By Dr. Courtney Flint | May 20, 2020

Saratoga Springs Wellbeing Survey Findings

May 2020

Dr. Courtney Flint
Utah State University Extension

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Summary

Saratoga Springs is one of 25 cities participating in the Utah Wellbeing Project. 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.

Eighteen cities participated in an online survey effort in February and March 2020. Saratoga Springs City advertised the survey via social media and newsletter. All city residents age 18 and over were encouraged to take the online Qualtrics survey, available February 3, 2020 to March 2, 2020.

 A total of 377 completed surveys were recorded during this effort. This report contains descriptive information based on Saratoga Springs resident responses and comparisons with other cities from this most recent survey effort.

In the summer of 2019, a similar survey was conducted in Saratoga Springs using iPads in places such as city offices, parks, Wal-Mart stores, and local events or festivals. A report on those findings can be found at https://usu.edu/utah-wellbeing-project/.

Contact Information: Courtney Flint, courtney.flint@usu.edu, 435-797-8635

Acknowledgements: Utah League of Cities and Towns, Casey Trout, Rachel Sagers, and Caitlyn Rogers

Respondent Characteristics

Nearly all of the Saratoga Springs survey respondents (98.9%) were full-time residents. The length of residency ranged from 0 to 30 years with an average of 6 years. More than half of respondents (58.5%) lived in Saratoga Springs for 5 years or less.

Table 1 details the demographic characteristics of the respondents and allows for comparison with U.S. Census information from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey. As the table shows, females, those with college degrees and those with children in their household are overrepresented in the resulting survey sample. The survey underrepresents those from lower income groups. There is no census comparison for religion. These characteristics should be taken into consideration when interpreting the findings from the survey, as survey respondents may not be fully representative of Saratoga Springs residents.

Table 1

Demographic Characteristics of Survey Respondents and U.S. Census Data for Saratoga Springs

Demographic Characteristics Saratoga Springs iPad Survey 2019 (131 Respondents) Saratoga Springs Online Survey 2020 (377 Respondents) American Community Survey
2016-2020 Estimates
Age 18-39 56.9% 53.6% 57.8%
Age 40-59 46.9% 39.0% 30.7%
Age 60 or Over 6.2% 7.4% 11.5%
Female 41.5% 64.8% 47.5%
Male 58.8% 35.2% 52.5%
No college degree 48.4% 41.8% 52.2%
College degree (4-year) 51.6% 58.2% 45.8%
Median household income NA NA $101,592
Income Under $50,000 12.8% 6.1% 15.4%
Income $50,000 to $74,999 21.3% 9.6% 13.8%
Income $75,000 to $99,999 20.5% 26.4% 19.8%
Income $100,000 to $149,999 33.1% 40.4% 31.7%
Income $150,000 or over 12.6% 17.5% 19.3%
Religion: Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints		 76.6% 69.8% NA
Other religion 8.9% 12.9% NA
No religious preference 14.5% 17.3% NA
White (non-Latino) 89.1% 88.8% 86.9%
Nonwhite or Latino 10.9% 11.2% 13.1%
Children under 18 in household NA 74.4% 68.8%
Employed (combined) NA 70.5% 68.1% (in labor force age 16+)
Out of work and looking for work NA 0.6% 1.8% (unemployed)
Other NA 28.9% 30.2% (not in labor force)

Overall Personal Wellbeing and Overall Wellbeing in Saratoga Springs

Survey participants were asked about their overall personal wellbeing and overall community wellbeing in Saratoga Springs. These wellbeing indicators are both measured on a 5-point scale from very poor (1) to excellent (5). The average personal wellbeing score among Saratoga Springs respondents was 4.14, with 84% of respondents indicating their wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale. The average score for community wellbeing in Saratoga Springs was 3.67.

Bar chart. Title: Personal Wellbeing in Saratoga Springs. Subtitle: How would you rate your overall personal wellbeing? Data - 1 Very Poor: 0% of respondents; 2: 2% of respondents; 3: 14% of respondents; 4: 52% of respondents; 5 Excellent: 32% of respondents.

Bar Chart. Title: Community Wellbeing in Saratoga Springs. Subtitle: How would you rate overall wellbeing in Saratoga Springs? Data - 1 Very Poor: 2% of respondents; 2: 8% of respondents; 3: 30% of respondents; 4: 41% of respondents; 5 Excellent: 19% of respondents.

