Demographics
The Gardner Institute provides demographic decision support to the Utah State Legislature and Office of the Governor. We produce population estimates and projections, as well as applied demographic research focused on Utah. We represent the state in work with the Census Bureau, including the State Data Center Program and Federal-State Cooperatives for Population Estimates and Projections. We work with the Census Bureau in the production, distribution, and analysis of their product.
We are your demographic resource.
Featured Research
Northwest Valley Datapoints: Northwest Salt Lake County
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute releases “Northwest Valley Datapoints,” a series of fact sheets designed to inform local decision-makers and community partners. This first installment provides a geographic overview of the region.
U.S. Census Bureau Estimates for Age, Vintage 2024
Utah remains the youngest state in the nation, with a median age of 32.4. In Utah, children under 18 still outnumber retirement-age residents, but this is no longer true in six of the state’s counties: Daggett, Garfield, Grand, Kane, Piute, and Wayne.
U.S. Census Bureau Estimates for Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin, Vintage 2024
Utah’s population continues to become increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. In 2023, 24.8% of Utahns identified as a race or ethnicity other than non-Hispanic White.
Wasatch Front Subcounty Estimates, Vintage 2024
Wasatch Front communities added nearly 37,000 new residents and nearly 18,000 new housing units between 2023 and 2024.
U.S. Census Bureau Estimates for Cities and Housing Units, 2024
Six cities in Utah rank in the top 100 fastest-growing cities with 20,000 or more people, according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau for incorporated places (cities and towns) and housing units at the state and county level for July 1, 2024.
Salt Lake City Data Book 2025: Utah’s Capital City Demographic Resource
Salt Lake City accounted for 6.1% of Utah’s overall population in the 2019-2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These 5-year estimates serve as the denominators for the percentages presented throughout this book and are presented for this reason.
Utah’s Marriage Trends: Young, Married, and Changing
Utah has the nation’s youngest median marriage age and the highest marriage rate, but younger Utahns are waiting longer to marry.
Utah’s Declining Fertility Rate, 2023
U.S. and Utah fertility rates continued a long-term decline in 2023. The U.S. total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.621 in 2023, a 2.1% decline from 1.656 in 2022.
Gardner Business Review: A Retrospective of Utah’s Urban-Rural History
Ninety percent of Utah’s population qualifies as urban, making Utah one of the most urban states in the nation. This historical overview describes the process whereby a few counties became heavily urban while the majority of Utah’s counties remain rural today.
