Lehi Wellbeing Survey Findings 2024
By Dr. Courtney Flint and Team

Contact Information
Dr. Courtney Flint
courtney.flint@usu.edu
435-797-8635
Summary
Lehi is one of 51 cities participating in the Utah Wellbeing Survey Project in 2024. This project is designed to assess the wellbeing and local perspectives of city residents and to provide information to city leaders to inform general planning processes. Additional analysis is underway and this report may be updated over time.
We are grateful to all those who took the survey and to our city partners who helped to make this possible. We are grateful to a number of entities for funding: the Utah League of Cities and Towns, USU Extension, USU’s Institute for Land Water and Air, the Wasatch Front Regional Council, Utah Department of Transportation, the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, and the cities of Alpine, Cedar Hills, Draper, Millcreek, Nephi, North Salt Lake, Ogden, Orem, Pleasant Grove, Providence, Springdale, Tremonton, West Bountiful, and West Valley City.
This report describes findings from the 2024 Lehi survey and comparative information with other project cities. In March and April 2024, Lehi City advertised the survey for residents largely through social media and newsletters. All city residents age 18+ were encouraged to take the online Qualtrics survey.
How many people responded?
- 322 viable surveys were recorded in this 2024 survey effort.
- The Lehi 2022 survey had 245 responses and the Lehi 2021 survey had 243 responses and the Lehi 2020 survey had 295 responses.
- The adult population of Lehi was estimated at 48,228, based on the American Community Survey by the U.S. Census. The 322 survey responses in 2024 represent 0.7% of the adult population and have a conservative margin of error of 5.44%.
Survey Respondent Characteristics
| Resident Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Full Time Residents of Lehi | 98.8% |
| Part Time Residents of Lehi | 1.2% |
| Length of Residency — Range | 1-80 years |
| Length of Residency — Average | 16.8 years |
| Length of Residency — Median | 14 years |
| Length of Residency 5 Years or less | 24.8% |
Demographic characteristics of the survey respondents were compared below with U.S. Census information from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey. In the graph below, gray bars indicate differences between the American Community Survey estimates and the Utah Wellbeing Project surveys. The wider the gray bars, the larger the differences. Also note that estimates for religious affiliation, adult non-conforming or non-binary gender, disability, and chronic conditions are unavailable from the census data. There can also be a variable margin of error in the American Community Survey estimates, and caution should be used when comparing estimates. Not all respondents provided demographic information. As the graph shows, 2024 survey respondents were not fully representative of Lehi. People who have at least a 4-year college degree and are married were overrepresented while those who are age 18-29 and do not have a college degree were underrepresented.

Overall Personal Wellbeing and Overall Wellbeing in Lehi
Survey participants were asked about their overall personal wellbeing and overall community wellbeing in Lehi. These wellbeing indicators were both measured on a 5-point scale from poor (1) to excellent (5). The average personal wellbeing score in Lehi was 4.05 with 79% of respondents indicating their wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale. The average score for community wellbeing in Lehi was 3.50 with 52% of respondents indicating community wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale.


When comparing survey data from Lehi over the years as shown in the information below, we can see that the average personal wellbeing score has fluctuated over the years. The average community wellbeing score remained fairly consistent from 2020 to 2022, with a small decrease from 2022 to 2024. Note that the number of respondents differed between years, there is no tracking of individuals from one year to the next, and the low end of the scale was "Poor" in 2024 but "Very Poor" in prior years which may account for differences in scores over time.

Comparing Wellbeing Across Utah Cities
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. Lehi is classified as a Rapid Growth City. Some cities may fit within more than one cluster.
Within the Rapid Growth city cluster, Lehi was below the average overall personal wellbeing score and below the average overall community wellbeing score.


Wellbeing Domains in Lehi
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 respondents in Lehi were Family Life (79%), Safety and Security (76%), and Mental Health (73%). The most important wellbeing domains were Mental Health (97%), Physical Health (96%), Safety and Security (96%), and Family Life (95%).

Wellbeing Matrix for Lehi
The graph below illustrates the relationship between the average rating and the average importance of wellbeing domains for survey respondents from Lehi. Family Life, Living Standards, Mental Health, Physical Health, and Safety and Security were highly important and rated above average among the domains. No Domains fell in the “red zone” of higher importance and lower ratings.

Wellbeing Domains Over Time in Lehi
The graphs below show how the domains were rated over the years by Lehi residents. The number of respondents changed over time. Note that the two domains Family Life and Transportation were new categories in the 2024 survey and were not measured in previous years. Most domains saw only small changes to their average ratings between 2022 and 2024, except for Education which saw a larger drop. Living Standards and Safety and Security were among the top rated domains each survey year, while Cultural Opportunities and Local Environmental Quality were among the lowest.

Community Connection in Lehi
Survey participants were asked about how connected they feel to Lehi on a 5-point scale from not at all (1) to a great deal (5), and the average score of all respondents was 2.85.

When comparing survey data from Lehi over the years as shown in the information below, we can see that the average community connection score has remained fairly consistent over the survey years, with a small drop in 2021.

