Quality of Life
Families choosing where to settle in Utah find the same thing waiting for them in Salt Lake City, St. George, or a small town near one of the state’s five national parks: hiking trails, live performances, and festivals close by.
Outdoor recreation alone adds $9.75 billion and more than 75,000 jobs to Utah’s economy, and the arts contribute another $9.6 billion and 69,000 jobs.
See the Data Behind Utah's Quality of Life
No. 1 for Volunteering
Utah residents report a 46.6% volunteering rate, the highest in the country, according to AmeriCorps.
3rd in Overall Happiness
According to WalletHub, Utah is the 3rd-happiest state in the nation, driven by the highest economic security score of any state and the lowest divorce rate in the country.
17.9% Below the National Crime Rate
Utah’s overall crime rate sits 17.9% below the national average, making it a safer place to live, work, and raise a family.
No. 5 in the Nation for Health
America's Health Rankings placed Utah fifth overall in 2025, up from ninth in 2023, citing low chronic disease rates.
12 Million Visitors Across 46 State Parks
Utah’s state parks give families places to ski, swim, hike, and bike every season of the year, from Sand Hollow’s reservoir to Wasatch Mountain’s trails, according to Utah State Parks.
No.5 in Fitness
Utah ranks 5th in the nation for exercise, with 33.1% of adults meeting federal physical activity guidelines, according to America’s Health Rankings.
Utah’s tourism economy brings in $13.7 billion a year.
Utah's Downtown Scene
According to the Downtown Alliance, downtown Salt Lake City has more than $10 billion in transformational investment underway over the next decade. The district draws 30.7 million visitor days a year, worth $2.1 billion in local spending, activity that shows up in everything from its convention business to its dinner reservations.
Downtown Salt Lake City is built to be walked, a free-fare transit zone connects City Creek Center’s open-air shopping to the Eccles Theater’s Broadway touring shows, all within a few blocks of each other. The Downtown Alliance, a nonprofit founded in 1991, represents more than 2,500 business and property owners working to keep that core competitive.
Salt Lake City International Airport sits about six miles from downtown, a 10 to 12 minute drive, one of the shortest airport-to-downtown commutes of any major U.S. airport. That’s less time in transit and more time exploring everything Utah has to offer.
According to the Michelin Guide, Monte earned Utah’s first-ever Michelin star in 2026, part of the inaugural Michelin Guide Southwest. Eight more Salt Lake City restaurants were recognized in the same announcement, three as Bib Gourmand picks and five as Recommended.
Built for Exploring
Matt Eby
Chairman, Seawall Board of Directors, Kent Outdoors
Verified Sources
EDCUtah shows you how Utah’s numbers compare against the other states on your list, all sourced and easy to verify.
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