By Dr. Courtney Flint and Team
Contact Information
Dr. Courtney Flint[email protected]435-797-8635
Summary
Mapleton is one of 49 cities participating in the Utah Wellbeing Survey Project in 2024. This project is designed to assess the wellbeing and local perspectives of city residents and to provide information to city leaders to inform general planning processes. Additional analysis is underway and this report may be updated over time.
We are grateful to all those who took the survey and to our city partners who helped to make this possible. We are grateful to a number of entities for funding: the Utah League of Cities and Towns, USU Extension, USU’s Institute for Land Water and Air, the Wasatch Front Regional Council, Utah Department of Transportation, the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, and the cities of Cedar Hills, Draper, Millcreek, Nephi, North Salt Lake, Orem, Pleasant Grove, Providence, Springdale, Tremonton, West Bountiful, and West Valley City.
This report describes findings from the 2024 Mapleton survey and comparative information with other project cities. In February, March, and April 2024, Mapleton City advertised the survey for residents largely through newsletters, social media, and the city website. All city residents age 18+ were encouraged to take the online Qualtrics survey.
Survey Respondent Characteristics
Resident Statistics | |
Full Time Residents of Mapleton | 99.4% |
Part Time Residents of Mapleton | 0.6% |
Length of Residency — Range | 1-52 years |
Length of Residency — Average | 11.6 years |
Length of Residency — Median | 7 years |
Length of Residency 5 Years or less | 41.0% |
Demographic characteristics of the survey respondents were compared below with U.S. Census information from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey. In the graph below, gray bars indicate differences between the American Community Survey estimates and the Utah Wellbeing Project surveys. The wider the gray bars, the larger the differences. Also note that estimates for religious affiliation, adult non-conforming or non-binary gender, disability, and chronic conditions are unavailable from the census data. There can also be a variable margin of error in the American Community Survey estimates, and caution should be used when comparing estimates. Not all respondents provided demographic information. As the graph shows, 2024 survey respondents were not fully representative of Mapleton. People who are adult females, have at least a 4-year college degree, have an income $150,000 or over, are married, and have children under 18 in their household were overrepresented while those who are adult males and do not have a college degree were underrepresented.
Overall Personal Wellbeing and Overall Wellbeing in Mapleton
Survey participants were asked about their overall personal wellbeing and overall community wellbeing in Mapleton. These wellbeing indicators were both measured on a 5-point scale from poor (1) to excellent (5). The average personal wellbeing score in Mapleton was 4.26 with 85% of respondents indicating their wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale. The average score for community wellbeing in Mapleton was 4.02 with 74% of respondents indicating community wellbeing at a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale.
The Utah League of Cities and Towns clusters cities and towns into five different categories based on size and growth rates. We utilize these clusters in our analysis. Mapleton is classified as a Rapid Growth City. Some cities may fit within more than one cluster.
Within the Rapid Growth city cluster, Mapleton was above the average overall personal wellbeing score and above the average overall community wellbeing score.
Wellbeing Domains in Mapleton
According to national and international entities that track wellbeing, there are a number of common dimensions or domains of wellbeing. Survey respondents rated twelve domains on a 5-point scale from poor to excellent. They were also asked to indicate the importance of each domain to their overall personal wellbeing on a 5-point scale from not at all important to very important. The highest rated wellbeing domains for respondents in Mapleton were Living Standards (93%), Family Life (92%), and Safety and Security (90%). The most important wellbeing domains were Mental Health (99%), Physical Health (99%), Family Life (97%), and Safety and Security (97%).
The graph below illustrates the relationship between the average rating and the average importance of wellbeing domains for survey respondents from Mapleton. Family Life, Leisure Time, Living Standards, Mental Health, and Safety and Security were highly important and rated above average among the domains. Physical Health fell in the “red zone” of higher importance and lower ratings.
Community Connection in Mapleton
Survey participants were asked about how connected they feel to Mapleton on a 5-point scale from not at all (1) to a great deal (5), and the average score of all respondents was 3.46.
A positive relationship was found between individuals’ community connection and overall personal wellbeing, but no clear relationship was found between community connection and mental health.
