Weber 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, South Ogden and West Haven in Weber County advertised the survey via social media, email lists, newsletters, and other ways of reaching out to local residents, with Ogden participating in similar efforts later in the year. 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 three cities in Weber County (Ogden, South Ogden, and West Haven). 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 Weber County, 1,040 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 Weber County cities with their cluster classification and number of responses are listed below:
Cities of the 1st & 2nd Class
Ogden (780)
Established/Mid-sized Cities
South Ogden (142)
Rapid Growth Cities
West Haven (118)
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 Weber 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 Weber County was 4.04 with 74% 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 Weber County was 3.55 with 46% of respondents indicating community wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale. As the graphs below show, scores vary across the three 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 three Weber County study cities were:
- Family Life (all 3 cities)
- Living Standards (South Ogden, West Haven)
- Mental Health (Ogden, West Haven)
- Connection with Nature (Ogden)
- Physical Health (Ogden)
- Safety and Security (South Ogden)
The most important wellbeing domains for the three Weber County study cities were:
- Mental Health (all 3 cities)
- Safety and Security (all 3 cities)
- Physical Health (Ogden, South Ogden)
- Family Life (West Haven)
The “Red Zone” Domains (higher importance, lower quality) for the three Weber County study cities were:
- Ogden — Local Environmental Quality, Safety and Security
- South Ogden — Local Environmental Quality, 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 Ogden and lowest for South Ogden.


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 Weber County were walking or biking in your neighborhood or city (89%), recreating in parks in your city (81%), and using trails in or near your city (81%).

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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ogden |
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| South Ogden |
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| West Haven |
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Perspectives on Population Growth and Economic Development
The majority of respondents felt the Rate of Population Growth was too fast in all three cities.
The largest proportion of respondents felt the Pace of Economic Growth was split between too slow and too fast in West Haven, and just right in Ogden and South Ogden.

Transportation in Weber 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 Weber County were personal car (98%) and walking (37%).

Respondents were asked to indicate the most common barriers to transportation in their city. The most problematic barriers across Weber County were Travel time (48%), Lack of routes (33%), and Cost (32%).

Respondents were asked to indicate the importance of a set of possible transportation developments in their city. The most important developments to respondents in Weber County were Improving road surfaces (75%), Enhancing safety (73%), and Improving walkability (63%).

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 Weber County were Friends and Family (76%), Eating Out (73%), Other Services (58%), Recreation/Sports (58%), and Groceries (57%).

Concerns for the Future of Weber 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 Weber County, Water Supply (85%), Air Quality (84%), Water Quality (81%), Public Safety (81%), and Open Space/Green Space (81%) were the top concerns.

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