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
State and County Population Estimates for Utah: 2018
The Utah Population Committee (UPC), chaired by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, produced Utah’s state and county population estimates for July 1, 2018. These estimates indicate that the state added approximately 402,000 people since April 1, 2010, reaching an estimated 3,166,647 Utahns. From 2017 to 2018, the population grew by 52,664 people. This is an annual growth rate of 1.69 percent, a deceleration [...]
Video: Census 2020: What You Need to Know
Utah is a place of dynamic growth and change, and in order for us to have an accurate understanding, we must know who we are and who we are becoming. The Census provides us with a gold standard of data to help accomplish just that, so that we can paint an accurate portrait of what our state and our nation will look like for [...]
Social Determinants of Health: A National Perspective
The majority of a person's health is impacted by factors outside of the health care system: genetics, social, environmental, and behavioral. Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes (HealthyPeople.gov).
A Visual Guide to Tax Modernization in Utah
Utahns share a common interest in a state and local tax system that provides for our needs, keeps the economy strong, and remains viable over the long term. This visual guide to tax modernization presents economic and demographic realities impacting Utah’s current sales and use tax system.
October 2018 Economic Summary
The Utah economy remains healthy. Every major industrial sector expanded in 2017, contributing a total of 43,500 new jobs over the year. An annual employment growth rate of 3.1% is on par with the state’s long-term average and is among the strongest in the nation. In 2017, Utah’s construction sector posted the highest job growth with 5.4%.
