Salt Lake 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 three cities in Salt Lake County: Sandy, Draper, and Herriman. 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 Salt Lake 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?
- 1,765 viable surveys were recorded in this 2021 survey effort from Salt Lake County.
- Sandy had 1,159 responses, Draper had 375 responses, and Herriman had 231 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. Draper and Sandy are both classified as Established/Mid-Sized Cities of the 1st and 2nd class, while Herriman falls in the Rapid Growth cluster of cities according to the Utah League of Cities and Towns.
Key Findings in Salt Lake County
Overall Personal Wellbeing scores and Community Wellbeing scores were above average for Sandy and Draper and below average for Herriman compared to other study cities.
Wellbeing Domains (Categories)
The Highest Rated Wellbeing Domains for all 3 Salt Lake County study cities were:
- Living Standards
- Safety and Security
The Most Important Wellbeing Domains for all 3 Salt Lake County study cities were:
- Safety & Security
- Mental Health
- Living Standards
- Physical Health
The Red Zone Domains (High Importance, Lower Quality) for Salt Lake County study cities were:
- Local Environmental Quality – Sandy, Draper, and Herriman
- Leisure Time – Herriman
- Physical Health approaches this zone for Sandy
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 Sandy respondents and mental health declines were experienced most by Herriman respondents.
Overall personal wellbeing declined in last year for 45% to 49% of respondents from these 3 cities (highest in Herriman, lowest in Sandy).
Community wellbeing declined in the last year for 39% to 54% of respondents from these 5 cities (highest in Herriman, lowest in Sandy).
Community Connectedness and Action
Community Connection and Action were a bit higher for Draper than in Herriman and Sandy.
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 Salt Lake 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. Respondents from all three Salt Lake County cities indicated a more negative influence of residential and commercial development on wellbeing, with residential development being particularly negative for Herriman. All three Salt Lake County study cities also indicated a negative influence of manufacturing and extractive industry on wellbeing (common among more urban study cities). Draper had a more negative view of extractive industry than any of the other study cities across the state.
Concerns for the Future of Salt Lake County Cities
Top concerns varied across the study cities in Salt Lake County as follows:
Moderate to Major Concerns by Over Two-Thirds of Respondents
- Sandy
- Air Quality 85%
- Water Supply 79%
- Public Safety 75%
- Roads and Transportation 72%
- Access to Public Land 70%
- Recreation Opportunities 69%
- Draper
- Air Quality 87%
- Roads and Transportation 77%
- Water Supply 77%
- Access to Public Land 69%
- Public Safety 66%
- Herriman
- Roads and Transportation 90%
- Air Quality 78%
- Water Supply 76%
- Public Safety 69%
- Recreation Opportunities 67%
- Access to Public Land 67%
Other concerns mentioned as “other” concerns specific to each city included:
- High-density housing, too much growth, and city government in Sandy
- Traffic, roads, and high-density housing in Draper
- High-density housing and overpopulation in Herriman
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.