Sandy Wellbeing Survey Findings
May 2021
Summary
Sandy City is one of 30 cities currently participating in the Utah Wellbeing Survey Project in 2021. 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 Sandy survey as well as 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 February 2021, Sandy City advertised the survey via social media, Healthy Sandy social channels, SandyNow email database, resident listserv, and city council. All city residents age 18+ were encouraged to take the online Qualtrics survey.
How many people responded?
- 1,159 viable surveys were recorded in this 2021 effort with 89% complete responses.
- The adult population of Sandy was estimated at 71,866 based on the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. The survey responses represent 1.6% of the adult population and have a conservative margin of error of 2.86%.
Key Findings in Sandy
Overall Personal Wellbeing and Community Wellbeing in Sandy were above average among 29 study cities.
Highest Rated Wellbeing Domains:
- Living Standards
- Safety and Security
Most Important Wellbeing Domains:
- Safety and Security
- Physical Health
- Mental Health
- Living Standards
Red Zone Domain: (High Importance, Lower Quality)
- Local Environmental Quality
- (Physical Health approaches this zone)
Wellbeing varied within Sandy by demographic characteristics. Respondents age 60+ and those with higher incomes tended to have higher levels of wellbeing. Female respondents were more likely to indicate wellbeing domains were important than male respondents. Religion was also an influential factor.
COVID-19 had greatest impact on Social Connections, Cultural Opportunities, and Mental Health. Overall personal wellbeing declined in last year for 45% of respondents. COVID-19 impacts on wellbeing varied across demographic characteristics. Personal wellbeing was more likely to decline for female respondents and Latter-day Saints.
The majority of respondents felt Population Growth was too fast, but attitudes were more divided about the Pace of Economic Development.
Extractive Industry was seen to have a particularly negative influence on wellbeing for the majority of respondents, though Natural Landscapes were highly positive.
Top concerns for the future of Sandy were:
- Air Quality (85% Moderate or Major Concern)
- Water Supply (79% Moderate or Major Concern)
- Public Safety (75% Moderate or Major Concern)
- Roads and Transportation (72% Moderate or Major Concern)
- Access to Public Land (70% Moderate or Major Concern)
- Recreation Opportunities (69% Moderate or Major Concern)
What do people value most about Sandy?
Good location with lots of abundant recreation opportunities, access to nature, friendliness, and feelings of safety.
Survey Respondent Characteristics
| Full Time Residents of Sandy | 98.7% | Council District 1 | 16.9% |
| Part Time Residents of Sandy | 1.3% | Council District 2 | 24.5% |
| Length of Residency - Range | 0-77 years | Council District 3 | 34.1% |
| Length of Residency - Average | 21 years | Council District 4 | 24.5% |
| Length of Residency - Median | 20 years |  |
|
| Length of Residence 5 Years or Less | 16.7% | ||
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 Sandy. People who are 18-29 were particularly underrepresented and people who have at least a 4-year college degree, are married, and own their home were particularly overrepresented. 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 Sandy
| Demographic Characteristics | Sandy Online Wellbeing Survey 2021 (N=1,159) |
American Community Survey 2016-2020 Estimates |
|---|---|---|
| Age 18-29 | 2.3% | 21.3% |
| Age 30-39 | 13.4% | 18.9% |
| Age 40-49 | 21.9% | 16.3% |
| Age 50-59 | 21.3% | 16.0% |
| Age 60-69 | 24.3% | 15.6% |
| Age 70 or over | 16.7% | 11.9% |
| Adult female | 57.6% | 50.6% |
| Adult male | 41.9% | 49.4% |
| No college degree | 32.1% | 57.0% |
| College degree (4-year) | 68.9% | 43.0% |
| Median household income | NA | $95,715 |
| Income under $25,000 | 1.5% | 8.5% |
| Income $25,000-$49,999 | 7.5% | 12.3% |
| Income $50,000 to $74,999 | 13.8% | 15.5% |
| Income $75,000 to $99,999 | 18.7% | 16.8% |
| Income $100,000 to $149,999 | 29.0% | 21.0% |
| Income $150,000 or over | 29.4% | 25.9% |
| Latter-day Saint | 43.0% | NA |
| Other religion | 27.5% | NA |
| No religious preference | 29.6% | NA |
| Hispanic/Latino | 2.5% | 10.3% |
| White | 95.0% | 87.4% |
| Nonwhite | 5.0% | 12.6% |
| Married | 82.0% | 57.6% |
| Children under 18 in household | 35.2% | 36.1% |
| Employed (combined) | 61.5% | 67.5% |
| Out of work and looking for work | 1.1% | 1.7% |
| Other | 37.4% | 30.8% |
| Own home/owner occupied | 97.1% | 78.5% |
| Rent home/renter occupied/other | 2.9% | 21.5% |
Overall Personal Wellbeing and Overall Wellbeing in Sandy
Survey participants were asked about their overall personal wellbeing and overall community wellbeing in Sandy. These wellbeing indicators both measured on a 5-point scale from very poor (1) to excellent (5). The average personal wellbeing score in Sandy was 4.13, with 83% of respondents indicating their wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale. The average score for community wellbeing in Sandy was 3.80 with 68% of respondents indicating city wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale.
