Utah Is Number One – Again
– By Howard Sierer –
St. George, UT – The beat goes on. Utah is number one again, this time as the fastest-growing state in the union over the last decade according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
In a previous column titled “Utah! We’re Number One,” I noted a wide variety of measures that find Utah at or near the top of all U.S. states as reported in a number of national publications. Here’s a sampler:
Utah had the brightest economic outlook, was the best state for business, and had the best workforce quality. The Wasatch Front’s Silicon Slopes was number one on Forbes magazine’s “Tomorrow’s Tech Meccas” list.
Utah is one of the country’s five healthiest states and has the 2nd lowest health insurance costs. As a result, we had the nation’s best economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pew Research found that “the middle class is still thriving in Utah” while CNBC ranked us best in the country for families with middle-class incomes and low in the number of children in poverty.
Compared to other states, we have less economic segregation, less income inequality, better primary schools, greater social capital, and greater family stability.
All these factors and more make Utah the home of the American Dream.
As for the recent census, as reported by the Associated Press on a local news site, Utah saw a growth rate of 18.4% since 2010, which equates to a population gain of over 507,700 people putting the state’s overall population at 3.27 million. In contrast, the United States has had an overall growth rate of 7.4% since 2010.
Of Utah’s population growth, 35% came from people moving into the state while 65% was due to internal increase (births). The under-18 population grew by nearly 9% in Utah even as the share of children in the U.S. declined because of falling birth rates and aging baby boomers.
Both Iron and Washington counties saw growth rates above that of the state level at 24.1% and 30.5% respectively since 2010. Iron County’s 2020 population was reported to be 57,289 up from 46,163, while Washington County’s 2020 population stood at 180,279 up from 138,115.
This rapid growth comes with both good and bad. The good is a dynamic economy, growing even through the worst of the pandemic. Job openings go begging all across the state, despite ever-higher hourly wages offered for entry-level jobs. Good news for our lowest-paid workers.
The bad is the flip side of the good. Prices for everything from groceries to housing seem to be growing even faster than incomes. While there are national economic factors involved, Southern Utah housing costs in particular reflect the influx of new residents from out of state.
House prices and rents have skyrocketed out of sight in the eyes of many who’ve lived here for some years. In Washington County, the average rent has risen 43% since January 2019.
Utah home prices are driven by what is happening in nearby states. Scan the asking prices of homes in California, Washington, or even Idaho and you’ll see why folks selling there and moving here are finding what they see as bargains.
We can’t cry over spilt milk: nothing less than a national economic collapse will bring back yesterday’s home prices and rents. But we can temper our growth by getting real about the population that our Mojave Desert environment can support. Getting realistic about water rates would be a good place to start.
Southern Utah has been our home for over 20 years now and we couldn’t be happier with our choice of locations. For us, Utah has been our Number One. We hope it’s yours too!
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