The average personal wellbeing score in Saratoga Springs falls above the average of all cities surveyed in early 2020. The Utah League of Cities and Towns classifies Saratoga Springs in the “Rapid Growth Cities” group, along with eight other cities in this study as indicated in the graph below. Saratoga Springs is above average on personal wellbeing scores in this group, but there is no statistically significant difference in the personal wellbeing scores among these cities.

Dot Plot. Title: Overall Personal Wellbeing Scores from Sampled Utah Cities (2020). Subtitle: (On a scale from 1=Very Poor to 5=Excellent). Group: Established/Mid-Sized Cities. Draper: Average Score 4.24; Bountiful: Average Score 4.11; Cedar City: Average Score 3.99; Tooele: Average Score 3.77. Group: Rapid Growth Cities. North Logan: Average Score 4.23; La Verkin: Average Score 4.18; Eagle Mountain: Average Score 4.14; Saratoga Springs: Average Score 4.14; Santaquin: Average Score 4.11; Hurricane: Average Score 4.09; Lehi: Average Score 4.09; Nibley: Average Score 4.08; Herriman: Average Score 3.99. Group: Rural, Rural Hub, & Resort Cities. Richfield: Average Score 4.12; Helper: Average Score 4.10; Delta: Average Score 3.99; Nephi: Average Score 3.98; Moab: Average Score 3.93.

Wellbeing Domains in Saratoga Springs

According to national and international entities tracking wellbeing, a number of common domains make up wellbeing. In this survey, respondents rated ten domains on a 5-point scale from poor to excellent, and indicated their importance to their overall personal wellbeing on a 5-point scale from not at all important to very important. Based on percentage with a good or excellent rating, the top three highest rated wellbeing domains for respondents were Safety and Security and Living Standards. The three most important wellbeing domains were Safety and Security, Living Standards, and Mental Health.  


Likert Graph. Title: Wellbeing Domain Ratings in Saratoga Springs. Subtitle: How would you rate your level of personal wellbeing in each of the following categories? Category: Safety and Security - 15% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 85% rated as good or excellent; Category: Living Standards - 22% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 78% rated as good or excellent; Category: Mental Health - 31% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 69% rated as good or excellent; Category: Physical Health - 38% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 62% rated as good or excellent; Category: Education - 38% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 62% rated as good or excellent; Category: Social Connections - 44% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 56% rated as good or excellent; Category: Connection with Nature - 44% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 56% rated as good or excellent; Category: Local Environmental Quality - 47% of respondents rated as poor, fair or moderate while 53% rated as good or excellent; Category: Leisure Time - 48% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 52% rated as good or excellent; Category: Cultural Opportunities - 73% of respondents rated as poor, fair or moderate while 27% rated as good or excellent.


Likert Graph. Title: Wellbeing Domain Importance in Saratoga Springs. Subtitle: How important are the following categories to your overall personal wellbeing? Category: Safety and Security - 3% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 97% rated as important or very important; Category: Living Standards - 5% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 95% of respondents rated as important or very important; Category: Mental Health - 7% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 93% rated as important or very important; Category: Physical Health - 9% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 91% rated as important or very important; Category: Local Environmental Quality - 13% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 87% rated as important or very important; Category: Leisure Time - 14% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 86% rated as important or very important; Category: Education - 21% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 79% rated as important or very important; Category: Connection with Nature - 30% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 70% rated as important or very important; Category: Social Connections - 37% rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 63% rated as important or very important; Category: Cultural Opportunities - 54% rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 46% rated as important or very important.

The demographic variables for age, gender, religion, income, and race/ethnicity were significantly related to various wellbeing perspectives among Saratoga Springs respondents. These relationships are shown in Table 2 and are based on a multivariate generalized linear model using the categories from Table 1, excluding children in household and employment.

