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Show Population Density Table 7. Population Density by Land Area 1996 Land Area Area in Estimated Persons per and County Square Population Square Mile Miles 7/01/97 Utah Total 82,170 2,048,753 24.93 Frontier1 57,301 146,927 2.56 Garfield 5,175 4,525 0.87 Wayne 2,461 2,440 0.99 Daggett 698 753 1.08 Kane 3,992 6,039 1.51 San Juan 7,821 13,541 1.73 Rich 1,029 1,788 1.74 Millard 6,590 12,068 1.83 Juab 3,392 7,702 2.27 Piute 758 1,534 2.02 Grand 3,682 8,830 2.40 Beaver 2,590 5,742 2.22 Emery 4,452 10,929 2.45 Tooele 6,946 31,997 4.61 Duchesne 3,238 14,402 4.45 Uintah 4,477 24,637 5.50 Rural2 21,253 335,044 15.76 Box Elder 5,724 40,235 7.03 Iron 3,299 29,338 8.89 Sevier 1,910 18,238 9.55 Summit 1,871 24,675 13.19 Wasatch 1,181 12,925 10.94 Morgan 609 6,875 11.29 San pete 1,588 20,581 12.96 Carbon 1,479 21,643 14.63 Cache 2,427 76,348 31.46 Washington 1,165 84,186 72.26 Urban3 3,616 1,566,782 433.29 Utah 1,998 330,803 165.57 Weber 576 181,045 314.31 Davis 305 224,307 735.43 Salt Lake 737 830,627 1,127.04 Counties with at least 100 residents per square mile are considered urban. Rural counties have less than 100 but more than six residents per square mile. Frontier counties are those with six residents or fewer per square mile. Delineating by county can be somewhat problematic in that within a single county there can be urban, rural, and frontier areas. Utah's frontier and rural counties cover 96% of the state's land surface area, yet hold only 22% of its population. Fifteen of Utah's 29 counties are frontier, 10 are rural, and only four are urban. Population density has implications for access to health care. It is difficult for less populated areas to recruit and retain health care providers. Geographic conditions such as poor proximity, rugged terrain and secondary roads can inhibit access to available health care services. There are also the demographics of Utah's rural and frontier counties to consider. According to "Utah's Vision for Rural Health Care," rural populations have disproportionately large populations of the very young and the elderly because working age people leave the area to seek employment opportunities. The very young and the elderly tend to require more health care than the working age population. Rural Utahns also tend to be poorer and are less likely than their urban counterparts to be insured. The health status of those in frontier areas is thought to be lower than that of both urban and rural areas and the access to primary care is more limited1. These factors add to the challenges the public health and health care institutions must address. 1 Frontier counties have <6 residents per square mile. 2 Rural counties have 6-99 residents per square mile. 3 Urban counties have 100+ residents per square mile. Table 7 . Sources: Utah Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records Utah's Vital Statistics Annual Report: 1996. Salt Lake City. Utah Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records. Utah's Vital Statistics 1990 through 1997 Summary Tables 2a: Estimated populations, births, deaths, and natural increases by health district and county of residence: Utah. Available [online] Utah's Vital Statistics: Abortions (1996), Utah Department of Health , p.3. Available [Online]Http://www.health.state.ut.us 1 Bigbee, J. (1992). Frontier areas: opportunities for NPs' primary care services. Nurse Practitioner. (9):47-50. 55 |
