Blog Posts
Insight: Migration
By: Emily Harris When I look around at my coworkers and friends, it seems that I can only count a few that are actually born and raised in Utah. This is interesting because the data indicate that the majority of the population does not move. There is a small subset of the population that does move for a number of reasons: employment change, marriage, independence, college, cheaper or better housing, the list goes on and on. There may also be a few things that falsely inflate my personal perception of Utah’s highly mobile population: I am in my late 20s,[...]
Insight: New population estimates show state growth slowing for first time since 2013
By: Emily Harris The Utah Population Committee (UPC) convenes an annual meeting every fall to discuss, review, and vote on the newest state and county population estimates. These estimates include total population, births, deaths, natural increase (births minus deaths), and net migration for each county and the state. Utah’s growth accelerated between 2014 and 2017, even claiming the Census Bureau’s title as the fastest growing state in the nation in 2016. […]
Insight: National American Indian Heritage Month
By Mallory Bateman The Intermountain West has a long and rich heritage of indigenous people calling it home. From the pre-Columbian people who lived here roughly 700 to 2,000 years ago to the members of the eight tribal nations whose boundaries currently fall within the state border, these diverse cultures have impacted the statewide population. November is National American Indian Heritage Month, so we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight American Indian people living in Utah. […]
Insight: What’s Being Said About Utah?
By: Laura Summers Fall is hands-down my favorite season. The weather is cooling, the holidays are nearing, and Utah’s already-beautiful canyons become breathtaking. Fall is also when the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Association of Medicaid Directors release results from their annual 50-state Medicaid survey. […]
Insight: Has Utah Become a Middle-Wage State? And Can Utah Become a High-Wage State?
By: Matthew Weinstein, State Priorities Partnership Director, Voices for Utah Children Editor’s note: The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute occasionally publishes blogs from partners in our community. This blog features research by Voices for Utah Children. The opinions and research expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position or research by the Gardner Policy Institute. We hope the information shared contributes to Utahns’ understanding of wages, and in turn help people formulate INFORMED DECISIONS™. For many years, Utah economists have debated the question of whether or not it is accurate to say that[...]
Insight: Who are Utah’s Veterans?
By: Mallory Bateman Every November 11, we honor the sacrifices and contributions of those who have served in our Armed Forces. The original Veterans Day was Armistice Day in 1919 that commemorated first anniversary of the end of World War I, which officially ended one hundred years ago this Monday. As we look forward to honoring and remembering our veterans over the weekend, the Gardner Policy Institute wanted to share some insights into who they are. […]
Insight: What do voters want to hear from candidates?
By: Marin Christensen Voters have a lot to consider this year as they fill out their ballots. Along with measures such as Medicaid expansion and funding education, other issues like housing affordability and Utah’s economic future loom large as they elect their representatives. The Gardner Policy Institute and the Hinckley Institute of Politics of the University of Utah have collaborated to produce INFORMED DECISIONS™ 2018, a biennial election brief offering expert analysis on important issues Utahns face during election season. […]
Insight: 2018 Hispanic Heritage
By: Mallory Bateman Hispanic Heritage month runs from September 15th to October 15th. To celebrate, here are a few data points about Utah’s Hispanic or Latino population from the latest release from the American Community Survey. The Census Bureau definition of Hispanic or Latino origin includes people whose origins are from Spanish-speaking regions. With over 434,000 individuals or 14 percent of the total state population in 2017, Utah’s Hispanic or Latino population is the largest minority group. […]
Insight: Utah Foundation’s Health Cost Series examines cost drivers
By: Utah Foundation Staff Editor’s note: The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute occasionally publishes blogs from partners in our community. This blog features research by the Utah Foundation. The opinions and research expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position or research by the Gardner Policy Institute. We hope the information shared contributes to Utahns’ understanding of health care costs and policy, and in turn help people formulate INFORMED DECISIONS™. In 2016, Utah Foundation’s Priorities Project found that the cost of health care was Utahns’ biggest concern. In response, Utah Foundation produced a three-part[...]
Insight: Updated Subcounty Estimates Share City, Tract Population Changes
By: Natalie Young Our recently released subcounty report provides annual population and housing estimates from 2010 to 2017 for every city and census tract in Salt Lake and Utah counties. Though we released tract estimates with our previous 2010 to 2016 release, the addition of the city level estimates is new this year. In these counties, one particular region steals the show in terms of population growth. We’ve seen it before – it’s the growth core of southwestern Salt Lake County and northwestern Utah County. Herriman, Saratoga Springs, South Jordan, and Eagle Mountain are the top-growing cities, contributing nearly a[...]