Demographic Research
Utah’s Multiracial Population, 2020
Utah’s multiracial (two or more races) resident population added the most residents and was the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group regardless of Hispanic or Latino origin between 2010 and 2020. This report uses the 2020 census redistricting data to provide insights into Utah’s multiracial population, including ethnicity, youth and adult populations, and where people live.
Insight: Utah’s Declining Fertility is Both the Exception and the Rule
By: Emily Harris, Senior Demographer Utah is known for many things: soda shops that put creamer and coconut in their sodas, world-class skiing, a strong and stable economy, and high fertility rates. But over the last few years, Utah has dropped its title of the highest fertility rate in the nation, going from highest in 2015 to 4th highest in 2020. This trend has sparked conversations in Utah among residents, lawmakers, economists, and community leaders about why fertility is declining rapidly and whether it is a problem. This latest report doesn’t attempt to answer any of those kinds of fertility[...]
A Decade of Declining Fertility in Utah, the Intermountain West, and the Nation: 2010-2020
Utah’s declining fertility rate made state headlines in 2016 when it no longer ranked highest in the country. Since then, Utah’s total fertility rate of 1.92 births per woman has declined nationally from highest to fourth highest, with rates in South Dakota (1.98), Nebraska (1.94), and North Dakota (1.93) exceeding Utah’s.
Insight: 2020 5-Year ACS Data Released
By: Mallory Bateman COVID-19 created challenges for data collection Unlike the 1-Year Estimates, which only provide insights for populations of 65,000 or more, the 5-Year Estimates provide coverage for every geography throughout the entire United States. This type of data is incredibly important for small communities, counties, and for diving deeper into the neighborhood level in larger cities. After the Census Bureau released 1-Year 2020 American Community Survey (ACS) data as a limited and experimental product, many data users were curious and concerned about what that might mean for the 5-Year Estimates. […]
Insight: Utah’s 2020 Fertility Update: How Low Can it Go?
By: Emily Harris The Gardner Institute is currently in the middle of its own little “baby boom.” With four babies born or expected from January through this coming April, it sure doesn’t feel like fertility is declining. However, the latest report on 2020 fertility trends indicates another year of declining fertility rates. […]
Utah’s Demographics and COVID-19 Death Rates: A Data Update
Utah has a lower COVID-19 per-capita death rate (also called the crude death rate, or CDR) than the U.S. as a whole. The national cumulative CDR for the year of April 1, 2020, through March 31, 2020, was 167 deaths per 100,000 people, while the Utah rate was 65 deaths per 100,000 people. A 2020 report attributed a quarter of the CDR difference up through July 1, 2021, to Utah’s younger population.
Insight: COVID-19 Death Rates and Demographic Factors
By: Mike Hollingshaus and Emily Harris The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute has released an updated report on Utah’s COVID-19 per-capita-death rates. Our analysis indicates that during the first year of the pandemic, Utah’s structural demographic factors (age, race/ethnic, and sex composition) account for half of Utah’s lower-than-average death rate (compared to the U.S.). The remaining difference is attributable to other factors such as disease epidemiology, institutional and personal behaviors, or social networks. […]
Moving Past Net Migration: Demographic Characteristics of Utah’s Recent Migrants
Migration is becoming a more reliable component of Utah’s population growth. Migrants are demographically different from the rest of Utah, contributing to the changing demographics of the state.
Insight: The Ins and Outs of Utah’s Migrants
By: Emily Harris, Demographer I moved to Utah at the beginning of 2016 for many of the same reasons as others: I had a great job offer, the standard of living was decent, and the outdoor access was unmatched. I didn’t know it, but many other people were moving to Utah at the same time, and those numbers continued to climb. This latest migration report, Moving Past Net Migration: Demographic Characteristics of Utah’s Recent Migrants, does a deep dive into Utah’s in and out-migrants during the 2014-2018 period, when Utah was in the middle of the longest economic expansion in[...]
Fertility in Utah Fact Sheet: Recent Changes
Despite having the highest total fertility rate in the nation for many years, Utah’s total fertility rate is now the 3rd highest in the nation, behind North Dakota and South Dakota. Increases in fertility rates for mothers age 30 and over in the Dakotas, combined with substantial decreases in fertility rates for young mothers in Utah, have driven this shift.