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16 Utah stereotypes that we’re tired of hearing

Every state’s got its stereotypes: California is all sunshine and surfin’ dudes, Texas is full of country-loving cowboys and Colorado is for weed-loving mountain folk.

But while most people realize these stereotypes are incredibly vast generalizations that aren’t true the majority of the time, the rest of the country seems pretty set on believing Utah stereotypes to be true.

So we’re here to do our part to set the record straight. America, here are 16 stereotypes that just simply are NOT true! And we’ve got the proof to back it up:

 

1. “Everyone living here is Mormon.”

The LDS population makes up 67 percent of Utah. But with a population of about 3 million people, that leaves a huge amount of other folks in the Beehive state of other religions (or not religious at all!) And some cities, like Salt Lake City, are .

 

2. “There’s no diversity.”

While the population was 97.4 percent White in 1970, it’s 86.1 percent White as of the 2010 census. Asian, Hispanic and Pacific Islander populations definitely have a growing presence in Utah,

 

3. “The food is all Jell-O and funeral potatoes.”

Forage, Pago, Communal or Black Sheep Café, just to name a few. Utah restaurants are now , and chefs are coming from all over the world to set up shop in our state.

 

4. “Artsy culture is nowhere to be found.”

Salt Lake City has a booming arts culture of painters, writers, musicians, illustrators and more. BYU is world-famous for it’s film program, graphic design program and pretty much all of its fine arts. And Provo has gained a reputation for churning out hit bands one after another.

 

5. “Utahns are all depressed.”

A few years ago, Utah got a lot of press for being the state that has the most widespread use of antidepressants, according to a medical study done in 2002. Discussions about why this is abound, but the fact of the matter is: there are plenty of happy people in this beautiful, nature-y, awesome state.

 

6. “People are very judgmental.”

This one comes from the whole bit about Utah being predominantly Mormon. Well, a lot of Mormons are actually really, really nice!

 

7. “You won’t be able to find a quality beer in Utah.”

No and no. Guess you haven’t tried Uinta, Epic, or any of the other brews that make Utah a .

 

8. “The state is full of polygamists.”

Simply put, polygamy is illegal in Utah, just like all the other 49 states in America. (Active Mormons aren’t allowed to be polygamists either.)

 

9. “Everyone is Republican.”

So a Democratic politician hasn’t made it to the spotlight in Utah for a while, but that doesn’t mean Democrats don’t exist in Utah. If you want 32 percent of Utahns lean Democrat, while 55 percent lean Republican.

 

10. “Utah isn’t gay-friendly.”

As has said, “Forget San Francisco…or New York…the gayest city in the United States is Salt Lake City, Utah.”

 

11. “People have terrible fashion sense.”

Who knows where this idea came from. It seems as if Utah is home to the biggest amount of fashion bloggers per capita, including a few of the ones raking in

 

12. “Utahns aren’t well educated.”

Travel out East and people seem to think Utah is still the Wild West. But there are nine excellent four-year universities in our state, as well as a host of other colleges and otherwise smarty pants people around here. And the University of Utah has one of the best Health Science research programs in the country.

 

13. “Mormons here live in a bubble.”

As we talked about earlier, Mormons in Utah have adapted cultures and languages from around the world due to the two-year missions that many 18- and 19-year old young men and women serve for their church. And there are actually more Mormons outside the United States than in.

 

14. “Utahns are unhealthy.”

Some people seem to think Utahns are the epitome of the greater American stereotype: over-eaters who live life on the overweight side. But Provo-Orem area leads in and Salt Lake City is known as a .

 

15. “Everyone in Utah skis or snowboards.”

While our license plates may proclaim Utah is home to “the greatest snow on earth,” some people aren’t exactly taking advantage of the claim to fame. Believe it or not, some people here don’t even like the snow, and spend the winter in hibernation mode instead.

 

16. “Everyone has a lifted Jeep.”

Well, in a perfect world, that would be true.

 

What are some stereotypes of Utah that you have heard?