Table 2

Relationship Between Demographic Characteristics and Wellbeing Domains

  Domains Rated Demographic Variables
Age 60+ Female College Degree Latter-day Saint Higher Income Nonwhite or Latino
Wellbeing Ratings
Overall Personal Wellbeing          +
 
Wellbeing in Saratoga Springs +
vs 40-59 		     +
vs no religious preference and other religon		    
Connection to Nature            
Cultural Opportunities        +
vs no religious preference		     
Education       +
vs no religious preference 		    
Leisure Time       +
vs no religious preference 		    
Living Standards  +
vs 40-59 		     +
vs no religious preference and other religion		 +  
Local Environmental Quality       +
vs no religious preference and other religion 		    
Mental Health +
vs 40-59 		  –    +
vs no religious preference		 +
  
Physical Health           +
$150,000+ > under $50,000		  
Safety & Security  +
vs 18-39 		       +  
Social Connections       +
vs  no religious preference and other religion		 +  
  Age 60+ Female College Degree Latter-day Saint Higher Income Nonwhite or Latino
  Domain Importance 
Connection to Nature       –
vs no religious preference  		    
Cultural Opportunities            + 
Education – +         
Leisure Time –
vs 18-39 		      –
vs no religious preference 		 +   
Living Standards           +  
Local Environmental Quality         -
$150,000+ < $100,000-$149,999		  
Mental Health    +        
Physical Health            
Safety and Security            
Social Connections    +       –  

Wellbeing Matrix for Saratoga Springs

The graph below illustrates the relationship between the average rating and the average importance of wellbeing domains for survey respondents from Saratoga Springs. Local environmental quality and leisure time fall into the red quadrant, indicating that they were found to be of higher than average importance, but rated lower than average. It is important to note that all domains except for cultural opportunities have an average rating above 3.0 (moderate) and the average importance score for all domains was higher than 3.0 (moderately important).

Scatterplot. Title: Saratoga Springs Wellbeing Matrix. Domains are classified into four quadrants depending on their average rating and average importance as compared to the average of all the average domain ratings and the average of all the average domain importance ratings. High rating, high importance (green quadrant) domains include: Safety and Security, Living Standards, Mental Health, and Physical Health. High rating, lower Importance (blue quadrant) domains include: Education. Lower rating, lower importance (yellow quadrant) domains include: Social Connections, Cultural Opportunities, and Connection with Nature. Lower rating, high importance (red quadrant) domains include: Local Environmental Quality and Leisure Time.

Community Action & Connections in Saratoga Springs

Survey participants were asked about community actions and connectedness to community in Saratoga Springs. 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 Saratoga Springs, the average score was 3.29. When asked about the degree they feel connected to their community, the average score was 2.84.

Bar chart. Title: Community Action in Saratoga Springs. Subtitle: In Saratoga Springs, to what degree do people take action together in response to local problems or opportunities? Data - 1 Not at All: 4% of respondents; 2: 17% of respondents; 3: 39% of respondents; 4: 28% of respondents; 5 A Great Deal: 13% of respondents.Bar chart. Title: Community Connection in Saratoga Springs. Subtitle: In Saratoga Springs, to what degree do you feel connected to your community? Data - 1 Not at All: 12% of respondents; 2: 25% of respondents; 3: 35% of respondents; 4: 22% of respondents; 5 A Great Deal: 6% of respondents.

In terms of demographic characteristics and these community-related questions, age, income, and religion played significant roles as shown in Table 3. Additionally, there is a significant, positive relationship between community connectedness and personal wellbeing.

Table 3

Demographic Characteristics and Community Questions

Community Questions Age 60+ Female College Degree Latter-day Saint Higher Income Nonwhite or Latino
Do people in Saratoga Springs take action?
   
+
vs no religious preference and other religon
 +   
Do you feel connected to your community?       +
vs no religious preference and other religon		 +
$150,000 + > Under $50,000		  

Likert Graph. Title: Comparing Overall Wellbeing and Community Connection in Saratoga Springs. Of the 8 respondents that rate their overall personal wellbeing as a 1 or 2, 100% indicate a community connection score of 1, 2, or 3 while 0% indicate a community connection score of 4 or 5. Of the 43 respondents that rate their overall personal wellbeing as a 3, 91% indicate a community connection score of 1, 2, or 3 while 9% indicate a community connection score of 4 or 5. Of the 174 respondents that rate their overall personal wellbeing as a 4, 75% indicate a community connection score of 1, 2, or 3 while 25% indicate a community connection score of 4 or 5. Of the 108 participants that rate their overall wellbeing as a 5, 59% indicate a community connection score of 1, 2, or 3 while 41% indicate a community connection score of 4 or 5.

Influence of Landscape on Wellbeing

Survey participants were asked about the influence of landscape features on their wellbeing. Mountains, trails, rivers and streams, lakes, and city parks were found to have an overwhelmingly positive influence on respondents’ wellbeing. Almost two-thirds of respondents also noted farmland (63%) and red rock (60%) as having a positive influence.

