We recently prepared a comprehensive report of the top 20 Fastest Growing Cities in Utah. In this free report, we have discussed each city in detail.
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.
The Fastest Growing City 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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The Fastest Growing City in Utah
1. West Haven city
Percentage Change in Population (2020-2022): 30.26%
With a population growth rate of a whopping 30.26%, West Haven is the fastest-growing city in Utah. Located in Weber County, West Haven is home to 22,395 people, of which, 31.5% have attained higher education. With a median household income of around $92,425, the city maintains a relatively low poverty rate of 4.5%. West Haven has an employment rate of 73.2%, and the city’s median gross rent is $181 more than the state average.
To see where the other cities rank on the overall list, check out the full free list by visiting the 20 Fastest Growing Cities in Utah.
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