Utah Bear River Region Wellbeing Survey Report
By Dr. Courtney Flint and Team

Contact Information
Dr. Courtney Flint
courtney.flint@usu.edu
435-797-8635
Summary
The Utah Wellbeing Survey 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 processes. Over the years, we have found that each city and town has a unique experience and the Utah Wellbeing Survey allows for focused analysis at the community level. Survey questions include rating and importance of twelve different domains or categories of wellbeing, participation in recreation and nature-related activities, perspectives on local population growth and economic development, transportation perspectives, concerns for the future, and an array of demographic characteristic questions. Some cities added additional questions to their survey. Some cities added additional questions to their survey, particularly regarding city amenities.
In early 2024, participating cities in the Bear River Region advertised the survey via social media, email lists, newsletters, and other ways of reaching out to local residents. All city residents age 18+ were encouraged to take the online Qualtrics survey.
What is in this report?
This report summarizes findings from the 2024 survey from six cities in Cache County (Logan, Hyde Park, Hyrum, Nibley, Providence, and Wellsville) and one city in Box Elder County (Tremonton). Please see the individual city reports on the Utah Wellbeing Project website for more details. This information may help cities and other regional entities refine their messaging with residents on key issues, affirm existing plans, support future planning, and have practical implications for spending and providing services.
Survey Cities and Response Numbers
From the Bear River Region, 2,534 viable surveys were recorded in this 2024 survey effort.
This project benefits from the partnership with, and funding from, 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. The Utah League of Cities and Towns clusters cities and towns into five different categories based on size and growth rates. We utilize these clusters in our analysis and have combined Rural Hub & Resort communities with Traditional Rural Communities. Some cities may fit within more than one cluster. The Bear River cities with their cluster classification and number of responses are listed below:
Established/Mid-sized Cities
Logan (757)
Rapid Growth Cities
Hyde Park (227)
Hyrum (306)
Nibley (319)
Providence (214)
Wellsville (177)
Rural Hub & Resort, Traditional Rural Communities
Tremonton (534)
Overall Personal Wellbeing and Community Wellbeing in the Bear River Region Study Cities
Survey participants were asked about their overall personal wellbeing and overall community wellbeing in their respective cities or towns. The Bear River Region cities are highlighted in the graph below. Wellbeing indicators were both measured on a 5-point scale from poor (1) to excellent (5). The average of the city average personal wellbeing scores in the Bear River Region was 4.07 with 75% of respondents indicating their wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale. The average of the city average scores for community wellbeing in the Bear River Region was 3.71 with 56% of respondents indicating community wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale. As the graphs below show, scores vary across the seven participating cities.




Wellbeing Domains
According to national and international entities that track wellbeing, there are a number of common dimensions or domains of wellbeing. Survey respondents rated twelve domains on a 5-point scale from poor to excellent. 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 highest rated wellbeing domains for the 7 Bear River Region study cities were:
- Family Life (all 7 cities)
- Safety and Security (all 7 cities)
- Living Standards (Hyde Park, Nibley, Providence, Wellsville)
- Mental Health (Hyrum, Tremonton)
- Connection with Nature (Logan)
The most important wellbeing domains for the seven Bear River Region study cities were:
- Mental Health (all 7 cities)
- Safety and Security (all 7 cities)
- Family Life (Hyde Park, Hyrum, Nibley, Tremonton, Wellsville)
- Living Standards (Logan, Providence)
- Physical Health (Hyde Park, Wellsville)
The “Red Zone” Domains (higher importance, lower quality) for the seven Bear River Region study cities were:
- Hyde Park — Physical Health
- Hyrum — Local Environmental Quality, Physical Health
- Logan — Leisure Time, Living Standards, Mental Health
- Nibley — Physical Health
- Providence — Leisure Time, Physical Health
- Tremonton — Leisure Time
- Wellsville — Physical Health
Community Connection
Survey participants were asked about how connected they feel to their city on a 5-point scale from not at all (1) to a great deal (5). Community Connection was highest for Wellsville and Hyde Park and lowest for Logan and Tremonton.


Participation in Recreation and Nature-Related Activities
Respondents were asked to indicate whether or not they participated in various activities in the last 12 months. The most popular activities in the Bear River Region were walking or biking in your neighborhood or city (91%), recreating in parks in your city (81%), and community events (80%).

Activities for each city that were found to be significantly correlated with higher levels of wellbeing, community connection, mental health or physical health are shown below in the table.
| Personal Wellbeing | Community Wellbeing | Community Connection | Mental Health | Physical Health | |
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| Logan |
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| Nibley |
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| Providence |
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| Tremonton |
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| Wellsville |
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Perspectives on Population Growth and Economic Development
In each of the seven Bear River Region study cities, the majority of respondents felt that the Rate of Population Growth in their city was too fast. The largest proportion of respondents thought that the Pace of Economic Development was too fast in Logan, just right in Nibley, Providence, Hyde Park, and Wellsville, and too slow in Hyrum and Tremonton.

Transportation in the Bear River Region
Respondents were asked to indicate all of their primary modes of transportation on a regular basis in their city. The most popular modes of transportation in the Bear River Region were personal car (99%) and walking (41%).

Respondents were asked to indicate the most common barriers to transportation in their city. The most problematic barriers in the Bear River Region were Travel time (43%) and Cost (36%).

Respondents were asked to indicate the importance of a set of possible transportation developments in their city. The most important developments to respondents in the Bear River Region were Improving road surfaces (67%), Enhancing safety (65%), and Improving walkability (65%).

Respondents were asked to indicate how frequently various activities take them out of your city to another city or town. The most commonly indicated reasons for traveling to another city or town at least sometimes or once a month in the Bear River Region were Friends and Family (83%), Eating Out (79%), and Groceries (78%).

Concerns for the Future of Bear River Cities
Survey respondents indicated the degree to which a number of possible local issues were a concern as they look to the future of their city. Across the Bear River Region, Water Supply (78%), Open Space/Green Space (75%), Affordable Housing (74%), Air Quality (73%), and Water Quality (73%) were the top concerns.

Top concerns also varied across cities. The top five concerns for each city are highlighted in the graph below.
