Utah County Takes Title for Fastest Growth in State

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) The population of Utah has now climbed to a record 2.7 million people, according to the state's Population Estimates Committee. Record numbers of births and newcomers moving into the state are driving that growth. But Washington County no longer tops the list of Utah's booming regions. KCPW's Julie Rose reports:

 

Washington County is no longer the fastest growing area in the state. Utah County takes the title with a growth rate of five and a half percent. That's a full percent more than Washington County, which hit a high of eight percent growth two years ago.

Ken Sizemore of the Five County Association of Governments blames the mortgage crunch and housing market for slower growth in Washington County. Utah County appears to have withstood the slump thanks to new jobs created by Micron and other computer companies, according to Shawn Eliot of the Mountainland Association of Governments.

Communities on the North edge of Utah County have experienced the most growth, says Eliot. And that has put serious pressure on I-15 in Utah County, he adds.

Overall, Utah saw record births and newcomers moving into the state this year for a total population of 2.7 million people, according to the Utah Population Estimates Committee.

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