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

Contact Information
Dr. Courtney Flint
courtney.flint@usu.edu
435-797-8635
Summary
Tremonton 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 Tremonton survey and comparative information with other project cities. In March and April 2024, Tremonton City advertised the survey for residents largely through email and social media. All city residents age 18+ were encouraged to take the online Qualtrics survey.
How many people responded?
- 534 viable surveys were recorded in this 2024 survey effort.
- The Tremonton 2022 survey had 337 responses.
- The adult population of Tremonton was estimated at 6,765, based on the American Community Survey by the U.S. Census. The 534 survey responses in 2024 represent 7.9% of the adult population and have a conservative margin of error of 4.07%.
Survey Respondent Characteristics
| Resident Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Full Time Residents of Tremonton | 98.1% |
| Part Time Residents of Tremonton | 1.9% |
| Length of Residency — Range | 0.2-82 years |
| Length of Residency — Average | 21.3 years |
| Length of Residency — Median | 16 years |
| Length of Residency 5 Years or less | 27.6% |
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 Tremonton. People who are adult females, have at least a 4-year college degree, and are married were overrepresented while those who are adult males and do not have a college degree were underrepresented.

Overall Personal Wellbeing and Overall Wellbeing in Tremonton
Survey participants were asked about their overall personal wellbeing and overall community wellbeing in Tremonton. These wellbeing indicators were both measured on a 5-point scale from poor (1) to excellent (5). The average personal wellbeing score in Tremonton was 3.81 with 68% of respondents indicating their wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale. The average score for community wellbeing in Tremonton was 3.09 with 36% of respondents indicating community wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale.


When comparing survey data from Tremonton over the years as shown in the information below, we can see that both the average personal wellbeing score and the average community wellbeing score declined between 2022 and 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. Tremonton is classified 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, Tremonton was slightly below the average overall personal wellbeing score and below the average overall community wellbeing score.


Wellbeing Domains in Tremonton
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 Tremonton were Family Life (71%), Mental Health (65%), and Safety and Security (64%). The most important wellbeing domains were Mental Health (97%), Safety and Security (96%), Family Life (95%), and Living Standards (94%).

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

Wellbeing Domains Over Time in Tremonton
The graphs below show how the domains were rated over the years by Tremonton 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. All the domains either remained fairly consistent or decreased from 2022 to 2024, with the largest drop in Education.

Community Connection in Tremonton
Survey participants were asked about how connected they feel to Tremonton on a 5-point scale from not at all (1) to a great deal (5), and the average score of all respondents was 2.71.

When comparing survey data from Tremonton over the years as shown in the information below, we can see that the average community connection score declined between 2022 and 2024.

A positive relationship was found between individuals’ community connection and overall personal wellbeing as well as 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. Tremonton ranked 48 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 (84%), gardening at home (75%), recreating in parks in your city (73%), and community events (72%).

Buying food from a farmer's market, participating in city recreation programs, participating in community events, gardening at home, non-motorized recreation on public lands or waters in Utah, recreating in parks in your city, using trails in or near your city, and walking or biking in your neighborhood or city were significantly related to higher ratings of personal wellbeing.
Buying food from a farmer's market, participating in community events, recreating in parks in your city, and walking or biking in your neighborhood or city were significantly related to higher ratings of community wellbeing.
Buying food from a farmer's market, participating in city recreation programs, participating in community events, gardening at home, recreating in parks in your city, using trails in or near your city, and walking or biking in your neighborhood or city were significantly related to higher ratings of community connection.
Perspectives on Population Growth and Economic Development
The majority of respondents in Tremonton indicated that they felt the population growth was too fast (77%). For the pace of economic development, the majority of respondents indicated that it was too slow (51%).


The graphs below show how perceptions of population growth and economic development in Tremonton have varied across recent years of Wellbeing Surveys. Perceptions of the rate of population growth have remained fairly consistent from 2022 to 2024, with a slight decrease in the perception that it is too fast. Perception that the pace of economic development is too slow dramatically increased from 2022 to 2024, while perceptions that it is too fast dramatically decreased.


The graphs below show perceptions of population growth and economic development for Tremonton compared to other participating cities and towns in the Rural 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 51% 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 Tremonton. The dominant sentiment expressed was a desire for more retail opportunities for shopping as well as restaurants. There were also perspectives on the lack of affordability and jobs and the rapid development of housing, particularly apartments. Concerns about the state of downtown were also mentioned.
Additionally, the 24% 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 Tremonton. The strongest concern expressed was about the volume of housing coming into Tremonton, with accompanying worry about infrastructure and water resources keeping up. There were also strong sentiments about the change of the character of Tremonton and the lack of affordability accompanying the growth.
Transportation in Tremonton
Respondents were asked to indicate all of their primary modes of transportation on a regular basis in Tremonton. The most popular modes of transportation were personal car (100%) and walking (30%).

Respondents were asked to indicate the most common barriers to transportation in Tremonton. The most problematic barriers were Cost (49%) and Travel time (48%).

Respondents were asked to indicate the importance of a set of possible transportation developments in Tremonton. The most important development to respondents were Improving road surfaces (77%), Enhancing safety (64%), and Improving walkability (55%).

Respondents were asked to indicate how frequently various activities take them out of Tremonton 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 Groceries (93%), Eating Out (90%), and Friends and Family (81%).

Concerns in Tremonton
Survey respondents indicated the degree to which a number of possible local issues were a concern as they look to the future of Tremonton. Water Supply (84%), Opportunities for Youth (82%), Water Quality (79%), and Affordable Housing (78%) were the top concerns. Since 2022, moderate or major concern about shopping opportunities (+13%) notably increased, while concern about substance misuse (-16%) and suicide (-14%) notably decreased.

Additional Questions for Tremonton
Likelihood to Recommend Tremonton as a Place to Live
Survey participants were asked an additional question from Tremonton City about how likely they are to recommend Tremonton as a place to live to a friend on a scale from 1 (Not at all likely) to 10 (Extremely likely), which were then grouped according to groups defined by a modified Net Promoter Score where Detractors have scores 1-6, Passives have scores 7-8, and Promoters have scores 9-10. The Net Promoter Score (calculated by subtracting the % of Detractors from % of Promoters) for this question is -41.

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 Tremonton
Survey respondents were asked to comment on what they value most about Tremonton. 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. Appreciation about the small-town feel of the town was the most common theme among comments. Comments also recognized the positive social climate and community in Tremonton.

Local Environmental Quality in Tremonton
The 60% 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. Most comments related to perceived poor governmental management of growth. Water quality and trash were mentioned as problems. Water quality was said to be poor in the area and sewer treatment plants was said to have a bad smell. There was a large desire expressed for public parks, public areas, and houses to be properly maintained as respondents indicated that they are unkept and dirty.
Improving Wellbeing in Tremonton
Survey respondents were asked if there is anything that could be done to improve wellbeing in Tremonton. Many comments expressed the desire to slow or stop the rapid growth in the area. Several comments also expressed a need for more shopping and restaurants opportunities, with attention to affordability. Many also requested for more hiking, biking or walking trails. Road quality was also a concern in some comments.
Additional Comments
Respondents were also asked if they had any additional comments on wellbeing in Tremonton. Many comments expressed dissatisfaction with local leaders, particularly regarding listening to community concerns. Comments also expressed worry about the town’s growth, claiming it has become overcrowded with newcomers, and that the small-town feeling is disappearing.