In this article, we list and discuss the 20 Fastest Growing Cities in Utah.
Utah, a landlocked state, ranks 6th among the 15 fastest-growing states in the United States as of 2024, growing at a rate of 4.5%. According to the US Census Bureau, Utah had a population of around 3.4 million in 2023 and a land area of 82,376 square miles, making it one of the least densely populated states. However, Utah’s diverse geography, ranging from the Rocky Mountains to the deserted areas in the Colorado Plateau to the Great Basin region, has an unequal population distribution across the state.
For instance, Salt Lake County, covering a land area of 742 square miles, is the most populated area in Utah, having a population of 1,185,813 people, or about 34.7% of the total population of Utah. In fact, it has a population density of 1,597.2 people per square mile, whereas the whole of Utah only has a population density of 39.7 people per square mile.
High life expectancy is one reason why Utah’s population is going up. As of 2020 data, Utah’s life expectancy stood at 78.6 years, positioning it 9th among the top US states with the highest life expectancy. Other than this, one of the major contributors to Utah’s rising population growth rate is the migration of residents from all over the United States. In 2022, Utah experienced a net migration of 91,341 residents, of which most people moved to Utah from California. For context, around 18,669 Californians moved to Utah, which was the highest number of migrants Utah received from any state, followed by 8,845 residents coming from Washington.
Usually, economically strong areas become the natural choice for migrants looking for better career opportunities, and Utah has a high-performing job market, which reflects the state’s robust economic conditions, attracting more and more migrants from across the United States. According to the US Labor of Statistics, Utah’s civilian labor force stood at around 1.8 million and had an unemployment rate of 2.8% as of February 2024. In addition to the high employment rate, Utah has a single tax rate of 4.65% for all incomes, which is pretty low and even great for high-income individuals. On top of that, Utah’s government is functional and cares for its people.
During the 2024 General Session of Utah Senates, Mike Schultz, one of Utah’s state representatives, said, “In Utah, we put our people first.” These words are reflected in the state’s policies, as the legislature cut down taxes for the fourth consecutive year and increased the education budget by nearly $1 billion. These favorable policies have not only appealed to new residents but also to some of the multinational companies, such as Adobe Inc (NASDAQ:ADBE), eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY), and Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX), which have invested in Utah.
Adobe Inc (NASDAQ:ADBE), a multinational computer software company headquartered in San Jose, California, built its marquee building in Lehi in 2012. Later, in 2017, the company expanded its Lehi office, which added a capacity of approximately 1,260 employees. Moreover, for its expansion and efforts of bringing over 1,000 jobs in the State, Adobe Inc (NASDAQ:ADBE) received a post-performance tax incentive of approximately $25.6 million from the State of Utah.
Meanwhile, eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY), an American multinational e-commerce company also headquartered in San Jose, California, first started its operation in Utah in 1999. After receiving economic support from the State in the form of incentives, eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY) opened a new facility in Draper, Utah, in 2013, which brought roughly 1,400 jobs in addition to 1,800 existing employees.
On the other hand, Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX), one of the leading American oil companies, bought a high stake in ACES Delta in 2023, which is the Advanced Clean Energy Storage hub located in Delta, Utah. The company acquired 100% of Magnum Development, LLC, which has a joint venture of ACES Delta with Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. Following this acquisition, Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX) became a major stakeholder in one of the world’s largest hydrogen storage plants, ACES Delta, which will help the company achieve its carbon neutrality goals by 2050.
20 Fastest Growing Cities in Utah
Our Methodology
For our list of the 20 fastest-growing cities in Utah, we assessed Utah population growth by city using state population data from the US Census Bureau which provided us a list of annual population estimates for Nevada’s cities. To calculate the percentage change in population from 2020 to 2022 for these cities, and curated a list of 20 cities that experienced the highest population growth in these years. The cities in our list are ranked based on the ascending order of their percentage change in population between 2020 and 2022. All other statistics and figures mentioned in our list have been sourced from the US Census Bureau.
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20 Fastest Growing Cities in Utah
20. Cedar City
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 9.11%
With a population of 38,692 people as of 2022 data, Cedar City ranks 20th among the top 20 fastest-growing cities in Utah. The city comprises 84.7% White individuals and 13.6% Hispanic or Latino individuals. Cedar City is also home to other races including Asians and Black Americans, but they are currently a minority in the city. Moreover, Cedar City has a total of 12,723 housing units, with a median gross rent of $934, which is nearly $450 less than the state average.
19. Lehi city
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 9.81%
Housing a population of over 84,373 individuals, Lehi is seeing a high population growth rate due to various reasons, with one of the primary reasons being its robust economy. Lehi’s median household income stands at $123,842, while the poverty rate stands at only 3.7%, reflecting the strong economy and the availability of jobs in the city.
18. Syracuse city
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 9.83%
Ranked 18th, Syracuse city has seen its population go from 32,379 in July 2020 to 35,561 in 2022, according to Census data. The city has an employment rate of 73.1%, with the median household income being $125,602, which is $36,434 above the state average. Additionally, 37% of the citizens of Syracuse have attained higher education.
