Beaver Wellbeing Survey Findings 2022

By Dr. Courtney Flint and Team

utah wellbeing survey logo

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

Summary

Beaver City is one of 33 cities participating in the Utah Wellbeing Survey Project in 2022. 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.

We are grateful to all participants who took the survey and to our city partners who helped to make this possible. Additionally, we are grateful to the Utah League of Cities and Towns and USU Extension for their financial support.

What is in this report?

This report describes findings from the 2022 Beaver survey and some comparative information with other project cities. Feedback from city leaders, planners, and residents is welcome.

How was the survey conducted?

Starting in April of 2022, Beaver City advertised the survey via social media, the city website, and email lists. All city residents age 18+ were encouraged to take the online Qualtrics survey.

How many people responded?

  • 131 viable surveys were recorded in this 2022 survey effort with 87.8% complete responses.
  • The adult population of Beaver was estimated at 2,200, based on the 2016-2020 American Community Survey by the U.S. Census. The 131 survey responses in 2022 represent 5.95% of the adult population and have a conservative margin of error of 8.31%.

Key Findings

Overall Personal Wellbeing and Community Wellbeing in Beaver were well above average among the 33 study cities. 

Highest Rated Wellbeing Categories:

  • Safety and Security
  • Connection with Nature
  • Local Environmental Quality
  • Living Standards

Most Important Wellbeing Categories:

  • Safety and Security
  • Mental Health
  • Physical Health
  • Living Standards

Red Zone Wellbeing Categories: 
(High Importance, Low Rating)

  • Education
  • Physical Health

Wellbeing varied within Beaver by demographic characteristics. Religion and age were particularly important factors in the rating of wellbeing overall and for domain importance, with those indicating their religion as Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or age as 60+ rating wellbeing and wellbeing importance as higher than those from other religions or who are age 18-39. 

Perceptions that residents take action and feelings of community connection were higher in Beaver than most other study communities.

Many indicated Population Growth Rate was too fast, while feelings on the Pace of Economic Development were more evenly distributed between too slow and just right. 

Top concerns for the future of Beaver were:

  • Water Supply (85% Moderate or Major Concern)
  • Affordable Housing (82% Moderate or Major Concern)
  • Opportunities for Youth (72% Moderate or Major Concern)
  • Employment Opportunities (71% Moderate or Major Concern)
  • Roads and Transportation (71% Moderate or Major Concern)
  • Suicide (67% Moderate or Major Concern)

What do people value most about Beaver?
Positive social climate with small-town feel, feelings of safety, and a peaceful and quiet place to live

Key Wellbeing Issues and Resource Areas

In addition to providing partner cities with the opportunity to take part in surveys, the Utah Wellbeing Project has worked to provide curated resources for community leaders and citizens that aim to improve specific aspects of wellbeing. These Wellbeing Resources can be found on the Utah Wellbeing Project Website, along with other useful tools and information.

Based on results of the 2022 Utah Wellbeing Project Surveys in Beaver City, key wellbeing issues include: Physical Health, Education, Water Supply, Affordable Housing, and Opportunities for Youth. Below you will find links to specific wellbeing resource areas we believe may be used to target some of these issues.

Survey Respondent Characteristics

Table 1

Full Time Residents of Beaver 94.7%
Part Time Residents of Beaver 5.3%
Length of Residency — Range 1-71 years
Length of Residency — Average 25.7 years
Length of Residency — Median 23 years
Length of Residence 5 years or less 12.2%

Demographic characteristics of the survey respondents were compared below with U.S. Census information from the 2016-2020 American Community Survey. As the table shows, 2022 survey respondents were not fully representative of Beaver. People age 70 or older were particularly underrepresented. People who are age 40-49, have at least a 4-year college degree, are married, have children under 18 in the household, are employed, and those with incomes between $100,000 and $149,000 were particularly overrepresented. Not all respondents provided demographic information. Weighting was not used in any of the analysis for the findings presented below.

