| Show Population Density Compiled by Tyler Owen Population density has implications for access to health care It is difficult for less populated areas to recruit and retain health care providers and geographic conditions such as poor proximi rugged terrain and secondary roads can inhibit access to available health care facilities 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 withinsingle county there can be urban rural and frontier areas Utahfrontier and rural counties cover 96 percent of the stateland surface area yet hold only 22 percent of its population Fifteen of Utah29 counties are frontier 10 are rural and only four are urban There are also the demographics of Utahrural and frontier counties to consider According to UtahVision for Rural Health Care rural disproportionately larger have populations 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 services 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 limited These factors add to the challenges public health and health care institutions must address Table Population Density by Land Area 1999 Estimated LandArea Coun Utah Total Frontier Garfield Wayne 461 538 03 Daggett Kane 698992 737144 0654 Millard 6590 3392 75868259 4452 11 959 8120644060881 10862 81 239 217 246 227 244 Tooele Duchesne 6946 3238 35847 14 381 1644 San Juan Rich Juab Piute Grand Beaver Emery Uintah Rural Box Elder fron Sevier Summit Wasatch Morgan Sanpete Carbon Cache Washington Urban Utah Weber Davis Salt Lake Bigbee 1992 Frontier areas opportunities for NPs primary care services Nurse Practitioner 47-50 Population Persons per Area Square Mile square miles 01 1999 2581 82 170121 063 266 152 148 57 301 088 4550 5175 7821029 13561835 17378 4477 21 253 5724 25029 351 040 41732 559 1652 729 3299 1910 31 518 18884 26 459 5589 14 14 181 609 1588 1479 13 711 262 21 408 21 422 11 61 2427 87 440 36 03 1871 92 1348 14 48 1165 3616 1998 576 81 204 1617865 353136 186020 69 70 447 42 17674 32295 305 235438 771 93 737 843271 144 19 Sources Utah Utah Department of Health Bureau of Vital Records UtahVital Statistics Annual Report 1999 Online www health state utus S Census Bureau Quick Facts wiafd states Online yvw quickla Digital image 2005 Marriott Library University of Utah Al rights reserved |
