Dealing with Utah’s Growth was Issue #10 in our 2008 Utah
Priorities Poll
On a 1-5 scale, with 1 being “not at all concerned”
and 5 being “very concerned, 57% of those polled gave this
issue a 4 or 5. The average score indicating level of concern for
all those polled was 3.66.
To better understand Utahns' concerns, the poll asked several follow
up questions. The first question was: “Overall, would you
say that growth in Utah is a good thing or bad?” Respondents
were given the options of answering “definitely good,”
“probably good,” “neither good nor bad,”
“probably bad,” and “definitely bad.” 59%
of respondents replied that growth is either “probably”
or “definitely good.” The following chart displays the
response distributions statewide and in Washington County and compares
them with 2004 results.
The next question was: “In your opinion, would you say Utah
is growing too fast, about right or not fast enough?” 52%
of respondents said Utah is growing too fast, with 46% replying
that Utah is growing about right.
When asked about specific aspects of growth, respondents cited traffic
congestion, crowding in schools, changes in crime rates and water
supply as their top concerns.
Finally, when asked if their concern about growth in Utah was primarily
due to people moving into the state or the birthrate, 67% replied
that their concern was about move-ins, while 7% cited the birthrate
and 13% cited both.
Research on Utah’s Growth by Utah Foundation
Utah Foundation will release a Research Brief on this issue this
year as part of the Utah Priorities project. Subscribe to our email
list, using the form on the left side of this page to ensure you
receive this and other reports and briefs on the top ten issues.
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