Table 2
Demographic Characteristics of Survey Respondents and U.S. Census Data for Beaver


Demographic Characteristics		 Beaver Wellbeing Survey
American Community Survey
2016-2020 Estimates
Online 2022
131 Respondents 
Age 18-29 11.3% 13.9%
Age 30-39 26.1% 18.2%
Age 40-49 29.6% 15.9%
Age 50-59 14.8% 15.7%
Age 60-69 13.0% 17.5%
Age 70 or over 5.2% 18.8%
Adult Female 50.9% 51.6%
Adult Male 49.1% 48.4%
Adult non-conforming
or non-binary		 0.0% NA
No college degree 60.5% 75.4%
College degree (4-year) 39.5% 24.6%
Median household income NA $66,696
Income under $25,000 8.0% 12.2%
Income $25,000 to $49,999 14.3% 15.4%
Income $50,000 to $74,999 20.5% 29.7%
Income $75,000 to $99,999 25.0% 25.6%
Income $100,000 to $149,999 22.3% 10.6%
Income $150,000 or over 9.8% 6.4%
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 77.2% NA
Other religion 12.3% NA
Agnostic/Atheist/No religious preference 10.5% NA
Hispanic/Latino 2.7% 5.6%
White 97.3% 95.7%
Nonwhite 2.7% 4.3%
Married 87.0% 73.4%
Children under 18 in household 52.2% 34.2%
Employed 78.6% 59.2%
Out of work and looking for work 0.0% 0.6%
Other 21.4% 40.2%
Own home/Owner occupied 82.6% 84.1%
Rent home/Renter occupied/Other 17.4% 15.9%

Overall Personal Wellbeing and Overall Wellbeing in Beaver

Survey participants were asked about their overall personal wellbeing and overall community wellbeing in Beaver. These wellbeing indicators were both measured on a 5-point scale from very poor (1) to excellent (5). The average personal wellbeing score in Beaver was 4.18 with 80% of respondents indicating their wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale. The average score for community wellbeing in Beaver was 3.82 with 64% of respondents indicating community wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale.

Bar chart. Title: Personal Wellbeing in Beaver. Subtitle: How would you rate your overall personal wellbeing? Data - 1 Very Poor: 0% of respondents; 2: 4% of respondents; 3: 15% of respondents; 4: 40% of respondents; 5 Excellent: 41% of respondents

Bar Chart. Title: Community Wellbeing in Beaver. Subtitle: How would you rate overall wellbeing in Beaver? Data - 1 Very Poor: 1% of respondents; 2: 8% of respondents; 3: 27% of respondents; 4: 36% of respondents; 5 Excellent: 28% of respondents

Comparing Wellbeing Across Utah Cities

The Utah League of Cities and Towns classifies Beaver as a Rural Hub/Resort Community (and we have combined these with the Traditional Rural Communities). Some cities may fit within more than one cluster. 

Within the Rural city cluster, Beaver fell above the cluster average in terms of the average overall personal wellbeing and community wellbeing scores. Beaver was statistically significantly higher than East Carbon and Moab in terms of overall personal wellbeing, but not statistically different from any other city in the cluster. In terms of community wellbeing, Beaver was significantly higher than all other cities in the cluster except Helper, but not statistically different from Park City, Nephi, Ephraim, and Bluff. Margins of error are particularly high for Delta, Helper, Midvale, and Santaquin due to low survey response.