In terms of development and industry in the landscape, almost two-thirds (64%) of respondents noted extractive industry as having a negative or very negative influence on their wellbeing and over half (51%) noted manufacturing industry as having a negative or very negative influence. While twice as many respondents (44%) noted residential development as having a negative influence as compared to those who noted it having a positive influence (22%), over half of respondents felt that commercial development has a positive influence (52%) while less than one-fifth (17%) noted it as having a negative influence.

Likert Graph. Title: The Role of Landscape Features in Saratoga Springs Residents' Wellbeing. Subtitle: How does the presence of the following landscape features influence your wellbeing? Feature: Mountains - 0% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 3% indicated neither, 97% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Trails - 1% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 11% indicated neither, 88% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Rivers and Streams - 2% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 10% indicated neither, 88% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Lakes - 4% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 14% indicated neither, 84% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: City Parks - 3% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 17% indicated neither, 80% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Farmland - 4% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 33% indicated neither, 63% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Red Rock - 1% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 39% indicated neither, 60% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Commercial Development - 17% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 31% indicated neither, 52% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Residential Development - 44% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 34% indicated neither, 22% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Manufacturing Industry - 51% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 44% indicated neither, 5% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Extractive Industry - 64% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 34% indicated neither, 2% indicated positively or very positively.

Perspectives on Population Growth and Economic Development in Saratoga Sprimgs

Survey respondents overwhelmingly indicated that they felt population growth was too fast (80%). Comparatively, only 14% of respondents indicated that economic development is too fast, while just under half (45%) indicated that it is too slow and just over one-third (34%) indicated it is just right. Compared to the other cities in the study, Saratoga Springs was in the upper group of cities with respondents indicating population growth is too fast and in the middle range regarding those feeling the pace of economic development is too slow.

Bar Chart. Title: Population Growth in Saratoga Springs. Subtitle: How would you describe the current rate of population growth in Saratoga Springs? Data - Too Slow: 1% of respondents; Just Right: 13% of respondents; Too Fast: 80% of respondents; No Opinion: 6% of respondents.Bar Chart. Title: Economic Development in Saratoga Springs. Subtitle: How would you describe the current pace of economic development in Saratoga Springs? Data - Too Slow: 45% of respondents; Just Right - 34% of respondents; Too Fast - 14% of respondents; No Opinion - 6% of respondents.

Likert Graph. Title: Population Growth in Sampled Utah Cities. Herriman - 1% of respondents indicated too slow, 91% indicated too fast; Lehi - 0% of respondents indicated too slow, 83% indicated too fast; Saratoga Springs - 1% of respondents indicated too slow, 80% indicated too fast; Eagle Mountain - 0% of respondents indicated too slow, 72% indicated too fast; Draper - 1% of respondents indicated too slow, 72% indicated too fast; Santaquin - 1% of respondents indicated too slow, 72% indicated too fast; Tooele - 3% of respondents indicated too slow, 70% indicated too fast. North Logan - 0% of respondents indicated too slow, 66% indicated too fast. Moab - 4% of respondents indicated too slow, 64% indicated too fast; Nibley - 0% of respondents indicated too slow, 60% indicated too fast; Hurricane - 2% of respondents indicated too slow, 56% indicated too fast; Nephi - 6% of respondents indicated too slow, 53% indicated too fast; Bountiful - 3% of respondents indicated too slow, 46% indicated too fast; Cedar City - 2% of respondents indicated too slow, 46% indicated too fast; La Verkin - 12% of respondents indicated too slow, 35% indicated too fast; Richfield - 14% of respondents indicated too slow, 18% indicated too fast; Delta - 31% of respondents indicated too slow, 9% indicated too fast; Helper - 22% of respondents indicated too slow, 8% indicated too fast.