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 45% of respondents indicated that their personal wellbeing declined in that time and 39% of respondents indicated that wellbeing in Sandy declined as well.
Does wellbeing vary across neighborhood areas in Sandy?
Overall personal wellbeing and city wellbeing varied by respondent’s self-identified area of residence by council districts, but these differences werenotstatistically significant.- Council District 1 (n=195)
- City Wellbeing Average 3.72
- Overall Wellbeing Average 4.0
- Council District 2 (n=282)
- Overall Wellbeing Average 4.03
- City Wellbeing Average 3.79
- Council District 3 (n=393)
- Overall Wellbeing Average 4.22
- City Wellbeing Average 3.89
- Council District 4 (n=282)
- Overall Wellbeing Average 4.15
- City Wellbeing Average 3.76
Comparing Wellbeing Across Utah Cities
The Utah League of Cities and Towns classifies Sandy as a City of the 1st and 2nd Class (and we combine these with Established Mid-Sized Cities). Within this cluster of cities, Sandy falls at the cluster average in terms of the average overall personal wellbeing score and just above the cluster average for the average community wellbeing score. Sandy is statistically significantly higher than Logan and Tooele in terms of overall personal wellbeing, and significantly higher than Tooele, Logan and Bountiful on overall community wellbeing.
Wellbeing Domains in Sandy
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 Sandy were Living Standards and Safety and Security. The two most important wellbeing domains were Safety and Security and Mental Health.
Wellbeing Matrix for Sandy
The graph below illustrates the relationship between the average rating and the average importance of wellbeing domains for survey respondents from Sandy. Living Standards, Connection to Nature, Safety and Security, Mental Health, and Physical Health were highly important and highly rated. Local Environmental Quality falls into the red quadrant or “Red Zone”, indicating that it was of higher-than-average importance, but rated lower than average. 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).
How did the COVID-19 Pandemic Impact Wellbeing Domains?
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact was most strongly felt regarding Social Connections, Cultural Opportunities, and Mental Health as shown in the graph below. No change was reported by most Sandy respondents for the areas of Living Standards, Safety and Security, Local Environmental Quality, and Education. Improvements were reported in Connection to Nature and Leisure Time for 17% of respondents.
The following relationships were found in Sandy between demographic variables and declines due to COVID-19 pandemic:
- Personal wellbeing was more likely to decline for female respondents and less likely to decline for Latter-day Saints.
- Community wellbeing was more likely to decline for female respondents and those living in Sandy longer than 5 years.
- Connection with nature was more likely to decline for those age 60+ and those of lower incomes.
- Cultural opportunities were more likely to decline for those age 60+ and those with college degrees.
- Education was more likely to decline for Latter-day Saints than those indicating they were Agnostic/Atheist or no religious preference.
- Living standards were less likely to decline for those with a college degree or those with higher incomes.
- Local environmental quality was more likely to decline for those without a college degree.
- Mental health was more likely to decline for female respondents and less likely to decline for those age 60+.
- Physical health was less likely to decline for those age 60+ than those age 40-59 and for those with higher incomes.
- Safety and security were more likely to decline for those without a college degree.
- Social Connections were more likely to decline for female respondents and those with a college degree.
How are Demographic Characteristics Related to Wellbeing?
The demographic variables age, gender, college degree, religion, income, and length of residence were found to have varying relationships with wellbeing perspectives among Sandy respondents as shown in the table below based on a multivariate generalized linear model with unweighted data (significance based on p < 0.1). The +/- sign indicates whether the demographic group was statistically significantly higher or lower than others in that category. Colors indicate the strongest relationships (p < .05)
Relationship Between Demographic Characteristics and Wellbeing Domains in Sandy
| Demographic Variables | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 60+ | Female | College Degree | Latter-day Saint | Higher Income | Resident 5 Years or Less | |
| Wellbeing Ratings | ||||||
| Overall Personal Wellbeing | + |
– | + | + | ||
| Wellbeing in Sandy |
+ vs 40-59 |
+ | ||||
| Connection to Nature | + | + | ||||
| Cultural Opportunities | + |
– | + | + | ||
| Education | + | + | ||||
| Leisure Time | + |
|||||
| Living Standards | + vs 40-59 | + | + | + vs Other | + | |
| Local Environmental Quality | + vs 40-59 | + | + | |||
| Mental Health | + | + | ||||
| Physical Health | + vs 40-59 | + |
||||
| Safety & Security | + vs 40-59 | + | + | |||
| Social Connections | + vs 40-59 | + |
+ Over $150,000 > Under $50,000 |
– | ||
| Age 60+ | Female | College Degree | Latter-day Saint | Higher Income | Resident 5 Years or Less | |
| Domains | Domain Importance | |||||
| Connection to Nature | – vs 18-39 | + | – | + |
||
| Cultural Opportunities | + | + | ||||
| Education | – |
+ | + | |||
| Leisure Time | – vs 18-39 | – | – | |||
| Living Standards | ||||||
| Local Environmental Quality | + vs 40-59 | + |
–
|
+ Over $150,000 > Under $50,000 | ||
| Mental Health | + | + Over $150,000 > Under $50,000 | ||||
| Physical Health | + | + | – vs A/A/NRP | + | ||
| Safety and Security | + |
+ vs A/A/NRP | ||||
| Social Connections | + vs 40-59 | + | + vs A/A/NRP | |||
| A/A/NRP= Agnostic/Atheist/No Religious Preference; Other = Other Religion | ||||||
Community Action & Connections in Sandy
Survey participants were asked about community actions and community connection in Sandy. 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 Sandy, the average score was 2.95. When asked about the degree they feel connected to their community, the average score was 2.86.