Dot Plot. Title: Overall Personal Wellbeing Scores from Participating Utah Cities (2022). Subtitle: (On a scale from 1=Very Poor to 5=Excellent). Group: Established/Mid-Sized Cities. Draper: Average Score 4.27; Millcreek: Average Score 4.24; Cottonwood Heights: Average Score 4.19; Layton: Average Score 4.16; Bountiful: Average Score 4.09; Sandy: Average Score 4.07; South Jordan: Average Score 4.06; West Jordan: Average Score 4.03; Midvale: Average Score 3.94; Logan: Average Score 3.89; Tooele: Average Score 3.76. Group: Rapid Growth Cities. Vineyard: Average Score 4.31; Highland: Average Score 4.28; Hyde Park: Average Score 4.25; Nibley: Average Score 4.20; Spanish Fork: Average Score 4.15; North Logan: Average Score 4.15; Lehi: Average Score 4.10; Saratoga Springs: Average Score 4.02; Santaquin: Average Score 3.98; Herriman: Average Score 3.87. Group: Rural, Rural Hub, & Resort and Traditional Communities. Beaver: Average Score 4.18; Helper: Average Score 4.15; Nephi: Average Score 4.11; Tremonton: Average Score 4.10; Park City: Average Score 4.04; Bluff: Average Score 3.96; Ephraim: Average Score 3.89; Delta: Average Score 3.88; Blanding: Average Score: 3.85; Price: Average Score 3.83; East Carbon: Average Score: 3.73; Moab: Average Score: 3.50. 

Dot Plot. Title: Overall Community Wellbeing Scores from Participating Utah Cities (2022). Subtitle: (On a scale from 1=Very Poor to 5=Excellent). Group: Established/Mid-Sized Cities. Draper: Average Score 4.03; South Jordan: Average Score 4.02; Bountiful: Average Score 3.84; Sandy: Average Score 3.79; Millcreek: Average Score 3.79; Cottonwood Heights: Average Score 3.72; Layton: Average Score 3.71; West Jordan: Average Score 3.55; Logan: Average Score 3.46; Midvale: Average Score 3.24; Tooele: Average Score 3.15. Group: Rapid Growth Cities. Highland: Average Score 4.15; Hyde Park: Average Score 4.05; North Logan: Average Score 3.99; Spanish Fork: Average Score 3.98; Nibley: Average Score 3.87; Vineyard: Average Score 3.84; Santaquin: Average Score 3.72; Lehi: Average Score 3.61; Herriman: Average Score 3.49; Saratoga Springs: Average Score 3.47. Group: Rural, Rural Hub, & Resort and Traditional Communities. Helper: Average Score 4.09; Bluff: Average Score 3.84; Beaver: Average Score 3.82; Ephraim: Average Score 3.75; Nephi: Average Score 3.62; Park City: Average Score 3.50; Delta: Average Score 3.44; Blanding: Average Score 3.44; Tremonton: Average Score: 3.32; Price: Average Score 3.15; East Carbon: Average Score: 2.98; Moab: Average Score: 2.84. 

Wellbeing Domains in Beaver

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 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 Beaver were Safety and Security (86%), and Connection with Nature (84%). The four most important wellbeing domains were Safety and Security (99%), Mental Health (96%), Physical Health (90%), and Living Standards (90%).

Likert Graph. Title: Wellbeing Domain Ratings in Beaver. Subtitle: How would you rate your level of personal wellbeing in each of the following categories? Category: Safety and Security - 14% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 86% rated as good or excellent; Category: Connection with Nature - 16% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 84% rated as good or excellent; Category: Local Environmental Quality- 23% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 77% rated as good or excellent; Category: Education - 31% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 69% rated as good or excellent; Category: Living Standards - 23% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 77% rated as good or excellent; Category: Mental Health - 24% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 76% rated as good or excellent; Category: Leisure Time - 33% of respondents rated as poor, fair or moderate while 67% rated as good or excellent; Category: Physical Health - 34% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 66% rated as good or excellent; Category: Social Connections - 38% of respondents rated as poor, fair, or moderate while 62% rated as good or excellent; Category: Cultural Opportunities - 50% of respondents rated as poor, fair or moderate while 50% rated as good or excellent.

