Gardner Institute to publish monthly updates focused on Utah’s population

Beginning this month, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah will release a monthly update highlighting several demographic research products detailing Utah’s growing, aging and diversifying population.

In August, the Gardner Institute released three reports analyzing aspects of Utah’s population.

The first report is called “Demographic Insight: Utah’s California In-Migrants.” One in five movers to Utah were Californians in 2022. This report highlights where these movers are living in Utah, as well as the differences and similarities between this population and other movers to Utah.

Among the findings of the report were:

• California in-migrants were the largest domestic source of migration into Utah.
• Approximately half of California in-migrants were born in California, and almost one-quarter of California in-migrants were born in Utah.
• Utah County attracted 28 percent of Utah’s California in-migrants, with the largest share landing in the Saratoga Springs, Payson and Lehi areas.
• California movers have higher household incomes than other in-migrants, with 40 percent of households having incomes over $100,000.
• The data show that California migrants coming to Utah are not very different from all other Utah in-migrants in respect to age, race and ethnicity, education and employment. They have higher household income and a higher likelihood of owning a home compared to Utah’s other in-migrants.

Two of the reports use new 2020 census data on detailed race and ethnicity.

“The in-depth nature of this new data is incredibly exciting,” said Heidi Prior, public policy analyst and lead author of the series. “Seeing the small groups and heritages of Utahns reflected in these numbers breathes life into the big categories we typically use to describe racial and ethnic diversity.”

A report called “Exploring Utah’s Racial and Ethnic Groups: A Detailed Analysis” found Utah residents self-identify as members of 258 detailed race groups and 757 American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages. This finding comes from 2020 census data, which provides deeper insights into racial and ethnic identities of the U.S. population than previous decades.

Among the findings:

• More American Indian and Alaska Native Utahns identify as part of the Navajo Nation than any other tribe, with 21,413 Utah residents selecting the Navajo Nation alone or in combination with other races.
• Of Utah’s over 125,000 residents who identify as Asian, the largest populations identify as Chinese, Filipino and Japanese.
• In 2020, Salt Lake County had the largest Tongan population of any county in the U.S.
• More than 25 percent of Utah’s new residents in the past decade were Hispanic or Latino, according the third report, “Exploring Utah’s Hispanic or Latino Groups: A Detailed Analysis.” Using the in-depth 2020 census data, this research explores the myriad populations that are part of the broader Hispanic or Latino grouping:
• Utah’s Venezuelan population grew faster than any other Hispanic group, adding 7,685 residents in the past decade.
• One in 10 Utahns and two-thirds of the Hispanic or Latino population identify as Mexican.