activeness score was calculated by adding activities. The average community activeness score for Richfield was 3.07. Church group activities (70%) was the most common activities for respondents.
Influence of Landscape on Wellbeing
Survey participants were asked about the influence of landscape features on their wellbeing. Natural landscape including mountains, trails, rivers and streams, and city parks were found to have an overwhelmingly positive influence on wellbeing. In terms of development and industry in the landscape, respondents were a bit more divided.
Perspectives on Population Growth and Economic Development
The majority of Richfield survey respondents indicated they felt population growth was just right (62%), but they were more evenly distributed on the pace of economic development, with 47% indicating just right, 34% indicating too slow, and 9% indicating too fast.
The graphs below show how Richfield compares to other participating cities in the Wellbeing Project on these perceptions of population growth and economic development.
Concerns in Richfield
Survey respondents indicated the degree to which a number of possible local issues were a concern as they look to the future of Richfield. Opportunities for Youth, Youth Vaping & E- Cigarettes, and Recreation Opportunities were the top four concerns with 72% to 81% of respondents indicating these were moderate or major concerns.
Other concerns were raised by 11 respondents who filled in the “other” category.
Other Concerns Mentioned |
|
---|---|
Access to internet choices (1) |
Community recreation center (1) |
Justice system (1) |
Misuse of public lands – trash, off-trail OHV travel, human waste, etc. (1) |
Opportunity for the disabled people (1) |
Safe sidewalks (1) |
Technology development. I oppose 5g. Medical freedom. I oppose health department power. (1) |
The library (1) |
The youth need so much more and jobs!! (1) |
Too much growth (1) |
Unneeded business (1) |
Summary of Open Comments
The survey included opportunities in the survey were provided for respondents to share their ideas about Richfield with one question on what they value most about their city and another for any additional comments on wellbeing. A summary of values is below. Analysis is ongoing regarding all additional comments and a summary will be added to the report later in 2021.
Key themes in response to “Please tell us what you value most about living in Richfield ”
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, Madison Fjeldsted, Jordan Hammon, 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.