Likert Graph. Title: Wellbeing Domain Importance in Beaver. Subtitle: How important are the following categories to your overall personal wellbeing? Category: Safety and Security - 1% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 99% rated as important or very important; Category: Mental Health - 4% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 96% rated as important or very important; Category: Physical Health - 10% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 90% rated as important or very important; Category: Living Standards - 10% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 90% rated as important or very important; Category: Connection with Nature - 26% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 74% of respondents rated as important or very important; Category: Leisure Time - 16% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 84% rated as important or very important; Category: Local Environmental Quality - 23% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 77% 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: Education - 16% of respondents rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 84% rated as important or very important; Category: Cultural Opportunities - 44% rated as not at all important, slightly important, or moderately important while 56% rated as important or very important.

Wellbeing Matrix for Beaver

The graph below illustrates the relationship between the average rating and the average importance of wellbeing domains for survey respondents from Beaver. Safety and Security, Mental Health, and Living Standards were highly important and rated above average among the domains. Physical Health and Education fell in the “red zone” of higher importance but lower ratings, while Leisure Time approached this zone. 

Scatterplot. Title: Beaver 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, and Mental Health. High rating, lower Importance (blue quadrant) domains include: Connection with Nature and Local Environmental Quality. Lower rating, lower importance (yellow quadrant) domains include: Leisure Time, Social Connections and Cultural Opportunities. Lower rating, high importance (red quadrant) domains include: Physical Health, and Education. 

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 Beaver respondents as shown in the table below based on a generalized linear model with unweighted data. The +/- sign indicates whether the wellbeing score in the specific demographic group was significantly higher or lower than the reference group in each demographic variable (p<.05). 

Table 3
Relationship Between Demographic Characteristics and Wellbeing Domains in Beaver

  Domains Rated Demographic Variables
Age 60+ Female College Degree Latter-day Saint Highest Income ($150,000+) Resident 5 Years or Less
Wellbeing Ratings
Overall Personal Wellbeing       +
vs A/A/NP		    
Wellbeing in Beaver  +
vs 18-39
          
Connection with Nature          +
vs $75,000 - $99,999		  
Cultural Opportunities            
Education  +
vs 18-39		          
Leisure Time  +
vs 18-39		          
Living Standards  +
vs 18-39		     +
vs Other 		    
Local Environmental Quality          +
vs $75,000 - $99,999		  
Mental Health  +
vs 18-39		          
Physical Health              
Safety & Security            
Social Connections  +
vs 18-39		          
  Age 60+ Female College Degree Latter-day Saint Highest Income ($150,000+) Resident 5 Years or Less
Domains Domain Importance 
Connection with Nature          +
vs $75,000 - $99,999		  
Cultural Opportunities            
Education     + +
vs Other		    
Leisure Time       +
vs Other 		    
Living Standards       +
vs Other 		    
Local Environmental Quality  +
vs 18-39		          
Mental Health    
        
Physical Health            
Safety and Security            
Social Connections         +
vs $75,000 - $149,999		   
A/A/NRP = Agnostic/Atheist/No Religious Preference

Community Action and Connection in Beaver

Survey participants were asked about community actions and community connection in Beaver. 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 Beaver, the average score was 3.66. When asked about the degree they feel connected to their community, the average score was 3.64.

Bar chart. Title: Community Action in Beaver. Subtitle: In Beaver, to what degree do people take action together in response to local problems or opportunities? Data - 1 Not at All: 5% of respondents; 2: 12% of respondents; 3: 25% of respondents; 4: 31% of respondents; 5 A Great Deal: 27% of respondents

Bar chart. Title: Community Connection in Beaver. Subtitle: How connected do you feel to Beaver as a community? Data - 1 Not at All: 7% of respondents; 2: 8% of respondents; 3: 26% of respondents; 4: 29% of respondents; 5 A Great Deal: 30% of respondents

Latter-day Saints reported higher levels of community connection than those from other religions, and those age 60+ reported higher levels of community connection than those age 18-39. This was based on a generalized linear model with unweighted data (p < 0.05).

