SALT LAKE CITY — Many Utahns ‘find themselves in the middle of the caregiving role and they don’t really even know where to get started,’ one health department official said. Caregivers in Utah face a conundrum. They often feel like they aren’t doing enough and yet are exhausted simultaneously, said Linda Cole, deputy director of aging and family services for Mountainland Association of Governments.

SALT LAKE CITY — While nine out of 10 people in Utah live in urban areas, researchers from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute are finding that some demographics and socioeconomic for rural areas are not as different as they might have suspected. They analyzed U.S. Census data from 2020, which showed that people who lived in Utah’s urban and rural communities surprisingly shared similar income levels, household types, and educational levels.

SALT LAKE CITY — Since the 1990s, Utah has grown and changed, becoming increasingly diverse. According to a new report, nearly one in four Utahns identifies as a racial or ethnic minority, and Hispanic Utahns now account for roughly 15% of the state’s population. Published this month, the Utah Demographic Characteristics data book from the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute offers a snapshot of the state’s demographic profile, describing Utah as a “youthful, aging and predominantly urban state.”

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s distinctive demographic profile features a youthful, aging, and predominantly urban state that is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. This update to the 2021 data book from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute on Utah’s demographic characteristics reveals significant variation and marked differences in the economic, education, health, and housing outcomes by age, disability, ethnicity, geographic location (urban/rural), race, and sex.

SALT LAKE CITY – The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute is working on a new report looking at Utahns struggling with disabilities. The institute’s findings paint an eye-opening picture, and it’s one director of industry research Laura Summers wants to spread. “Overall, national surveys… estimate between 12% and 25% of adults in Utah do have a disability. That is a significant portion of our adult population,” said Summers.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) —The Beehive State has the largest share of religious adherents out of every other state in the nation, according to new research from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah. The research found that 76.1% of Utahns adhere to a religious affiliation, which has been steadily increasing over the last decade. The next highest state was Alabama at 63.6%.

SALT LAKE CITY — Passed this year under SB173, the “Market Informed Compensation for Teachers” program was created in an effort to increase teacher retention. While Utah ranks relatively high in that area, a December report from the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute indicated the state may struggle to keep early career teachers in the future.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah will see 20% of its population hit retirement age by 2060, report says. That could impact the workforce, the housing market and more. Utah has long been known as the youngest state (with a median age of 32, according to the U.S. Census Bureau), but declining fertility rates and an aging adult population means the state is getting older.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s consumer sentiment decreased by 2.2% in April (from 78.0 in March to 76.3), according to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumer Sentiment. A similar survey by the University of Michigan found that sentiment decreased by 2.8% among Americans as a whole during the same time (from 79.4 to 77.2).

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's economy remains strong, but intrinsically tied factors such as workforce shortages and housing affordability are looming challenges that require attention if the Beehive State wants to maintain its standing as the nation's best economy.