Davis County 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.
In early 2024, participating cities in Davis County 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 five cities in Davis County (Bountiful, Clinton, Layton, North Salt Lake, and West Bountiful). 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.
Utah League of Cities and Towns Cluster Classifications and Response Numbers
From Davis County, 1,740 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 Davis County cities with their cluster classification and number of responses are listed below:
Cities of the 1st & 2nd Class
Layton (334)
Established/Mid-sized Cities
Bountiful (211)
North Salt Lake (439)
West Bountiful (295)
Rapid Growth Cities
Clinton (461)
Overall Personal Wellbeing and Community Wellbeing
Survey participants were asked about their overall personal wellbeing and overall community wellbeing in their respective cities or towns. The Davis County 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 Davis County was 4.09 with 80% 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 Davis County was 3.78 with 65% of respondents indicating community wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale. As the graphs below show, scores vary across the five 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 five Davis County study cities were:
- Family Life (all 5 cities)
- Safety and Security (all 5 cities)
- Living Standards (Bountiful, Clinton, North Salt Lake, West Bountiful)
- Mental Health (Layton)
The most important wellbeing domains for the five Davis County study cities were:
- Mental Health (all 5 cities)
- Safety and Security (all 5 cities)
- Physical Health (Bountiful, Layton, North Salt Lake, West Bountiful)
- Living Standards (Clinton, North Salt Lake, West Bountiful)
- Family Life (Clinton)
The “Red Zone” Domains (higher importance, lower quality) for the five Davis County study cities were:
- Bountiful — Local Environmental Quality
- North Salt Lake — Local Environmental Quality
- West Bountiful — Local Environmental Quality
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 West Bountiful and Bountiful and lowest for Layton.


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 Davis County were walking or biking in your neighborhood or city (93%), recreating in parks in your city (81%), gardening at home (79%), and using trails in or near your city (77%).

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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| Bountiful |
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| Clinton |
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| Layton |
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| North Salt Lake |
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| West Bountiful |
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Perspectives on Population Growth and Economic Development
The largest proportion of respondents felt the Rate of Population Growth was too fast in all five cities.
The largest proportion of respondents felt the Pace of Economic Growth was just right in all five cities.

Transportation in Davis County
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 across Davis County were personal car (99%) and walking (34%).

Respondents were asked to indicate the most common barriers to transportation in their city. The most problematic barriers across Davis County were Travel time (40%) and Cost (30%).

Respondents were asked to indicate the importance of a set of possible transportation developments in their city. The most important developments to respondents in Davis County were Improving road surfaces (73%), Enhancing safety (70%), and Improving walkability (58%).

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 Davis County were Eating Out (91%), Friends and Family (89%), and Groceries (83%).

Concerns for the Future of Davis County 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 Davis County, Air Quality (83%), Water Supply (81%), and Water Quality (77%) were the top concerns.

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