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Half of new Utah businesses make it to their fifth year, per the latest federal data.

Zoom in: Exactly 50% of Utah startups that opened in the 12 months ending in March 2019 were still operating five years later, per U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

That's slightly lower than the national average of 51.6%.

The intrigue: By other metrics like GDP growth and employment, Utah typically enjoys a standout economy.

Between the lines: The states with the highest and lowest 5-year business survival rates don't have a lot in common, varying by region and politics.

West Virginia (57.6%), Connecticut (57.5%), and Alaska and Pennsylvania (both 56%) have the highest five-year business survival rates among U.S. states.

Washington (41.1%), Missouri (43.2%) and Washington, D.C. (44.7%) have the lowest.

What we're watching: The government shutdown is making survival more difficult for companies that rely on federal contracts or aid, Axios' Madison Mills reports.

Go deeper: Where Americans are starting new businesses

Half of Utah's new businesses failed within five years

The shutdown could make it harder for some companies to reach their 5-year anniversaries.

A choropleth map of the U.S. showing the share of businesses that opened in the year ending in March 2019 and remained open as of March 2024. West Virginia leads at 57.6%, while Washington state trails at 41.1%. The national rate is 51.6%.

Half of new Utah businesses make it to their fifth year, per the latest federal data.Zoom in: Exactly 50% of Utah startups that opened in the 12 months ending in March 2019 were still operating five years later, per U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

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Business

Data: United Health Foundation / U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Chart: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios

Less than one in five Utahns report doing no physical activity or exercise outside their job, according to a new report.

The big picture: That tracks when you consider how embedded outdoor recreation is in Utah culture, so much so that opting out could hurt your chances in the local dating pool.

Driving the news: The findings, from 2024 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data, are highlighted in the United Health Foundation's new "America Health Rankings" report.

Nearly 22% of U.S. adults report no physical activity outside of work, compared with 17% of Utahns.

Zoom in: Mississippi (30.6%), West Virginia (28.7%) and Arkansas (28.5%) have the highest shares of adults reporting no physical activity other than work.

Washington, D.C. (13.9%), Colorado (15.6%) and Vermont (16%) have the smallest shares.

Utahns ranked among the most active in the U.S.

That tracks when you consider how embedded outdoor recreation is in Utah culture.

Illustration of a glowing silhouette of a person squatting with a barbell

Less than one in five Utahns report doing no physical activity or exercise outside their job, according to a new report.The big picture: That tracks when you consider how embedded outdoor recreation is in Utah culture, so much so that opting out could <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hurt your chances" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/02/14/dating-utah-mormon-church-religion-apps-love" data-vars-content-id="90e25434-c136-428d-ab96-a2ba967686aa" data-vars-headline="Utahns ranked among the most active in the U.S." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/02/14/dating-utah-mormon-church-religion-apps-love" target="_self">hurt your chances</a> in the local dating pool.

Culture

Data: Texas A&M Transportation Institute; Note: Includes metro areas with at least 500k residents in 2024, and drivers who typically travel during peak periods; Chart: Axios Visuals

It's not just you: Utahns are spending more time than ever stuck in traffic, a new report finds.

Why it matters: The findings put some hard data behind a common feeling among many drivers: Traffic has gotten worse — or at least different — since the COVID-19 pandemic.

By the numbers: Salt Lake commuters spent 58 hours per year stuck in traffic in 2024, per the Texas A&M Transportation Institute's 2025 Urban Mobility Report.

That's still below the national average of 63 hours, but it's up 12 hours from 2019.

Zoom out: In St. George, snarl time more than doubled, from 12 to 31 hours per year — the 47th-biggest jump of nearly 325 metros studied.

Ogden similarly spiked from 14 to 32 hours.

The big picture: Traditional rush hours are returning. Yet, there's been a "noticeable rise in midday congestion," the report finds, possibly tied to remote and hybrid work changing people's schedules and travel behaviors.

Thursday has overtaken Friday with the highest share of weekly delay — perhaps "because some of the Friday travel is not associated with commuting, whereas Thursday has more of a typical commute pattern."

Delivery trucks are adding to traffic woes as well.

How it works: The researchers used data from the Federal Highway Administration and INRIX, a transportation analytics firm.

What's next: The report outlines several potential solutions based on local needs, including roadway expansions, better public transportation, new traffic-management technologies and more.

Case in point: Utah officials are looking to widen I-15 from Salt Lake to Farmington.

Reality check: Expanding a highway doesn't necessarily reduce delays, researchers have found.

Instead, more drivers show up to try to take advantage of the increased supply of roadway, and the traffic problem persists.

Utahns are spending more time stuck in traffic

Smaller cities like St. George and Ogden more than doubled their yearly hours fuming in fumes.

A bar chart showing showing the average annual hours of delay experienced by car commuters in the Salt Lake City metro area from 2010 to 2024. In 2010, commuters spent 36 hours per year delayed in traffic, compared to 46 hours in 2019 and 58 hours in 2024.