The graph below shows how Wellbeing Project cities and towns compare on feelings of community connection based on the percentage of respondents who answered 4 or a 5 on a 5-point scale from “not at all” to “a great deal” connected to their city or town. Mapleton ranked 8 out of the 49 cities that participated.
Participation in Recreation and Nature-Related Activities
Respondents were asked to indicate whether or not they participated in various activities in the last 12 months. The most popular activities were walking or biking in your neighborhood or city (98%), using trails in or near your city (94%), gardening at home (88%), and community events (86%).
Motorized recreation on public lands or waters in Utah was significantly related to higher ratings of personal wellbeing.
Participating in city recreation programs was significantly related to higher ratings of community wellbeing and community connection.
Perspectives on Population Growth and Economic Development
The majority of respondents in Mapleton indicated that they felt the population growth was too fast (80%). For the pace of economic development, respondents were split between opinions that it was too fast (33%), too slow (31%), and just right (28%).
The graphs below show perceptions of population growth and economic development for Mapleton compared to other participating cities and towns in the Rapid Growth Cities cluster.
The graph below illustrates how many respondents perceived the pace of economic development as too slow, just right, too fast, or had no opinion, with additional breakdowns for the number of respondents who provided comments.
The 31% of respondents who rated the pace of economic growth as “too slow” were further asked what aspects of the local economy they would like to see more of in Mapleton. Comments most often mentioned the need for grocery stores. They also mentioned the need for more restaurants and shopping options. Issues related to taxes or a tax base were also mentioned.
Additionally, the 33% of respondents who rated the pace of economic growth as “too fast” were further asked what aspects of the local economy they feel are growing too quickly in Mapleton. The most common theme was concern about too many houses being built. Quite a few mentioned a change in the town’s character and some mentioned concern about the loss of green space or open space. There were desires for better planning and governance related to growth.
Transportation in Mapleton
Respondents were asked to indicate all of their primary modes of transportation on a regular basis in Mapleton. The most popular modes of transportation were personal car (99%) and walking (39%).
Respondents were asked to indicate the most common barriers to transportation in Mapleton. The most problematic barriers were Travel time (41%) and Lack of routes (30%).
Respondents were asked to indicate the importance of a set of possible transportation developments in Mapleton. The most important development to respondents were More trails (65%), Improving walkability (61%), and Enhancing safety (61%).
Respondents were asked to indicate how frequently various activities take them out of Mapleton to another city or town. The most commonly indicated reasons for traveling to another city or town at least sometimes or once a month were Groceries (99%), Eating Out (99%), Friends and Family (91%), and Other Services (90%).
Concerns in Mapleton
Survey respondents indicated the degree to which a number of possible local issues were a concern as they look to the future of Mapleton. Open Space/Green Space (76%), Water Supply (76%), and Traffic (75%) were the top concerns.
Open Comments
All open comments collected in the survey were shared with city leaders. General observations and themes are shared here.
Survey respondents were asked to comment on what they value most about Mapleton. The most common words and phrases from all city comments are included in the word cloud below. It is possible that negative or unrelated words may appear since these words have been taken out of context, and they may not indicate the respondent’s intended meaning. Respondents expressed that they highly value their community and the small town feel of Mapleton. In line with the theme about the small town feel, open space and agriculture was also valued by many.
The 24% of respondents who rated the Local Environmental Quality domain as 1, 2, or 3 (Poor, Fair, or Moderate) were further asked if there are specific aspects of local environmental quality that they feel are problematic. Air quality in Mapleton was a concern with specific mention of inversions, general air quality, and dusty/dirty air. Traffic was another dominant concern as well as water quality due to factories and flooding.
Survey respondents were asked if there is anything that could be done to improve wellbeing in Mapleton. Respondents mentioned that improving sidewalks and walkability of Mapleton would improve their wellbeing. Improved traffic safety was also mentioned. Slowing housing development was also mentioned by many as being a way to improve overall wellbeing.
Respondents were also asked if they had any additional comments on wellbeing in Mapleton. This question led many people to discuss how they love living in Mapleton and appreciate the town. Some mentioned concerns about growth and housing impacts in the town.