Table 4
Demographic Characteristics and Community Questions

Community Questions Age 60+ Female College Degree Latter-day Saint Highest Income ($150,000+) Resident 5 Years or Less
Do people in Beaver take action?            
Do you feel connected to your community? +
vs 18-39		     +
vs Other 		    

A significant, positive relationship was found between individuals’ community connection and overall personal wellbeing.

Likert Graph. Title: Comparing Overall Wellbeing and Community Connection in Beaver. Of the 5 respondents that rate their overall personal wellbeing as a 1 or 2, 88% indicate a community connection score of 1, 2, or 3 while 20% indicate a community connection score of 4 or 5. Of the 20 respondents that rate their overall personal wellbeing as a 3, 75% indicate a community connection score of 1, 2, or 3 while 25% indicate a community connection score of 4 or 5. Of the 45 respondents that rate their overall personal wellbeing as a 4, 42% indicate a community connection score of 1, 2, or 3 while 58% indicate a community connection score of 4 or 5. Of the 48 participants that rate their overall wellbeing as a 5, 23% indicate a community connection score of 1, 2, or 3 while 77% indicate a community connection score of 4 or 5.

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. Beaver was in the top 4 on perceived community action and community connection based on the number of people indicating a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale. Margins of error are particularly high for Delta, Helper, Midvale, and Santaquin due to low survey response.

Likert Graph. Title: Comparing Community Action Across Cities. Subtitle: In your city to what degree do people take action together in response to local problems or opportunities? 1 being not at all. 5 being a great deal. Data – City: Helper- 23% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 77% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Delta 29% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 71% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Bluff 33% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 67% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Beaver 42% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 58% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Blanding 48% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 52% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Hyde Park 48% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 52% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Highland 50% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 50% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Spanish Fork 51% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 49% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Bountiful 53% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 47% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: North Logan 55% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 45% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Nibley 55% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 45% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Nephi 57% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 43% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: South Jordan 57% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 43% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Vineyard 59% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 41% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Millcreek 60% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 40% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Draper 61% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 39% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Ephraim 65% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 35% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Santaquin 65% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 35% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Moab 66% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 34% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Tremonton 66% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 34% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Layton 66% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 34% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Price 66% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 34% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Sandy 69% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 31% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Tooele 71% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 29% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Logan 71% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 29% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Lehi 72% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 28% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Herriman 72% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 28% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Cottonwood Heights 73% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 27% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Saratoga Springs 74% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 26% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; East Carbon 75% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 25% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; West Jordan 81% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 19% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; Midvale 89% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 11% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5.

Likert Graph. Title: Comparing Community Connection Across Cities. Subtitle: How connected do you feel to your city as a community? 1 being not at all. 5 being a great deal. Data – City: Helper 29% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 71% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Bluff 40% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 60% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Beaver 42% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 58% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Spanish Fork 50% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 50% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Delta- 51% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 49% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Highland- 56% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 44% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: North Logan- 56% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 44% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Hyde Park- 56% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 44% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Nephi- 57% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 43% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Millcreek- 58% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 42% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Park City- 58% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 42% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Ephraim- 59% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 41% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: South Jordan- 59% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 41% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Draper- 61% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 39% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Bountiful- 61% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 39% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Blanding- 62% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 38% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Vineyard- 62% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 38% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Logan- 64% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 36% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Nibley- 64% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 36% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Santaquin- 65% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 35% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Moab- 66% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 34% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Layton- 67% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 33% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: East Carbon- 67% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 33% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Sandy- 68% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 32% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Tremonton- 69% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 31% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Cottonwood Heights- 70% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 30% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Price- 70% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 30% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Tooele- 71% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 29% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Lehi- 73% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 27% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Herriman- 78% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 22% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: West Jordan- 79% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 21% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Saratoga Springs- 81% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 19% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5; City: Midvale- 85% of respondents indicate a community action score of 1, 2, or 3 while 15% indicate a community action score of 4 or 5.

