Recent Research
Click on the links below to view the most recent research published by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
Utah County Small Area Estimates, 2010-2016
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute prepares small area population estimates to support informed decision making in Utah. This brief presents annual small area housing and population estimates for Utah County from 2010 to 2016. We produced these results using the housing unit method, one of the most widely used estimation methods for detailed geographic levels. This brief shares key information about this set of estimates, including county and small area (census tract) results. The data and methodology are also discussed. Note that all estimates refer to July 1 of each year.
Salt Lake County Small Area Estimates, 2010-2016
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute prepares small area population estimates to support informed decision making in Utah. This brief presents annual small area housing and population estimates for Salt Lake County from 2010 to 2016. We produced these results using the housing unit method, one of the most widely used estimation methods for detailed geographic levels. This brief shares key information about this set of estimates, including county and small area (census tract) results. The data and methodology are also discussed. Note that all estimates refer to July 1 of each year.
November Economic Summary
The Utah economy remains healthy. Every major industrial sector expanded in 2016, contributing a total of 49,500 new jobs over the year. An annual employment growth rate of 3.6% was above the state’s long-term average and among the strongest in the nation. In 2016, Utah’s construction sector posted the highest job growth with 6.8%.
State and County Population Estimates for Utah: 2017
The Utah Population Committee (UPC), chaired and staffed by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, has produced state and county population estimates for Utah for July 1, 2017. These estimates indicate that the state has added approximately 350,000 people since April 1, 2010, reaching an estimated 3,114,039 Utahns. From 2016-2017, the population grew by 59,045 people. This is an annual growth rate of 1.93 percent, a slight acceleration from the previous year’s 1.92 percent.
Video: Utah’s Long-Term Demographic and Economic Projections
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute recently co-hosted the Utah Legislature at a policy summit focused on Utah’s future. The summit opened with this video, which highlights growth and change in Utah. The video presents the findings of the state’s long-term demographic and economic projections such as growth, urbanization, declining fertility, sustained in-migration and an aging population.
October Economic Summary
The Utah economy remains healthy. Every major industrial sector expanded in 2016, contributing a total of 49,500 new jobs over the year. An annual employment growth rate of 3.6% was above the state’s long-term average and among the strongest in the nation. In 2016, Utah’s construction sector posted the highest job growth with 6.8%.
Fertility in Utah since the Great Recession: The New Normal or a Pregnant Pause?
Utah is currently experiencing strong economic growth and has clearly recovered from the Great Recession; however, it appears the recession has left a lingering imprint on the state’s demographics. Starting in 2008, fertility rates in the state began to significantly decline and those declines continue. While Utah continues to have the highest fertility rate, youngest population, earliest age at first marriage, and largest household size in the nation, the shifts that began in 2008 may indicate a new trend in fertility rates for the state. We conclude Utah’s lower fertility rate is likely not a pregnant pause, but rather a [...]
