This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah really is unique, and quite different from the rest of the nation, a new study says. The Beehive State ranks No. 45 of 50 for how similar it is to America as a whole.
That's according to research released Thursday by the financial web site WalletHub.
Amid a debate over whether early presidential primary states truly reflect the nation as a whole, WalletHub tried to determine which states are most like America — and perhaps most worthy of early primary spots — and which are least like it.
It figured scores according to their base demographics (such as race, age and gender), economy, education, religion and how close their opinions in polls match national findings.
Utah achieved a score of 80.37 percent out of 100, or No. 45 of 50.
That means the only states less like America overall are: Massachusetts (79.67 percent), Alabama (79.6 percent), West Virginia (79.5 percent), Mississippi (78.32 percent) and Vermont (77.94 percent).
The study said the states most like America as a whole are: Illinois (94.35 percent), Florida (94.32 percent), Michigan (93.17 percent) and Arizona (92.67 percent).
For the record, first-in-the-nation primary state New Hampshire ranked No. 44 — just ahead of Utah. First-in-the-nation caucus state Iowa ranks No. 17. Among other early states, Nevada ranks No. 20 and South Carolina ranks No. 32.
Utah finished last in the nation for how similar it is to America for religion (because of the state's heavy concentration of Mormons), the age of residents and the makeup of its households (Utah has the lowest median age by far because of its numerous children and large families).
Utah also ranked No. 48 for how far its "wealth gap" between rich and poor is compared to the nation.
But Utah ranked No. 2 for how similar health care coverage among its residents is to the national average.