A five-county area in Utah's Dixie will be the state's hot spot for growth during the next 20 years, while an area including Utah's coal country will grow least, according to projections recently released by the State Office of Planning and Budget.
Of the state's designated planning districts, the southwest district, including Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane and Washington counties, is expected to have the largest population increase - 2.4 percent each year, according to statistics included in "Utah Economic and Demographic Projections 1990."The southeast district, which includes Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan counties, will experience only four-tenths of 1 percent growth. Like the southeast area, most rural areas will have little or negative population growth while more people follow a national trend and move to population centers.
Utah is expected to break into the 2010 decade with 2.34 million people at a growth rate almost triple the projections of the United States. Utah's population projections indicate the state would be the eighth fastest growing state in the 1990s. In total population rankings, the state is expected to rise from 36th to 34th place by 2000, the report says.
The Wasatch Front district, which includes Davis, Morgan, Salt Lake, Tooele and Weber counties, is expected to match the state's average growth at 1.6 percent per year.
Davis County will lead growth in that area with a 33 percent increase in population or 94,700 more people in two decades. Salt Lake County is expected to add 260,800 residents in the same period of time.
Other growth leaders, Utah and Summit counties, will add 88,400 and 6,800 residents respectively.
Growth in southwestern Utah will be fueled by a booming Washington County. The county is expected to lead the state in growth until 2010 with a yearly population increase of 3.3 percent or 35 percent over 20 years. Kane County also is tied in rank as the state's third fastest growing county with with a 1.9 percent projected increase. Beaver, Garfield and Iron counties all are projected to have population increases of 1 percent or more.
By 2010, 82 percent of the state's residents will live in eight counties along the Wasatch Front, and 5 percent will live in the southwest district. All other areas will decline in their share of population.
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(Additional information)
Counties expecting population increase
Projected high-growth areas: 1990-2010
Area Yearly Projected
Change Population
Washington County 3.3 percent 70,300
Davis County 2.3 percent 289,600
Summit County 2.3 percent 20,800
Morgan County 1.9 percent 8,600
Kane County 1.9 percent 7,100
Millard County 1.7 percent 14,900
Utah County 1.6 percent 358,100
Cache County 1.6 percent 91,900
Salt Lake County 1.5 percent 979,400
State 1.6 percent 2,346,900