Participation in Recreation and Nature-Related Activities

Respondents were asked to indicate whether or not they participated in eight different recreation or nature-based activities in the last 12 months. Non-motorized recreation on public lands or waters (81%) was the most common activity for respondents, followed by enjoying wildlife or birds in your yard or neighborhood (79%) and motorized recreation on public lands or waters (72%).

Type: Bar Graph Title: Participation in Recreation and Nature-based Activities in Beaver. Subtitle: Have you participated in any of the following activities during the past 12 months? Data - 81% of respondents indicated yes to non-motorized recreation on public lands or waters in Utah. 79% of respondents indicated yes to enjoying wildlife or birds in your yard or neighborhood. 72% of respondents indicated yes to motorized recreation on public lands or waters in Utah. 69% of respondents indicated yes to recreating in parks in your city. 66% of respondents indicated yes to gardening. 51% of respondents indicated yes to city recreation programs. 45% of respondents indicated yes to watching or reading nature-related programs or publications. 43% of respondents indicated yes to walking with a pet in your city.

For Beaver respondents, none of the recreation activities above were significantly related to overall personal wellbeing, but participating in motorized recreation on Utah public lands and waters and enjoying wildlife or birds in yard or neighborhood were positively and significantly related to community wellbeing. 

Enjoying wildlife or birds in yard or neighborhood was positively and significantly related to community connection. 

Influence of Landscape on Wellbeing

Survey participants were asked about the influence of landscape features on their wellbeing. Natural landscapes including mountains, trails, rivers and streams, and lakes were found to have an overwhelmingly positive influence on wellbeing. In terms of development and industry in the landscape, respondents were more divided.

Likert Graph. Title: The Role of Landscape Features in Beaver 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: Rivers and Streams - 0% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 4% indicated neither, 96% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Lakes - 0% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 9% indicated neither, 91% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Trails - 2% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 10% indicated neither, 88% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Red Rock - 3% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 52% indicated neither, 45% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: City Parks - 2% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 20% indicated neither, 78% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Farmland - 1% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 19% indicated neither, 80% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Residential Development - 11% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 50% indicated neither, 39% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Commercial Development - 13% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 47% indicated neither, 40% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Extractive Industry - 17% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 54% indicated neither, 28% indicated positively or very positively; Feature: Manufacturing Industry - 16% of respondents indicated very negatively or negatively, 54% indicated neither, 30% indicated positively or very positively.

Perspectives on Population Growth and Economic Development

The majority of respondents in Beaver indicated that they felt population growth was too fast (45%). On the pace of economic development, 35% indicated it was just right, 34% too slow, and 20% too fast. 

Type: Bar graph. Title: Population Growth in Beaver. Subtitle: How would you describe the current rate of population growth in Beaver? Data – 10% of respondents rated too slow; 39% of respondents rated just right; 45% of respondents rated too fast; 6% of respondents rated no opinion. 

Type: Bar graph. Title: Economic Development in Beaver. Subtitle: How would you describe the current pace of economic development in Beaver? Data – 34% of respondents rated too slow; 35% of respondents rated just right; 20% of respondents rated too fast; 10% of respondents rated no opinion. 

The graphs below show how Beaver compares to other participating cities in the Wellbeing Project on these perceptions of population growth and economic development in 2022. Margins of error are particularly high for Delta, Helper, Midvale, and Santaquin due to low survey response.