Respondents age 60+ reported higher levels of community connection and higher perceptions of local actions in response to problems or opportunities. Latter-day Saints reported higher levels of community connection and higher perceptions of local action. Those living in Sandy for 5 years or less reported lower levels of community connection. Those with the highest incomes reported higher levels of community connection than those with incomes $50,000 to $74,999. This is based on generalized linear modeling with unweighted data (significance based on p < 0.1). Color indicates the strongest relationships (p < .05).
Demographic Characteristics and Community Questions
| Community Questions | Age 60+ | Female | College Degree | Latter-day Saint | Higher Income | Resident 5 Years or Less |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do people in Sandy take action? | + | + |
||||
| Do you feel connected to your community? | + vs 40-59 |
+ | + $150,000 > $50,000-$74,999 | – |
A significant, positive relationship was found between individuals’ community connection and overall personal wellbeing. This is based on a multivariate generalized linear model with unweighted data (significance based on p < .05).
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. Sandy is in the bottom 5 on both perceived community action and 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 Sandy was 1.67. Church group activities were the most common activity for respondents (47%) followed by contacting a public official about an issue (40%) and civic or charity group activities (35%).
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 more divided.
Perspectives on Population Growth and Economic Development
The majority of Sandy survey respondents indicated they felt population growth was too fast (58%), but they were more evenly distributed on the pace of economic development, with 43% indicating just right, and 37% indicating too fast.
The graphs below show how Sandy compares to other participating cities in the Wellbeing Project on these perceptions of population growth and economic development.
Concerns in Sandy
Survey respondents indicated the degree to which a number of possible local issues were a concern as they look to the future of Sandy. Air Quality, Water Supply, and Public Safety were the top three concerns with over three- quarters of respondents indicating these were moderate or major concerns.
Other concerns were raised by 268 respondents who filled in the “other” category. High density housing and overpopulation/too much growth were the most common additional concerns.
Other Concerns Mentioned |
||
|---|---|---|
| High density housing (34) | Overpopulation, too much growth (23) | City government, city politics (19) |
| Crime (14) | Policing (11) | Loss or overuse of open space (11) |
| Traffic (10) | Litter, trash, unkept neighborhoods (8) | COVID restrictions, rates, and issues (8) |
| Quality of education (8) | Pollution, air quality (7) | Need trails, parks, dog parks (7) |
| Equality, justice, inclusion (6) | Taxes (6) | Streets, roads, infrastructure (6) |
| Empty buildings, commercial development (6) | Noise from neighbors/cars (5) | Bars and liquor store access (5) |
| Senior services and activities (5) | Leash laws (5) | Canyon access/skiing/canyon traffic (4) |
| Internet options (4) | City gym, pickleball courts (3) | Homelessness (3) |
| Youth socialization, activities (3) | Community unity and activities (3) | Speeding (3) |
| Deer population (2) | Zoning issues (2) | Fluoride in water (2) |
| Residential building, declining neighborhoods (2) | Green initiatives, recycling (2) | Salt removal, salt on roads (2) |
| Crosswalk, bicycle safety (2) | Pornography, sex offenders, trafficking (2) | Legalizing cannabis (1) |
| Digital privacy laws (1) | Building permits for window replacement (1) | Concert fees (1) |
| Online access to public meetings (1) | Gun violence (1) | Suicide rate (1) |
| Scenic views (1) | Lack of resilience (1) | Housing costs (1) |
| Unappealing architecture (1) | Returning the amphitheater (1) | Dangerous vaccines (1) |
| Loss of horse land (1) | Parking at apartments (1) | Need for more restaurants (1) |
| Socialism (1) | Truth in the news (1) | |
Summary of Open Comments
The survey provided opportunities for respondents to share their ideas about Sandy 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 for “Please tell us what you value most about living in Sandy”
Contact Information
Dr. Courtney Flint
courtney.flint@usu.edu
435-797-8635