Utah 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 five cities in Utah County: Lehi, Santaquin, Saratoga Springs, Spanish Fork, and Vineyard. 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 Utah 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?
- 1,790 viable surveys were recorded in this 2021 survey effort from Utah County.
- Lehi had 243 responses, Santaquin had 241 responses, Saratoga Springs had 157 responses, Spanish Fork had 770 responses, and Vineyard had 379 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. These cities all fall in the Rapid Growth cluster of cities according to the Utah League of Cities and Towns.
Key Findings in Utah County
Overall Personal Wellbeing scores were above average for Vineyard, Spanish Fork, Saratoga Springs, and Santaquin and average for Lehi compared to other study cities. Community Wellbeing scores were above average for Vineyard, Spanish Fork, and Saratoga Springs and average for Santaquin and Lehi compared to other study cities.
Wellbeing Domains (Categories)
The Highest Rated Wellbeing Domains for all 5 Utah County study cities were:
- Living Standards
- Safety and Security
The Most Important Wellbeing Domains for all 5 Utah County study cities were:
- Safety & Security
- Mental Health
- Living Standards
- Physical Health
The Red Zone Domains (High Importance, Lower Quality) for all 5 Utah County study cities were:
- Lehi and Saratoga Springs – Local Environmental Quality
- Santaquin and Spanish Fork – Physical Health
- Vineyard – none, but Physical Health approaches this zone
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 Lehi respondents and mental health declines were experienced most by Santaquin respondents.
Overall personal wellbeing declined in last year for 35% to 49% of respondents from these 5 cities (highest in Lehi, lowest in Vineyard).
Community wellbeing declined in the last year for 26% to 55% of respondents from these 5 cities (highest in Lehi, lowest in Vineyard).
Community Connectedness and Action
Community Connection and Action were highest for Spanish Fork, whereas the other four Utah County communities scored considerably lower.
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 Utah 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. Developed landscapes were mixed in their influence on wellbeing, with Lehi respondents indicating more negative influence of residential and commercial development on wellbeing and all five Utah County study cities indicating a negative influence of manufacturing and extractive industry on wellbeing (common among more urban study cities).
Concerns for the Future of Utah County Cities
Top concerns varied across the study cities in Utah County as follows:
Moderate to Major Concerns by Over Two-Thirds of Respondents
- Lehi
- Roads & Transportation 81%
- Air Quality 79%
- Affordable Housing 75%
- Water Supply 74%
- Recreation Opportunities 66%
- Santaquin
- Opportunities for Youth 71%
- Access to Public Land 66%
- Saratoga Springs
- Roads & Transportation 88%
- Air Quality 74%
- Access to Public Land 69%
- Spanish Fork
- Roads & Transportation 69%
- Affordable Housing 69%
- Air Quality 69%
- Vineyard
- Air Quality 75%
- Roads & Transportation 74%
- Public Safety 67%
- Shopping Opportunities 66%
Other concerns mentioned as “other” concerns specific to each city included:
- Traffic and a desire for more parks and playgrounds in Lehi
- Too much high-density housing in Santaquin
- Traffic in Saratoga Springs
- Traffic and too much growth in Spanish Fork
- Parking and high-density housing in Vineyard
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.