Graph 23: Population Growth Opinion Type: Likert Graph. Title: Population Growth. Subtitle: How would you describe the current rate of population growth in your city/town?  Subtitle: Established/Mid-Sized Cities and cities of the first and second class. Data – City: Logan – 2% of respondents rated too slow, 69% of respondents rated too fast; City: Draper – 1% of respondents rated too slow, 69% of respondents rated too fast; City: Tooele – 2% of respondents rated too slow, 67% of respondents rated too fast; City: Layton – 1% of respondents rated too slow, 65% of respondents rated too fast; City: West Jordan – 1% of respondents rated too slow, 63% of respondents rated too fast;  City: South Jordan – 1% of respondents rated too slow, 63% of respondents rated too fast; City: Midvale – 2% of respondents rated too slow, 62% of respondents rated too fast; City: Sandy - 2% of respondents rated too slow, 61% of respondents rated too fast; City: Cottonwood Heights - 2% of respondents rated too slow, 56% of respondents rated too fast; City: Bountiful - 2% of respondents rated too slow, 51% of respondents rated too fast; City: Millcreek - 1% of respondents rated too slow, 44% of respondents rated too fast. Subtitle: Rapid Growth Cities. Data – City: Lehi – 1% of respondents rated too slow, 76% of respondents rated too fast; City: Herriman – 1% of respondents rated too slow, 74% of respondents rated too fast; City: Santaquin – 0% of respondents rated too slow, 71% of respondents rated too fast; City: Spanish Fork – 1% of respondents rated too slow, 71% of respondents rated too fast; City: Nibley – 1% of respondents rated too slow, 71% of respondents rated too fast; City: Hyde Park – 0% of respondents rated too slow, 69% of respondents rated too fast; City: North Logan – 0% of respondents rated too slow, 69% of respondents rated too fast; City: Vineyard – 0% of respondents rated too slow, 66% of respondents rated too fast; City: Saratoga Springs – 1% of respondents rated too slow, 65% of respondents rated too fast;City: Highland – 1% of respondents rated too slow, 65% of respondents rated too fast. Subtitle: Rural Hub/Resort and Traditional Rural Communities. Data – City: Park City – 1% of respondents rated too slow, 82% of respondents rated too fast;City: Tremonton – 1% of respondents rated too slow, 67% of respondents rated too fast; City: Nephi – 4% of respondents rated too slow, 63% of respondents rated too fast; City: Moab – 4% of respondents rated too slow, 60% of respondents rated too fast; City: Ephraim – 4% of respondents rated too slow, 50% of respondents rated too fast; City: Beaver – 9% of respondents rated too slow, 40% of respondents rated too fast; City: Price – 21% of respondents rated too slow, 25% of respondents rated too fast; City: Helper – 9% of respondents rated too slow, 23% of respondents rated too fast; City: Blanding – 16% of respondents rated too slow, 15% of respondents rated too fast; City: East Carbon – 20% of respondents rated too slow, 15% of respondents rated too fast; City: Delta – 13% of respondents rated too slow, 14% of respondents rated too fast; City: Bluff – 19% of respondents rated too slow, 10% of respondents rated too fast.  Graph 24: Economic Development Opinion Type: Likert Graph. Title: Economic Development. Subtitle: How would you describe the current pace of economic growth in your city/town?  Subtitle: Established/Mid-Sized Cities and cities of the first and second class. Data – City: Draper – 3% of respondents rated too slow, 50% of respondents rated too fast; City: Logan – 12% of respondents rated too slow, 47% of respondents rated too fast; City: Layton – 9% of respondents rated too slow, 44% of respondents rated too fast; City: Sandy – 7% of respondents rated too slow, 41% of respondents rated too fast; City: Cottonwood Heights – 10% of respondents rated too slow, 38% of respondents rated too fast; City: South Jordan – 6% of respondents rated too slow, 38% of respondents rated too fast; City: Tooele – 34% of respondents rated too slow, 34% of respondents rated too fast; City: Bountiful – 13% of respondents rated too slow, 28% of respondents rated too fast; City: West Jordan – 19% of respondents rated too slow, 28% of respondents rated too fast; City: Millcreek – 8% of respondents rated too slow, 27% of respondents rated too fast; City: Midvale – 24% of respondents rated too slow, 22% of respondents rated too fast. Subtitle: Rapid Growth Cities. Data – City: Lehi – 7% of respondents rated too slow, 59% of respondents rated too fast; City: Spanish Fork – 2% of respondents rated too slow, 49% of respondents rated too fast; City: Nibley – 11% of respondents rated too slow, 42% of respondents rated too fast; City: Saratoga Springs – 8% of respondents rated too slow, 39% of respondents rated too fast; City: North Logan – 9% of respondents rated too slow, 39% of respondents rated too fast; City: Herriman – 21% of respondents rated too slow, 39% of respondents rated too fast; City: Santaquin – 23% of respondents rated too slow, 38% of respondents rated too fast; City: Hyde Park – 12% of respondents rated too slow, 37% of respondents rated too fast; City: Highland – 23% of respondents rated too slow, 30% of respondents rated too fast; City: Vineyard – 29% of respondents rated too slow, 23% of respondents rated too fast. Subtitle: Rural Hub/Resort and Traditional Rural Communities. Data – City: Park City – 3% of respondents rated too slow, 77% of respondents rated too fast; City: Moab – 19% of respondents rated too slow, 59% of respondents rated too fast; City: Tremonton – 13% of respondents rated too slow, 45% of respondents rated too fast; City: Nephi – 27% of respondents rated too slow, 31% of respondents rated too fast; City: Ephraim – 24% of respondents rated too slow, 30% of respondents rated too fast; City: Beaver – 30% of respondents rated too slow, 18% of respondents rated too fast; City: Bluff – 33% of respondents rated too slow, 14% of respondents rated too fast; City: Blanding – 43% of respondents rated too slow, 5% of respondents rated too fast; City: Delta – 43% of respondents rated too slow, 5% of respondents rated too fast; City: Helper – 16% of respondents rated too slow, 2% of respondents rated too fast; City: Price – 61% of respondents rated too slow, 2% of respondents rated too fast; City: East Carbon – 67% of respondents rated too slow, 0% of respondents rated too fast.