Likert Graph. Title: Economic Development in Sampled Utah Cities. Draper - 4% of respondents indicated too slow, 44% indicated too fast; Lehi - 9% of respondents indicated too slow, 56% indicated too fast; Nibley - 19% of respondents indicated too slow, 23% indicated too fast; Moab - 24% of respondents indicated too slow, 62% indicated too fast; North Logan - 29% of respondents indicated too slow, 19% indicated too fast; Bountiful - 35% of respondents indicated too slow, 14% indicated too fast; Cedar City - 44% of respondents indicated too slow, 9% indicated too fast; Saratoga Springs - 45% of respondents indicated too slow, 14% indicated too fast; Hurricane - 47% of respondents indicated too slow, 14% indicated too fast; Herriman - 48% of respondents indicated too slow, 23% indicated too fast; Eagle Mountain - 50% of respondents indicated too slow, 15% indicated too fast; Helper - 52% of respondents indicated too slow, 2% indicated too fast; Nephi - 54% of respondents indicated too slow, 9% indicated too fast; La Verkin - 56% of respondents indicated too slow, 11% indicated too fast; Santaquin - 58% of respondents indicated too slow, 12% indicated too fast; Richfield - 63% of respondents indicated too slow, 5% indicated too fast; Tooele - 63% of respondents indicated too slow, 10% indicated too fast; Delta - 80% of respondents indicated too slow, 0% indicated too fast.

Risks and Assets for Wellbeing in Saratoga Springs

Survey respondents indicated the degree to which a number of possible local issues were a major or minor risk or asset to wellbeing in Saratoga Springs (see Table 4).

Table 4
Top Rated Risks and Assets by Saratoga Springs Respondents

Highest Rated Assets
(indicated by at least 70% of respondents)		 Highest Rated Risks
(Indicated by at least 25% of respondents)
Public Safety Substance Abuse
Recreation Opportunities Air Quality
Access to Quality Food Electronic Devices
Opportunities for Youth Affordable Housing
Access to Public Land Roads and Transportation

Respondents also wrote in other assets and risks as shown in Table 5. It is clear that some people not only listed current assets, but also those they wish Saratoga Springs had.

Table 5
Other Assets and Risks Mentioned by Saratoga Springs Respondents

Other Assets Other Risks
Education (2) Open space, off roading (2) Traffic, traffic lights (12) Growth, overcrowding, overdevelopment (9)
Accessibility to a post office and liquor store Animal control One main road north and south is unacceptable (7) Townhomes and apartments, high density housing, small lot size (3)
Availability of cultural opportunities Cemetery Clean up Utah Lake (2) Mormons, LDS Church (2)
High quality licensed child care Infrastructure Mosquitoes, bugs (2) Airplanes
Limited growth Local businesses Cheap motels City council representation
Pool Public roads Emergency services Infrastructure
Road mainenance Sales tax base Safe entrance/exit to Dalmore Meadows Secondary water
Utah Lake clean-up and dredging Utah Lake walking trails  Stinky smell from taps Would love nice sit-down restaurants
Volunteer opportunities Wildfire    

Summary of Open Comments

Respondents were given the opportunity to provide comments at the end of the survey. Comments were made by 134 respondents (36% of those that completed the survey). The primary concern of Saratoga Springs residents was the rapid rate of growth and development. Many comments lamented the loss of nature, open space, and wildlife as the city expands. Other concerns related to growth include traffic, air quality, lacking infrastructure, and high-density housing. However, people also said they want to see more restaurants, shopping, recreation, and entertainment options in Saratoga Springs. Overall, respondents wanted to slow down and responsibly manage the rate of development.

Dominant themes in comments included the following:

  • Desire for slow and controlled growth
  • Seeking more restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and recreation
  • Perspectives about too much high-density housing
  • Problems with traffic and road infrastructure
  • Lamenting the loss of farmland and nature

A Few Quotes

  • "The traffic is horrible. We need to build new roads. Redwood is the only main road in the city. It causes stress and is a security concern in the case of an emergency."
  • "Need more commerce and businesses. Traffic congestion needs to be addressed for growth."
  • "Concerned about the number of high density housing being built. I'm seeing all townhouses and very few single family homes being built. Starting to feel like we are packing them in which will put stress on all our infrastructure. Needs balance."
  • "We love the city, but the population is growing way too quickly. Getting crowded, and I’m so sad that we are losing so much farmland to more housing."
  • "We need basics like postal office, splash pads, pools, rec centers, shaded trails etc. Please!"

Pie Chart. Title: Tone of Comment. Data: 3 positive comments, 125 negative comments, 6 mixed comments.Bar chart. Title: Major Themes. Theme: Growth and Development – mentioned 55 times; Traffic – mentioned 41 times; Natural Resources – mentioned 31 times; Lacking Economic Amenities – mentioned 21 times; Housing Density – mentioned 20 times; Lacking Recreation – mentioned 17 times.

 

 

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