It&#x27;s not just you: Utahns are spending more time than ever <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="stuck in traffic" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/28/traffic-congestion-getting-worse" data-vars-content-id="a5286f8d-17a4-4ffe-b3f6-eab2db274d1e" data-vars-headline="Utahns are spending more time stuck in traffic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/28/traffic-congestion-getting-worse" target="_self">stuck in traffic</a>, a new report finds.Why it matters: The findings put some hard data behind a common feeling among many drivers: Traffic has gotten <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="worse" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/08/slowest-driving-cities-america-list" data-vars-content-id="a5286f8d-17a4-4ffe-b3f6-eab2db274d1e" data-vars-headline="Utahns are spending more time stuck in traffic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/08/slowest-driving-cities-america-list" target="_self">worse</a> — or at least different — since the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="COVID-19 pandemic" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/28/cdc-covid-vaccine-rules-recommendations-high-risk-fda" data-vars-content-id="a5286f8d-17a4-4ffe-b3f6-eab2db274d1e" data-vars-headline="Utahns are spending more time stuck in traffic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/28/cdc-covid-vaccine-rules-recommendations-high-risk-fda" target="_self">COVID-19 pandemic</a>.

Transit

Data: StreetLight Data; Chart: Axios Visuals

Ogden has some of the nation's safest roadways, per StreetLight Data's new "U.S. Safe Streets Index."

State of play: That's based on five key factors among the 100 biggest U.S. metros: vehicle miles traveled, different speeds between vehicles, speed-based pedestrian risk, speeding in residential zones and truck activity.

The intrigue: Ogden is one of the cities that buck the trend of larger metros having the safest streets, according to the transportation analytics firm.

By the numbers: It ranked No. 6 safest overall and No. 4 for vehicle miles traveled. 

Zoom out: Provo ranked No. 5 in the speed-based pedestrian risk category and No. 10 for truck activity.

Salt Lake ranked No. 9 for residential-zone speeding after reducing  speed limits to 20mph on most streets in recent years.

Utah cities rank high for street safety

The study measures speeding in residential zones, miles traveled and other measures and other factors.

A list of the top 10 U.S. metro areas in the 2026 Safe Streets Index. New York ranks first, followed by Boston and Portland, Oregon. Boise, Spokane, Ogden, Seattle, Providence, Tucson, and San Francisco round out the list.

Ogden has some of the nation&#x27;s safest roadways, per StreetLight Data&#x27;s new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;U.S. Safe Streets Index.&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://learn.streetlightdata.com/us-safe-streets-index-ebook" data-vars-content-id="ac38abd4-3e05-4a28-927d-a131a4ed7e13" data-vars-headline="Utah cities rank high for street safety" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://learn.streetlightdata.com/us-safe-streets-index-ebook" target="_blank">&quot;U.S. Safe Streets Index.&quot;</a>State of play: That&#x27;s based on five key factors among the 100 biggest U.S. metros: vehicle miles traveled, different speeds between vehicles, speed-based pedestrian risk, speeding in residential zones and truck activity.

Public Safety

Data: Climate Central; Note: Map shows data for the two largest cities in each state, where available; Map: Axios Visuals

Allergy season is 24 days longer, on average, in Salt Lake City than it was in 1970, per a new Climate Central analysis.

By the numbers: In nearly 90% of 198 U.S. cities analyzed, freeze-free growing seasons lengthened by an average of 21 days.

That's the time between the last and first freeze, used here to represent allergy season.

What they're saying: "A longer allergy season is nothing to sneeze at — it's a clear signal of a warming world, driven by carbon pollution," Kristy Dahl, the organization's vice president for science, wrote in a statement. 

The latest: SLC's extremely warm winter has triggered early plant development — and Utah's dry air makes pollen levels even worse.

Provo, Ogden and SLC were ranked among the nation's most challenging cities to live with allergies in a report last week by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

What's next: Pollen levels are expected to be medium-high Thursday and high through the weekend, per forecasts at Pollen.com.

nation's most challenging cities to live with allergies

Salt Lake's allergy seasons are getting longer

Utah cities are already considered among the nation's worst for allergies. This hot winter isn't helping.

A symbol map of U.S. cities showing the change in average allergy season length from 1970 to 2025. For most cities, the season has gotten longer, by an average of 23 days. Reno, Nevada, shows an increase of 100 days, while Tulsa, Oklahoma, has a decrease of 15 days.

Allergy season is 24 days longer, on average, in Salt Lake City than it was in 1970, per a new Climate Central analysis.By the numbers: In nearly 90% of 198 U.S. cities <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="analyzed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2026-allergy-season" data-vars-content-id="d2878392-419e-4ab2-9e5c-43e4c82744ad" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake&#x27;s allergy seasons are getting longer" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2026-allergy-season" target="_blank">analyzed</a>, freeze-free growing seasons lengthened by an average of 21 days.

Health

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National

Axios San Diego

San Diego's population decline driven by immigration slowdown

San Diego

AA choropleth map of U.S. counties showing estimated population change from July 2024 to 2025. The U.S. overall grew by +0.5%. Kaufman County, Texas, grew the most of any county with a population over 100,000: +5.7%. Pinellas County, Florida shrank the most of any county with a population over 100,000: -1.2%. 

Alex Fitzpatrick

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