17. Bluffdale city
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 9.90%
Bluffdale is home to 19,080 people, of which 35.5% have attained a bachelor’s degree or higher education. The city has an employment rate of 75.4% and a median household income of $119,009. The progress of Bluffdale’s job market is reflected well in its low poverty rate of only 3.6%. Compared to the state average of $1,372, the median gross rent in Bluffdale is $291 higher. Considering the job market, and comparing this to the national average, however, Bluffdale’s housing is still pretty much affordable.
16. Enoch City
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 10.05%
Enoch, with a population of only 8,231, has welcomed over 800 new residents to the city between 2020 and 2022. Of these, 36.9% of people are under the age of 18 years, and 10.3% are 65 and over. Enoch has an employment rate of 64.6%, a median household income of $74,438, and a gross median rent of $1,112.
15. Enterprise City
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 10.22%
Enterprise City, home to a small population of 2,264, is also one of the fastest-growing cities in Utah, with a growth rate of 10.22%. Enterprise City sees a poverty rate of 3.4%, which is 4.8% less than the state average. On the other hand, the median household income in the city is $69,083, which is $20,085 lower than the state average. Also, the median gross rent in the city is $1,148, which is around $224 higher than the state average.
14. Ivins City
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 10.24%
14th on the list, Ivins is home to around 10,012 people, of which 47.1% of the population has attained higher education, and 45.5% is employed. Speaking of employment, the median household income in Ivins is $67,354, which is $21,814 less than Utah’s average. Consequently, the poverty rate in the city is 3% higher than the state average.
13. Salem city
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 10.99%
Between 2020 and 2022, Salem City of Utah has seen a population growth of 10.99%, going from 9,364 in July 2020 to 10,393 in 2022. The city has a 66.5% employment rate, with 18.8% of residents being employed in local, state, and federal government positions. Moreover, 41.3% of the city’s population has attained higher education. The median household income of Salem residents stands at $101,700, which is $12,532 more than the state average, and the poverty rate stands at 3.8%, which is 4.4% less than the state average.
12. American Fork city
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 11.10%
Home to 37,268 individuals, American Fork is the 12th fastest-growing city in Utah, with a percentage population change of 11.10% between 2020 and 2022. The city boasts a robust economy, with an employment rate of 67.8%, a poverty rate of only 6.8%, and a median household income of $90,490, which is $1,322 more than the state average. Also, 40.9% of the residents of American Fork have attained a bachelor’s degree or higher education.
11. Willard city
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 11.59%
With a population of 2,224 people, Willard City has welcomed approximately 231 new residents between 2020 and 2022, positioning the city as one of the fastest-growing cities in Utah. 32% of the residents of this city have attained higher education, and 65.8% are employed. Also, the median household income of the residents of Willard City is $92,434, while the median gross rent is $1,417.
10. Hyrum City
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 12.29%
Hyrum City, with a population of around 10,594, is ranked 10th among the top 10 fastest-growing cities in Utah. With a median household income of around $75,951, Hyrum City boasts a diverse economic landscape. The city’s industries span a wide range, with notable sectors including manufacturing, educational, healthcare, and retail trade. With 13.8% of females engaged in computer, engineering, and science occupations, the city showcases a commitment to gender diversity in key industries as well. The poverty rate in Hyrum City is also 1.1% less than the state average of 8.2%.
9. Grantsville city
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 13.15%
Ranked 9th among the fastest-growing cities in Utah, Grantsville has seen a population growth rate of 13.15% between 2020 and 2022. The city has an employment rate of 65.3%, a median household income of $94,260, and a poverty rate of 5.9%. Compared to the state average of $1,372, the median gross rent in Grantsville is $408 lower.
8. Mapleton city
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 13.35%
Mapletown city is home to 12,999 people, out of which 46.6% are females. The dominant age demographic in Mapletown city is 18 years and above, making up 64.4% of the total population of the city. According to Census data, Mapleton has an employment rate of 60% and a median household income of $123,534.
7. Hurricane City
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 14.19%
Hurricane City has a total population of 23,077 people, out of which 46.5% of the population is female, and 25% of the total population has attained higher education. The city has an employment rate of 50.6%, with 71.1% of residents working for private companies, 12.3% in various government roles, and 11.1% self-employed. Also, the median gross rent in Hurricane City is approximately $1,147, indicating relatively affordable housing compared to larger cities.
6. Washington City
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 14.22%
Washington City, with a population of 32,709 people as of 2022 data, ranks sixth among the fastest-growing cities in Utah. 18.8% of the city’s residents aged 25 and older hold a high school diploma or higher, while 37.1% have attained higher education. The city’s various industries, including education, healthcare, arts and entertainment, retail trade, and construction, contribute to its economic growth. Moreover, Washington City has an employment rate of 61.3%, a median household income of $94,655, and a median gross rent of $1,328.
5. Tremonton city
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 18.79%
With a population of 11,840 people, Tremonton City has welcomed around 1,945 new residents to the city between 2020 and 2022. With an employment rate of 67.3%, a median household income of $67,335, and a median gross rent of $1,020, the city offers various career growth and affordable living opportunities to its residents.