Concerns in Beaver

Survey respondents indicated the degree to which a number of possible local issues were a concern as they look to the future of Beaver. Water Supply, Affordable Housing, Opportunities for Youth, Employment Opportunities, and Roads and Transportation were the top three concerns with over 70% of respondents indicating these were moderate or major concerns.

Title: Concerns in Blanding. Subtitle: As you look to the future of Beaver, how much of a concern are the following issues? Data – Category: Water Supply- 15% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 85% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Opportunities for Youth- 28% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 72% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Affordable Housing- 18% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 82% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Access to Public Lands- 45% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 55% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Employment Opportunities- 29% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 71% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Access to Quality Food- 36% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 64% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Shopping Opportunities- 39% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 61% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Recreation Opportunities- 43% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 57% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Substance Abuse- 38% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 62% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Roads and Transportation- 29% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 71% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Social and Emotional Support- 57% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 43% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Access to Health Care- 47% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 53% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Public Safety- 49% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 51% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Access to Mental Health Care - 50% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 50% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern; Category: Air Quality- 63% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 37% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern. Climate Change- 73% of respondents indicated not a concern at all or slight concern while 27% of respondents indicated a moderate or major concern.

Other concerns were raised by 15 respondents who filled in the “other” category. Responses identical to the categories above are not included in the table. 

Table 5

Other Concerns Mentioned
Tourism growing too much (4) Education
Inflation(2) Power infrastructure
Industrial feedlots (2) Anti-growth local culture
Sewer waste facility  

Open Comments

Survey respondents were asked to comment on what they value most about Beaver and to provide any additional comments about wellbeing in Beaver. Comments have been shared with city leaders. In summary, residents of Beaver valued the social climate which includes the small, rural feel of the town. Safety, as well as peace and quiet were also highly valued by residents of Beaver. In the additional comments section many residents brought up recreation and tourism, some in favor of limiting and some in favor of expanding. Comments about youth in general were brought up, worried about opportunities and support for youth. Some respondents also made comments being concerned about the growth and development in Beaver, wanting it to be limited.

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