(ABC4) – Do you think Utah is diverse? A new report says it isn’t.
WalletHub has released its report on 2021’s Most Diverse Cities in America. To determine places in the U.S. with the most mixed demographics, the personal-finance website says it compared the profiles of more than 500 of the largest cities across five major diversity categories:
- Socioeconomic
- Cultural
- Economic
- Household
- Religion
The latest report found Orem and Provo to be among the least diverse cities in America, ranking them 499th and 501st, respectively.
| Most Diverse Cities in America | Least Diverse Cities in America |
| 1. Houston, TX | 491. Huntington, WV/ Saco, ME |
| 2. Jersey City, NJ | 493. Parkersburg, WV |
| 3. New York, NY | 494. Lewiston, ID |
| 4. Dallas, TX | 495. Rochester, NH |
| 5. Los Angeles, CA | 496. Keene, NH |
| 6. Gaithersburg, MD | 497. Barre, VT |
| 7. Silver Spring, MD | 498. Bangor, ME |
| 8. Arlington, TX | 499. Orem, UT |
| 9. Long Beach, CA | 500. Brattleboro, VT |
| 10. Danbury, CT/ Chicago, IL | 501. Provo, UT |
When broken down by city size, three of Utah’s cities included in the report were considered midsize while NUMBER were considered small cities.
In the midsize category, West Valley City ranked 46th, Salt Lake City ranked 52nd, West Jordan ranked 130th, and Provo ranked last at 144th.
For the small cities, Taylorsville ranked 87th, Ogden 89th, Sandy at 217th, St. George at 260th, Layton at 269th, and Orem at 293rd.
WalletHub says it is releasing this report in an effort to draw attention to the need for diversity. They say, in part:
“It’s important to embrace diversity – and it’s good for the economy, too. Not only have waves of immigration changed the face of the nation, they’ve also brought in fresh perspectives, skills and technologies to help the U.S. develop a strong adaptability to change. Economies generally fare better when they openly embrace and capitalize on new ideas. Conversely, those relying on old ways and specialized industries tend to be hurt more by changes in the market.”
WalletHub adds that “As the U.S. diversifies, it must stamp out hatred and promote unity, and there’s a lot of work to do. For example, anti-Asian hate crimes spiked by nearly 150% in 2020.”
For more on this report, visit WalletHub.
ABC4 did not commission or participate in this study.
