
Salt Lake City
Utah
Bring Happier Aging® to Utah
Utah is both the youngest state in the U.S. and one of the fastest-aging.
State health data show that about 12.1% of Utahns are 65+, compared with 17.1% nationally, according to the Utah Department of Health’s IBIS age-distribution indicator. Independent analyses put the share around 12–12.2%, giving Utah the lowest concentration of seniors in the country today.
But that’s changing fast. The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute notes that Utah has seen “explosive growth” in its 65+ population, and U.S. Census estimates show that people over 65 are Utah’s fastest-growing age group, growing about 3.8% in a single year, much faster than younger cohorts. Between 2020 and 2024 alone, Utah’s 65+ population grew 17.5%, while the number of children under 18 declined by 1.8%, according to recent Census data summarized by Axios.
Looking ahead, projections from the Gardner Policy Institute suggest Utah’s population will climb from about 3.6 million to 5.6 million by 2065, and the 65+ share will jump from roughly 1 in 8 residents to nearly 1 in 4.
At the same time, older adults overwhelmingly want to stay put. AARP’s 2024 Home & Community Preferences Survey finds that 75% of adults 50+ want to remain in their current home and 73% want to stay in their community as they age, as detailed in the AARP report and press release.
Utah’s rapidly growing senior population, strong health systems, and family-oriented culture make it a powerful place to build a Nurse Next Door home care franchise—bringing Happier Aging® to the Wasatch Front and beyond.
Why Utah
1. Young state, fast-growing senior population
- Utah currently has the lowest share of adults 65+ in the U.S., at around 12–12.2%, per IBIS and a ConsumerAffairs analysis of state senior populations.
- Yet, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute highlights that Utah’s 65+ population has grown dramatically since 2010, and the U.S. Census Vintage 2023 estimates show 65+ is the fastest-growing age band, up 3.8% from 2022 to 2023.
- Census reporting confirms that Utah remains the youngest state (median age ~32.4) but is also one of the fastest-aging, as its median age climbs and older adults make up a larger share of the population.
In other words: there may be a smaller senior share today, but it’s the segment growing the fastest, which is exactly what you want when building a long-term home care business.
2. A growing Wasatch Front market
The Wasatch Front anchors Utah’s demand for home care:
- The Salt Lake City–Murray metropolitan area now has an estimated 1.3 million residents (2024), according to CityPopulation’s metro profile, up from about 1.09 million in 2010.
- Broader combined metro and commuting regions connect Salt Lake City with Provo–Orem and Ogden–Clearfield, creating a continuous urban corridor where older adults may live close to family but still need professional support to age in place.
- Projections from the Gardner Policy Institute and Utah News Dispatch indicate that Utah’s total population will grow by roughly 2 million people by 2065, with older adults driving much of that growth.
A Nurse Next Door territory in Utah can tap into dense neighborhoods along the Wasatch Front—plus rapidly growing cities and retirement-oriented communities in southern Utah.
3. Seniors want to age in place
- AARP’s 2024 survey shows three in four adults 50+ want to remain in their current home, and 73% want to stay in their community, as outlined in the core report and echoed by Home Care Association of America’s summary.
- Additional reporting puts the desire even higher for older age groups, with close to 90% of adults 65+ saying they’d like to age in place, though relatively few have fully prepared their homes—highlighting how important professional home-care partners are.
Nurse Next Door’s focus on Happier Aging®—explained in detail on the Happier Aging page—aligns directly with what Utah seniors say they want: to stay home, stay active, and keep doing the things they love.
4. Strong senior health & happiness indicators
Utah doesn’t just skew young; it also performs well on many senior-health metrics:
- In the America’s Health Rankings Senior Report, Utah is highlighted as one of the nation’s healthiest states for older adults, scoring especially well on social and economic factors and behaviors.
- A recent Senior Happiness Index from Caring.com ranked Utah #1 in the U.S. for senior happiness, citing strong senior health, low isolation, and high volunteerism.
These strengths make Utah an ideal place to build a brand that emphasizes joy, purpose, and meaning in later life—not just basic assistance.
5. High-quality healthcare and referral partners
Utah’s health systems create a rich environment for home-care partnerships:
- U.S. News & World Report rankings summarized by Axios list University of Utah Hospital as the top hospital in the state, followed by Intermountain Medical Center and other Intermountain Health facilities.
- The Premier/Fortune Top 100 Hospitals list features multiple Utah hospitals—like Intermountain’s Layton, Riverton, and Alta View hospitals—among the nation’s top performers.
Hospitals, clinics, and specialty practices are increasingly looking for reliable home-care partners to support safe discharge, reduce readmissions, and help manage chronic conditions—exactly the space Nurse Next Door occupies.
How Nurse Next Door Helps You Build a Utah Home Care Business
Nurse Next Door is a global home care brand with hundreds of locations and more than 400 globally, combining a bold consumer brand with a deeply supportive franchise system, as outlined on the Nurse Next Door franchise site.
As a Utah franchise partner, you tap into:
1. Operational infrastructure
The franchise overview and “Why Start a Franchise with Us” page explain how Nurse Next Door supports owners with:
- Countdown to Launch & Training Program – A pre-launch foundations program that helps you set up and run your business, covering licensing, systems, hiring, and local marketing.
- 16-Week Growth Plan – A structured post-launch plan focused on revenue-generating activity, metrics, and local sales/marketing so you can build early momentum.
2. 24/7 Care Services Platform
Nurse Next Door’s 24/7 Care Services Platform gives you a “day-one team” so you don’t have to build every back-office function yourself:
- The Tailored Care Services overview and the franchise operational infrastructure section describe how this platform can handle client inquiries, scheduling support, caregiver intakes, and after-hours calls, all day, every day.
That means you can spend more of your time in Utah building relationships with hospitals, senior communities, and families—not just answering phones.
3. Happier Aging® & Bold Kindness™
Nurse Next Door’s culture is built around Happier Aging® and Bold Kindness™:
- Happier Aging is the company’s unique philosophy of redefining aging as a time for joy, purpose, and rediscovery—rooted in the question, “What did you used to love doing that you no longer do?”
- CEO Cathy Thorpe’s leadership approach, described in the Bold Kindness resources and the Nurse Next Door podcast, focuses on combining strong performance with genuine care for people—your clients, caregivers, and team.
This values-driven positioning resonates in Utah communities where service, family, and faith are central.
Ready to Make Lives Better in Utah?
Owning Nurse Next Door – Utah means:
- Serving a state where the 65+ population is the fastest-growing age group
- Helping thousands of older adults age in place across the Wasatch Front and beyond
- Building a scalable, values-driven business backed by 24/7 operational support and a global brand
Next step: Visit the Nurse Next Door Home Care Franchise website to share your details and connect with the Franchise Development team about territory opportunities across Utah—from Salt Lake City and Provo–Orem to emerging retirement communities statewide.
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