A positive relationship was found between individuals’ community connection and overall personal wellbeing, and to some extent between community connection and mental health.


The graph below shows how Wellbeing Project cities and towns compare on feelings of community connection based on the percentage of respondents who answered 4 or a 5 on a 5-point scale from “not at all” to “a great deal” connected to their city or town. Lehi ranked 42 out of the 51 cities that participated.

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 were walking or biking in your neighborhood or city (94%), gardening at home (83%), and recreating in parks in your city (82%).

Buying food from a farmer's market, participating in community events, gardening at home, and recreating in parks in your city were significantly related to higher ratings of personal wellbeing.
Participating in community events was significantly related to higher ratings of community wellbeing.
Buying food from a farmer's market, participating in city recreation programs, participating in community events, and recreating in parks in your city were significantly related to higher ratings of community connection.
Perspectives on Population Growth and Economic Development
The majority of respondents in Lehi indicated that they felt the population growth was too fast (85%). For the pace of economic development, the largest proportion of respondents indicated that it was too fast (45%).


The graphs below show how perceptions of population growth and economic development in Lehi have varied across recent years of Wellbeing Surveys. Perception that the rate of population growth is too fast has remained consistently high over the survey years, while the perception that the pace of economic development is too fast decreased from 2022 to 2024.


The graphs below show perceptions of population growth and economic development for Lehi compared to other participating cities and towns in the Rapid Growth Cities cluster.


The graph below illustrates how many respondents perceived the pace of economic development as too slow, just right, too fast, or had no opinion, with additional breakdowns for the number of respondents who provided comments.

The 13% of respondents who rated the pace of economic growth as “too slow” were further asked what aspects of the local economy they would like to see more of in Lehi. The most dominant comments related to the need for more retail options, infrastructure to support growth, and planning and governance to navigate future growth.
Additionally, the 45% of respondents who rated the pace of economic growth as “too fast” were further asked what aspects of the local economy they feel are growing too quickly in Lehi. The most dominant comments expressed that road infrastructure is not keeping up with the housing and business development. There were some concerns about water resources. Some lamented the loss of green space and open space and the change of town character.
Transportation in Lehi
Respondents were asked to indicate all of their primary modes of transportation on a regular basis in Lehi. The most popular modes of transportation were personal car (99%) and walking (34%).

Respondents were asked to indicate the most common barriers to transportation in Lehi. The most problematic barriers were Travel time (69%) and Lack of routes (54%).

Respondents were asked to indicate the importance of a set of possible transportation developments in Lehi. The most important development to respondents were Improving road surfaces (79%), Adding road capacity (76%), and Enhancing safety (72%).

Respondents were asked to indicate how frequently various activities take them out of Lehi to another city or town. The most commonly indicated reasons for traveling to another city or town at least sometimes or once a month were Eating Out (92%), Friends and Family (88%), and Groceries (79%).

Concerns in Lehi
Survey respondents indicated the degree to which a number of possible local issues were a concern as they look to the future of Lehi. Traffic (95%), Water Supply (83%), Affordable Housing (81%), Open Space/Green Space (81%), and Air Quality (80%) were the top concerns. Since 2022, moderate or major concern about opportunities for youth (+16%), shopping opportunities (+14%), and public safety (+10%) notably increased, while concern about social and emotional support (-14%), climate change (-13%), access to mental health care (-13%), suicide (-12%), water supply (-11%), and air quality (-10%) notably decreased.

Open Comments
All open comments collected in the survey were shared with city leaders. General observations and themes are shared here.
What Respondents Value Most in Lehi
Survey respondents were asked to comment on what they value most about Lehi. The most common words and phrases from all city comments are included in the word cloud below. It is possible that negative or unrelated words may appear since these words have been taken out of context, and they may not indicate the respondent’s intended meaning. Many comments noted appreciation for the sense of community and friendships developed in Lehi. The location of the city close to other cities and towns as also mentioned as a dominant value.

Local Environmental Quality in Lehi
The 64% of respondents who rated the Local Environmental Quality domain as 1, 2, or 3 (Poor, Fair, or Moderate) were further asked if there are specific aspects of local environmental quality that they feel are problematic. Overall air quality was highlighted as a main concern in Lehi. Inversions, dust from Point of the Mountain, car pollution, and construction were all points made about air quality. The lack of green space and open space in Lehi was also a main concern. With many apartment buildings and few single-family homes being built, respondents mentioned a lack of parks and open space, as well as existing green space being run down. Traffic was a main concern as well, with busy roads with lots of cars putting safety of pedestrians and bikers at risk. Some comments mentioned water quality and scarcity concerns.
Improving Wellbeing in Lehi
Survey respondents were asked if there is anything that could be done to improve wellbeing in Lehi. Concerns about the traffic were often mentioned in comments along with the need for better road quality. Housing prices, and high-density housing were both expressed as problems in Lehi. Respondents also mentioned the rapid building and growth of the community as a problem.
Additional Comments
Respondents were also asked if they had any additional comments on wellbeing in Lehi. Comments expressed displeasure about the rate of growth in Lehi. Although some people stated they loved living in Lehi, others had issues with traffic and transportation options.