Santaquin Wellbeing Survey Findings
May 2021
Summary
Santaquin 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 Santaquin 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, Santaquin City advertised the survey via monthly newsletter, social media, and website. All city residents age 18+ were encouraged to take the online Qualtrics survey.
How many people responded?
- 241 viable surveys were recorded in this 2021 survey effort with 80% complete responses.
- The 2020 survey had 180 responses. The 2020 Santaquin Wellbeing Survey report is available on the Utah Wellbeing Project website.
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The adult population of Santaquin was estimated at 7,021 based on the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. The 241 survey responses represent 3.4% of the adult population and have a conservative margin of error of 6.20%.
Key Findings in Santaquin
Overall Personal Wellbeing and Community Wellbeing in Santaquin were above average among 29 study cities.
Highest Rated Wellbeing Domains:
- Safety and Security
- Living Standards
Most Important Wellbeing Domains:
- Safety and Security
- Mental Health
- Living Standards
Red Zone Domain: (High Importance, Low Rating)
- Physical Health
- (Mental Health approaches this zone)
COVID-19 had greatest impact on Social Connections, Cultural Opportunities, and Mental Health. Overall personal wellbeing declined in last year for 44% of respondents. Wellbeing in Santaquin declined in the last year for 49% of respondents. Mental health was less likely to decline for those age 60+ and physical health was more likely to decline for those with lower incomes.
The majority of respondents felt Population Growth in Santaquin was too fast. Respondents were more divided about the Pace of Economic Development.
Top concerns for the future of Santaquin were:
- Opportunities for Youth (71% Moderate or Major Concern)
- Access to Public Land (66% Moderate or Major Concern)
- Air Quality (65% Moderate or Major Concern)
- Recreation Opportunities (65% Moderate or Major Concern)
What do people value most about Santaquin?
Small town feel, access to nature, quiet and peacefulness, and feelings of safety.
Survey Respondent Characteristics
Full Time Residents of Santaquin | 98.8% |
Part Time Residents of Santaquin | 1.2% |
Length of Residency - Range | 0-60 years |
Length of Residency - Average | 12 years |
Length of Residency - Median | 8 years |
Length of Residence 5 Years or Less | 41.3% |
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 Santaquin. 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 Santaquin
Demographic Characteristics | Online Surveys | American Community Survey 2016-2020 Estimates |
|
---|---|---|---|
2020 (N=180) | 2021 (N=241) | ||
Age 18-29 | 18.8% | 12.1% | 29.3% |
Age 30-39 | 34.4% | 33.6% | 25.1% |
Age 40-49 | 20.6% | 28.0% | 18.2% |
Age 50-59 | 12.5% | 13.9% | 12.8% |
Age 60-69 | 9.4% | 8.0% | 9.0% |
Age 70 or over | 4.4% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
Adult female | 67.9% | 73.4% | 47.7% |
Adult male | 32.1% | 26.0% | 52.3% |
No college degree | 66.9% | 62.5% | 80.4% |
College degree (4-year) | 33.1% | 37.5% | 19.6% |
Median household income | NA | NA | $76,071 |
Income under $25,000 | 3.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
Income $25,000-$49,999 | 7.7% | 11.0% | 21.1% |
Income $50,000 to $74,999 | 27.6% | 21.6% | 21.3% |
Income $75,000 to $99,999 | 31.4% | 34.2% | 21.8% |
Income $100,000 to $149,999 | 23.7% | 21.6% | 25.0% |
Income $150,000 or over | 6.4% | 6.8% | 5.6% |
Latter-day Saint | 71.2% | 76.6% | NA |
Other religion | 9.6% | 9.0% | NA |
No religious preference | 19.2% | 14.4% | NA |
Hispanic/Latino | NA | 2.6% | 13.4% |
White | 93.7% | 96.7% | 93.4% |
Nonwhite | 6.3% (includes Hispanic/Latino) | 3.3% | 6.6% |
Married | 91.9% | 92.2% | 64.8% |
Children under 18 in household | 70.4% | 71.7% | 61.6% |
Employed (combined) | 69.4% | 68.9% | 69.5% |
Out of work and looking for work | 1.3% | 1.1% | 2.8% |
Other | 29.3% | 30.0% | 27.7% |
Own home/owner occupied | NA | 94.3% | 85.3% |
Rent home/renter occupied/other | NA | 5.7% | 14.7% |
Overall Personal Wellbeing and Overall Wellbeing in Santaquin
Survey participants were asked about their overall personal wellbeing and overall community wellbeing in Santaquin. These wellbeing indicators both measured on a 5-point scale from very poor (1) to excellent (5). The average personal wellbeing score in Santaquin was 4.00, with 78% of respondents indicating their wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale. The average score for community wellbeing in Santaquin was 3.59 with 59% of respondents indicating city wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale.
Comparing 2020 and 2021 survey data from Santaquin, the average personal wellbeing score decreased from 4.11 to 4.00 and the community wellbeing score declined from 3.71 to 3.59. 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 44% of respondents indicated that their personal wellbeing declined in that time and 49% of respondents indicated that wellbeing in Santaquin declined as well.
Comparing Wellbeing Across Utah Cities
The Utah League of Cities and Towns classifies Santaquin as a Rapid Growth City. Within this cluster of cities, Santaquin falls near the cluster average in terms of the average overall personal wellbeing score and average community wellbeing score. Santaquin is not statistically significantly different from the other cities in this cluster in terms of overall personal wellbeing, but it is significantly higher than Herriman, and significantly lower than Spanish Fork, North Logan, Vineyard, and Hyde Park on overall community wellbeing.
