SALT LAKE CITY – In the occasionally heated political campaigns leading up to the Nov. 3 election, some candidates have based their appeals for votes on often quoted stories about Utahns struggling with soaring costs for necessities like food, utilities, fuel and housing.
While those appeals might be accurate anecdotally, a recent national study has indicated that average Utahns are better off financially than residents in 27 other states.
The research was conducted by the Chamber of Commerce of Great Philadelphia, analyzing data from 48 states compiled between 2023 and 2026 based on poverty rates, the number of children living in poverty, unemployment and median household income.
That study found that Utah’s poverty rate declined by .6 percent during that period, unemployment dropped by .1 percent and median household income rose by 3.62 percent, placing the Beehive State at 28th in the study.
“Most states saw poverty ease, which is good news,” according to Ileana Fortuño of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.
But Fortuño acknowledged that when paychecks grow more slowly than everyday costs, households that were just about managing can quickly fall behind. That hits local businesses as well, because those families have less to spend in their own communities.
In an Oct. 15 social media post, the Utah Democratic Party detailed the cost of the Trump administration’s agenda on the pocketbooks of everyday Utahns.
According to Democrats’ estimates, the price of the war in Iran and the broad tariff regimes imposed by Washington has been a $310 annual increase in the cost of groceries; a more than $1,200 increase in gasoline expenses; a 50 percent bump in healthcare expenses; a $600 hike in housing costs; and about $90 extra for utilities.
But the state’s bustling economy makes Uthans better able to deal with those rising cost than the residents of some other states.
For example, the poverty rates have increased in the states of North Dakota, Rhode Island, Nebraska, Colorado and Minnesota with rates varying from .8 percent to .1 percent.
On a national basis, the Philadelphia chamber study found that the poverty rate fell in 38 of the 48 states analyzed.
Six of the top 10 states where poverty is increasing, however, are in the Midwest, including North Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, Indiana and Michigan.
The Northeast takes three spots with Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maine, while Colorado is the only Western state.
Fortuño recommends that struggling families check to see whether they qualify for the Earned Income Credit on their federal taxes and seek local support for food, rent and utilities.
“Employers have a part to play too,” she adds. “Predictable schedules, clear routes to promotion and help with childcare costs can make a real difference for workers who are only just getting by.”
Full data on the study by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia can be found at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nDsoZlS6vrzUqlYXhIFEIB9cIr9IPuW80_c5n1_zF5A/edit?gid=0#gid=0