Utah 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 Utah 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 eight cities in Utah County (Cedar Hills, Lehi, Mapleton, Orem, Pleasant Grove, Saratoga Springs, Spanish Fork, and Vineyard). This information may help refine 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 Utah County, 3,524 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 Utah County cities with their cluster classification and number of responses are listed below:
Cities of the 1st & 2nd Class
Orem (1361)
Established/Mid-sized Cities
Cedar Hills (365)
Pleasant Grove (317)
Rapid Growth Cities
Lehi (322)
Mapleton (175)
Saratoga Springs (403)
Spanish Fork (419)
Vineyard (162)
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 Utah 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 Utah County was 4.14 with 81% 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 Utah County was 3.70 with 62% of respondents indicating community wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale. As the graphs below show, scores vary across the eight 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 eight Utah County study cities were:
- Family Life (all 8 cities)
- Safety and Security (Cedar Hills, Lehi, Mapleton, Orem, Pleasant Grove, Saratoga Springs, Spanish Fork)
- Living Standards (Cedar Hills, Mapleton, Orem, Saratoga Springs, Spanish Fork, Vineyard)
- Mental Health (Lehi, Pleasant Grove, Vineyard)
The most important wellbeing domains for the eight Utah County study cities were:
- Mental Health (all 8 cities)
- Safety and Security (all 8 cities)
- Family Life (Cedar Hills, Mapleton, Pleasant Grove, Saratoga Springs, Spanish Fork, Vineyard)
- Physical Health (Lehi, Mapleton, Orem, Pleasant Grove)
- Living Standards (Saratoga Springs)
The “Red Zone” Domains (higher importance, lower quality) for the eight Utah County study cities were:
- Cedar Hills — Physical Health
- Mapleton — Physical Health
- Orem — Physical Health
- Spanish Fork — 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 Cedar Hills and Mapleton and lowest for Saratoga Springs and Lehi.


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 Utah County were walking or biking in your neighborhood or city (94%), recreating in parks in your city (85%), gardening at home (79%), and using trails in or near your city (79%).

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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| Cedar Hills |
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| Lehi |
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| Mapleton |
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| Orem |
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| Pleasant Grove |
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| Saratoga Springs |
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| Spanish Fork |
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| Vineyard |
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Perspectives on Population Growth and Economic Development
The majority of respondents felt the Rate of Population Growth was just right in Cedar Hills and too fast in Pleasant Grove, Orem, Vineyard, Spanish Fork, Mapleton, Lehi, and Saratoga Springs.
The largest proportion of respondents felt the Pace of Economic Growth was too slow in Vineyard, just right in Cedar Hills, Orem, and Pleasant Grove, and too fast in Mapleton, Saratoga Springs, Spanish Fork, and Lehi.

Transportation in Utah 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 Utah County were personal car (99%) and walking (38%).

Respondents were asked to indicate the most common barriers to transportation in their city. The most problematic barriers across Utah County were Travel time (49%) and Lack of routes (35%).

Respondents were asked to indicate the importance of a set of possible transportation developments in their city. The most important developments to respondents in Utah County were Improving road surfaces (71%), Enhancing safety (67%), More trails (55%), and Adding road capacity (55%).

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 Utah County were Friends and Family (86%), Eating Out (83%), and Other Services (71%).

Concerns for the Future of Utah 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 Utah County, Traffic (83%), Water Supply (78%), Air Quality (74%), and Public Safety (73%) were the top concerns.

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