Wellbeing Domains in Santaquin
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 two highest rated wellbeing domains for respondents in Santaquin were Safety and Security and Living Standards. The two most important wellbeing domains were Safety and Security and Mental Health.
Wellbeing Matrix for Santaquin
The graph below illustrates the relationship between the average rating and the average importance of wellbeing domains for survey respondents from Santaquin. Safety and Security, Living Standards, Local Environmental Quality, and Mental Health were highly important and rated above average among the domains. Physical Health fell into the red quadrant or “Red Zone”, indicating that it was of higher-than-average importance, but rated lower than average. Mental Health approaches this quadrant 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).
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. Improvements were reported in Connection to Nature for 11% of respondents.
The following relationships were found in Santaquin between demographic variables and declines due to COVID-19 pandemic:
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Connection with nature was more likely to decline for male respondents.
-
Education was more likely to decline for those without a college degree.
-
Living standards were less likely to decline for female respondents and Latter-day Saints.
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Mental health was less likely to decline for those age 60+.
-
Physical health was less likely to decline for those with higher incomes
-
Safety and security were less likely to decline for female respondents and those with higher incomes.
The graphs below show how the domains were rated in 2020 and 2021 by Santaquin residents.
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 Santaquin 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. Color indicates strongest relationships (p < .05).
Relationship Between Demographic Characteristics and Wellbeing Domains in Santaquin
Domains Rated | Demographic Variables | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age 60+ | Female | College Degree | Latter-day Saint | Higher Income | Resident 5 Years or Less | |
Wellbeing Ratings | ||||||
Overall Personal Wellbeing | + Over $100,000 > $75,000-$99,999 |
|||||
Wellbeing in Santaquin | + | + | ||||
Connection to Nature | – | |||||
Cultural Opportunities | + vs A/A/NRP | |||||
Education | + | + | – vs Other | + | ||
Leisure Time | + | + | + vs A/A/NRP | + Over $100,000 > Under $50,000 |
||
Living Standards | – vs 18-39 |
+ | + | + vs Other | + | |
Local Environmental Quality | – vs 18-39 |
+ | + |
|||
Mental Health | + vs 40-59 |
+ Over $100,000 > Under $50,000 |
||||
Physical Health | + vs 40-59 |
+ Over $100,000 > Under $50,000 |
||||
Safety & Security | + | + |
||||
Social Connections | + Over $100,000 > Under $50,000 |
|||||
Age 60+ | Female | College Degree | Latter-day Saint | Higher Income | Resident 5 Years or Less | |
Domain Importance | ||||||
Connection to Nature | – vs A/A/NRP | |||||
Cultural Opportunities | – vs Other | |||||
Education | – |
+ | ||||
Leisure Time | ||||||
Living Standards | – vs 18-39 |
+ | ||||
Local Environmental Quality | – vs A/A/NRP | + Over $100,000 > Under $50,000 |
||||
Mental Health | + | |||||
Physical Health | + | |||||
Safety and Security | ||||||
Social Connections | + | + Over $100,000 > $75,000-$99,999 |
Community Action & Connections in Santaquin
Survey participants were asked about community actions and community connection in Santaquin. 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 Santaquin, the average score was 3.14. When asked about the degree they feel connected to their community, the average score was 2.84.
Latter-day Saints reported higher perceptions that people in Santaquin take action and higher levels of community connection than those indicating they were Agnostic, Atheist, or had no religious preference. This is based on a multivariate generalized linear model with unweighted data (significance based on p < 0.1).
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 Santaquin take action? | + vs A/A/NRP |
|||||
Do you feel connected to your community? | + vs A/A/NRP |
A/A/NRP = Agnostic/Atheist/No Religious Preference
A significant, positive relationship was found between individuals’ community connectedness and overall personal wellbeing.
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. Santaquin 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 Santaquin was 2.53. 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 more divided.
Perspectives on Population Growth and Economic Development
The majority of Santaquin survey respondents indicated they felt population growth was too fast (76%), but they were more evenly distributed on the pace of economic development, with 38% indicating too fast, 32% indicating just right, and 23% indicating too slow.
The graphs below show how Santaquin compares to other participating cities in the Wellbeing Project on these perceptions of population growth and economic development.
Concerns in Santaquin
Survey respondents indicated the degree to which a number of possible local issues were a concern as they look to the future of Santaquin. Opportunities for Youth, Access to Public Land, Air Quality and Recreation Opportunities were the top four concerns with two-thirds or more of respondents indicating these were moderate or major concerns.
Other concerns were raised by 27 respondents who filled in the “other” category. Too much high-density housing was the most common additional concern.
Other Concerns Mentioned |
Number of Mentions |
Other Concerns Mentioned |
Number of Mentions |
---|---|---|---|
Too much high-density housing |
6 |
Access to rec center/climbing gym, etc. |
3 |
Parks/Trails/Playgrounds/Parks |
3 |
Elected officials not caring about community |
2 |
Quality of education/schools |
2 |
Mask mandate/social gatherings |
2 |
Lack of enforcing of city codes/laws |
1 | Violence | 1 |
Hateful politics |
1 | Sidewalks | 1 |
Access to canyon |
1 | City overreach | 1 |
Population growth |
1 | Wildland fire threats | 1 |
Community unity |
1 |
Summary of Open Comments
The survey included opportunities in the survey were provided for respondents to share their ideas about Santaquin 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 Santaquin ”
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.