The University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, housed in the David Eccles School of Business, is Utah’s premier economic and public policy research institute. We develop and share economic, demographic, public finance, and public policy research that sheds light and helps state leaders make informed decisions. We serve as a vital gathering place for policy leadership that benefits all Utahns.
Recent Research
Utah’s Land Ownership Legacy: A History and Inventory of Utah’s Lands
The federal government owns 64.4% of Utah’s land – the second highest share in the country behind Nevada. Understanding the history of federal public land policy lays the foundation for understanding private, federal, state and tribal land ownership in Utah.
U.S. Census Bureau Estimates for Age, Vintage 2024
Utah remains the youngest state in the nation, with a median age of 32.4. In Utah, children under 18 still outnumber retirement-age residents, but this is no longer true in six of the state’s counties: Daggett, Garfield, Grand, Kane, Piute, and Wayne.
U.S. Census Bureau Estimates for Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin, Vintage 2024
Utah’s population continues to become increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. In 2023, 24.8% of Utahns identified as a race or ethnicity other than non-Hispanic White.
Wasatch Front Subcounty Estimates, Vintage 2024
Wasatch Front communities added nearly 37,000 new residents and nearly 18,000 new housing units between 2023 and 2024.
Utah Economic Council Forecast, June 2025
The Utah Economic Council prepares quarterly economic forecasts and is a collaborative endeavor of the David Eccles School of Business and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.
