A pair of pedestrians stroll the edge of Temple Square in Salt Lake City. A recent study shows Utahns believe the state’s quality of life has declined over the past decade. (Brice Wallace/Salt Lake Business Journal)
Utah’s quality of life — once an often-hailed advantage for business recruitment and source of local pride — remains strong but continues to slip.
A report administered by the Utah Foundation in partnership with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and Utah Chamber indicates that the Utah Community Quality of Life Index has slipped from a high of 72.7 out of 100 in 2013 to 63.2 this year. It was 64.1 in 2002.
Dragging the number down are housing affordability, living costs, traffic conditions, public transportation and environmental quality.
The index measures Utahns’ perceptions of 20 factors affecting quality of life in their communities.
“We developed the Utah Community Quality of Life Index 15 years ago as a way to gauge when Utah’s livability has gotten a bit off track,” said Shawn Teigen, president of the Utah Foundation. “Utah is amazing, but we’ve seen a decade of decline in our quality of life. To turn that around, we’ll need to maintain the support we provide to our neighbors, improve Utahns’ ability to earn enough to pay for their needs, and ensure that Utahns have opportunities for good jobs. By focusing on these, Utahns will enjoy future improvements, together.”
“Utah’s tremendous strengths continue to make our state an exceptional place to live, work, and raise a family,” said Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. “This research also reminds us that a high quality of life should never be taken for granted. Utah’s continued success depends on how well we address pressures such as housing affordability, the cost of living and economic opportunity while protecting the community assets Utahns value most.”
The index finds Utahns continue to give high marks to many of the attributes that make the state an attractive place to call home. The long-term trend points to growing concerns about housing affordability, the cost of living and opportunities for good jobs — and underscores the importance of continued action to preserve Utah’s strengths as the state grows.
“The states that offer the best quality of life, not just the best jobs, will be the ones that thrive, thus making livability one of the most powerful economic advantages Utah has,” said Spencer P. Eccles, chair of the Utah Rising Steering Committee. “Through ‘Utah Rising,’ our business-led initiative to keep Utah the top-performing economy in the nation, we set a goal to protect and improve livability for individuals, families and communities across our state. This index provides the tool to measure our progress and help Utah thrive.”
Other key findings from the index are:
Utah retains important quality-of-life strengths. Spiritual or religious activities and groups, natural surroundings, and parks and recreation spaces received the three highest ratings in 2026, followed by access to stores and community safety.
Strong communities matter. The degree to which people feel their neighbors support and help one another emerged as the single most important factor in determining an individual’s overall perception of community quality of life.
Housing affordability remains Utahns’ greatest quality-of-life concern. Housing affordability received the lowest rating among all 20 factors, at 2.1 out of 5. At the beginning of 2026, Utah’s median single-family home price ranked among the 10 most expensive nationally, and 91 percent of renters were priced out of a median-priced home, compared with 59 percent in 2015.
Cost-of-living pressures remain significant. Living costs ranked second-lowest among the factors measured, with a rating of 2.7 out of 5, reinforcing the connection between affordability and Utahns’ perceptions of their communities.
Concern about opportunities for good jobs increased. The rating for good-job opportunities fell from 3.5 in 2022 to 3.1 in 2026 — the only statistically significant change among the 20 factors during that period. That decline alone accounted for approximately half a point of the overall index decrease.
Utahns identified clear opportunities for improvement. When residents were asked what could most improve their communities, housing and growth was the most common theme, cited by 47 percent of respondents, followed by transportation and infrastructure at 38 percent, the economy and cost of living at 21 percent, and environment and natural resources at 20 percent.
A summary research brief about the index is at https://gardner.utah.edu/.
