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Show Population by County The geographic distribution of the population in Utah is a significant factor in the population's ability to access heath care. For the past 40 years the trend in both Utah and the U.S. has been a shift of the population from rural to more urban areas. In Utah this does not necessarily mean that all movement has been to the Wasatch front. The U.S. Bureau of the Census defines rural communities as those with less than 2,500 residents. Therefore, urbanization includes the shifting of the population in southwestern counties from outlying areas to the population centers, such as St. George. Based on the population percentages, Utah could be considered an urban state despite vast tracts of unpopulated land. Table 6. Percent of Population by Urban/Rural County Utah U.S Year Urban Rural Urban Rural 1950 65.3 34.7 64.0 36.0 1960 74.9 25.1 69.9 30.1 1970 80.4 19.6 73.6 26.4 1980 84.4 15.6 73.7 26.3 1990 87.0 13.0 75.2 24.8 Population Density Table 7. Population Density by Land Area (Frontier, Rural, and Urban) 1991 Pop. Area in Estimated Density Land Area and Square Population per Square County Miles 7/01/91 Mile Utah 82,170 1,775,000 21.60 Frontier1 57,301 130,550 2.28 Garfield 5,175 4,100 0.79 Wayne 2,461 2,200 0.89 Daggett 698 700 1.00 Kane 3,992 5,250 1.32 San Juan 7,821 12,700 1.62 Rich 1,029 1,700 1.65 Millard 6,590 11,600 1.76 Juab 3,392 6,000 1.77 Piute 758 1,350 1.78 Grand 3,682 6,800 1.85 Beaver 2,590 4,850 1.87 Emery 4,452 10,200 2.29 Tooele 6,946 27,200 3.92 Duchesne 3,238 12,800 3.95 Uintah 4,477 23,100 5.16 Rural2 21,253 268,550 12.64 Box Elder 5,724 37,100 6.48 Iron 3,299 21,500 6.52 Sevier 1,910 15,700 8.22 Summit 1,871 16,600 8.87 Wasatch 1,181 10,700 9.06 Morgan 609 5,650 9.28 Sanpete 1,588 16,900 10.64 Carbon 1,479 20,600 13.93 Washington 2,427 51,900 21.38 Cache 1,165 71,900 61.72 Urban3 3,616 1,376,000 380.53 Utah 1,998 272,000 136.14 Weber 576 162,000 281.25 Davis 305 195,000 639.34 Salt Lake 737 747,000 1,013.57 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. 48 Demographics Population density is another way to view areas, especially counties. 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 less 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 mass, yet hold only 22% of its population. Fifteen of Utah's 29 counties are frontier, 10 are rural, and only four are urban. The majority of Utah's rural counties come close to meeting the frontier definition of population density. 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 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. These factors point to the challenges facing Utah's rural and frontier communities to provide affordable, accessible health care for their residents. |