Public Policy
The Gardner Institute provides data-driven, context-specific insights about public policy in Utah. We prepare in-depth quantitative and qualitative studies on key Utah issues in partnership with private-sector stakeholders and state and local government. Our research provides vital information decision-makers and the public use to help Utah prosper.
Insight: Getting to Know the New Ivory-Boyer Construction Database
By: DJ Benway On May 1st, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute officially launched a modernized interface for the Ivory-Boyer Construction Database. For those unfamiliar with the Ivory-Boyer Construction Database, the Gardner Institute, in partnership with the Ivory-Boyer Real Estate Center, tracks building permit activity in Utah. The Gardner Institute collects and maintains monthly building permit data for 201 cities and 29 counties across the state. The database includes historical permit data back to 1994 and covers 27 data categories: nine for Dwelling Units, 16 for Non-Dwelling Unit Construction, and two for Additions, Alterations, & Repairs. […]
May 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 from last year.
April 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 from last year.
Insight: Recreation: Antidote to Rural Population and Job Loss?
By: Jennifer Leaver A recent Headwaters Economics (HWE) study found that during the Great Recession recovery (2010–2016), rural U.S. counties with recreational assets—or “recreation counties”—attracted new residents, reported higher incomes, and generated faster earnings growth compared with rural non-recreation counties.[i] Specific report findings include: Rural recreation counties gained 1 person per 1,000 residents while rural non-recreation counties lost 20 people per 1,000 residents. The average annual income of households moving into rural recreation counties was $8,700 higher than those moving into rural non-recreation counties. Recreation appears to draw tourism-related businesses and attract new residents who may be business owners, entrepreneurs,[...]
Insight: Utah’s quality of life depends on transportation investment
By: Natalie Gochnour First published in the Deseret News I’ve been sharing a simple statistic to illustrate the magnitude of Utah’s recent population growth. If you combine natural increase (births minus deaths) and net in-migration over the last five years, Utah has added a population larger than the population of Weber County, Utah’s fourth largest county. […]
Insight: Medical Inflation in Utah: The Ups and Downs of Data and Measurement
By: Laura Summers Curbing the cost of medical care is one of the hottest health care topics right now—and with good reason. Surprise medical bills, the rising cost of prescription drugs, and a lack of price transparency in the health care market have frustrated the public and have policymakers looking for solutions. And while our collective pocketbooks have all experienced the squeeze of health care costs, what does the rise in these costs look like from a national and state perspective? […]
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 from last year.
Insight: Utah’s Top-20 Homebuilder Sentiment Survey
By: Dejan Eskic In late 2018, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute was invited to participate in a survey of the top-20 homebuilders in Utah. The goal of the survey was to understand homebuilders market outlook, sentiment, and overall challenges and solutions. […]
The Year in Charts: Utah’s Housing Market 2018
The Year in Charts summarizes the performance of Utah’s housing market in 2018. The following 25 charts provide a record of current conditions, show long-term trends, and highlight important changes underway in the both the home building and real estate markets. The charts are divided into two major groups: (1) Residential Construction and (2) Residential Real Estate Sales.