Nevada and Utah
Both are states in these United States, and other than the obvious similarities such as the fact that the official language in both states is English, here are a few other similarities
Both are right next to each other
Both have about the same population, the same amount of electoral votes, and are growing very quickly, at similar rates
In both states, the population density remains low
Both have similar climates
Both are mostly made up of desert, although Nevada is definitely is drier
Residents of Nevada and Utah have similar incomes and similar cost of living
Both are not dramatically different in size, and both have lots and lots of public land.
Both states have more public land than all other states.
But... other than that, it doesn’t seem like there is much in common between the bordering states, which is a bit surprising.
First of all, Utah is younger. There are more kids there.
In fact, a higher percentage of babies are born in Utah each year compared to all other states, not just Nevada.
It also has the largest family sizes in the country.
57% of Utah residents are married, compared to 47% of Nevada residents.
Utah is more Caucasian. It has few minorities.
Nevada, on the other hand, is much more diverse.
Nevada’s Hispanic population is quickly approaching 30 percent of the state.
Utah is more educated. Whatever that means, right?
Well, for the purposes of this video, that means they have a higher percentage of people who graduated from college and high school.
41% have a college education in Utah, compared to 32% in Nevada.
Related to this, Nevada has a much higher poverty rate, which is around 21 percent.
Utah’s is just 11 percent.
Utah’s unemployment rate has been significantly lower than Nevada’s since 2003.
Utah appears to have a much better health care system than Nevada.
According to US News, Utah ranks #15 out of the 50 states for health care while Nevada ranks #37.
By most standards, Utah residents are much healthier than Nevada residents.
Nevada has the worst ranking in the United States for immunizations and mothers receiving poor prenatal care.
Its suicide rate is the second highest in the country.
Meanwhile, Utah has the lowest infant mortality rate in the country, the lowest cancer death rate in the country, and the lowest percentage of adults who smoke in the country.
During the Cold War, the United States conducted 928 nuclear tests in Nevada, and 0 in Utah.
However, Utah had plenty of “downwinders,” or people exposed to the nuclear fallout from these tests.
Politically speaking, Nevada residents generally lean to the left and Utah residents generally lean to the right.
Nevada has voted for the Democratic candidate the last three presidential elections, while Utah has voted for the Republican candidate the last 13.
If you dig deeper, you’ll find Nevada is extremely more libertarian compared to Utah. More on that in a bit.
Both states have very different histories.
Utah was founded by Mormons, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a religion founded in the United States in 1830 by Joseph Smith.
The Mormons had fled west to escape persecution back east.
Today, Mormon influence is evident no matter where you go in Utah.
The church has a huge influence on the state’s culture and traditions.
This explains much of the strong family ties in the state, the outlawing of alcohol and tobacco, and the fairly boring nightlife.
Nevada, on the other hand, has the most exciting nightlife in the country.
Las Vegas truly is the city that never sleeps, and The Strip is iconic today as a go-to destination for tourists around the world wanting to party it up and have some fun.
Las Vegas is also widely known as THE “Sin City.”
While Nevada originally was settled by Mormons, and used to be a part of Utah Territory, many early outsiders came to Nevada to work in the mining industry after the discovery of silver there.
With the mining towns, came the casinos and later the mob, who seemed to get away with more out in Nevada than they did back East.
In Utah, strict laws control personal behavior, while in Nevada, also known as “America’s Playground,” strip clubs and casinos are everywhere.
Nevada is probably the easiest place to get both married and divorced in the country, sometimes on the same night.
Gambling, prostitution, and marijuana are all legal in Nevada, Utah would likely be the LAST state to legalize those things.
Utah’s economy is fairly similar to most of the rest of the country, meaning retail, manufacturing, and healthcare are in its top five industries.
In Nevada, tourism dominates. Entertainment and Hospitality are in its top five.
Between 50 and 60 million tourists travel to Nevada each year.
In Utah, that number is around 20 million, which is actually still quite impressive.
Most of Utah’s tourists come for the natural beauty of the state or to ski, whereas most of Nevada’s tourists come to, you know, well...what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, alright?
In conclusion, comparing Nevada and Utah is a great example of how powerful seemingly arbitrary lines on a map, aka borders are.
Borders can dramatically alter the economic, political, and cultural landscapes of societies.
Sure, the two states have a lot in common, but many of the differences are stark, even though they are right next to each other.
Where’s all my Nevada and Utah viewers at?
If you are from one of these two states, let me know in the comments what I got right and, of course, what I got wrong.
If you like this video, I’m thinking about turning this into a series.
You know, comparing states, provinces, countries etc.
If you actually think that's a good idea, let me know in the comments below.
And finally, a shout out to my friend Cypher who runs a YouTube channel called Cynical Historian.
He is a Nevada native who has an amazing history of Las Vegas video you should check out. I’ve linked it below.
And thank you for watching. We'll see you next week.