The Gardner Policy Institute provides data-driven, context-specific insights about Utah’s economy. We prepare in-depth studies on key Utah issues in partnership with stakeholders in the private sector and state and local government. The institute employs a diverse group of economists and analysts with specialties that include healthcare, energy and natural resources, tourism, and real estate and construction. Our research provides vital information decision makers and the public use to help Utah prosper.
Housing, Construction, & Real Estate
Utah’s Increasing Diversity: Population Projections by Race/Ethnicity
Utah will continue to be a place of economic and educational opportunity, bringing new residents from domestic and international regions. We project Utah’s population will continue to grow and become more diverse along many dimensions, including ethnicity and race. The trend toward increasingly diverse schools and workplaces will continue. This future is an outgrowth of Utah’s strong growth dynamic and increasing global economic and [...]
U.S. Census Bureau Estimates by County, Metropolitan, and Micropolitan Areas, 2018
The Census Bureau’s most recent release on April 18, 2019 provides population estimates with components of population change for counties, metropolitan areas, and micropolitan areas in the United States and Puerto Rico.
March 2019 Economic Summary
The Utah economy exceeded expectations in 2018, adding a total of 48,500 new jobs over the year. An annual employment growth rate of 3.3% is on par with the state’s long-term average and is among the strongest in the nation. A tightening labor market (3.1 percent unemployment) applied upward pressure on personal income. Annual income per capita increased to $45,174, a 3.9 percent increase [...]
Washington County Temporary Resident Population Estimates, 2017
Washington County’s blend of outdoor recreation opportunities and retirement communities contribute to a large, but previously unknown number of temporary residents. We estimate there were 57,069 temporary residents in Washington County at the fall 2017 seasonal peak in addition to the already estimated 165,592 permanent residents. This research offers a more comprehensive measure of population that is particularly informative to planners in a high-visitation [...]
