The U.S. Census Bureau Releases County Population Estimates for 2019

Next year, actual counts from the decennial census will be available

By Lecia Parks Langston, Senior Economist
“Any time you have population growth, there are business opportunities.” Roland Dorson

 

Hopefully, all Utahns are taking a break from COVID-19 concerns to respond (by phone, online or by mail) to their 2020 Census questionnaires (https://2020census.gov/). Since the Census results help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding are spent, accurate counts are important in order for Utah’s communities to get their “fair share.”

 

Because the actual counts are not yet available, the U.S. Census Bureau has just released the last set of population estimates for the decade. What do they show?

• Iron County took the lead in population growth rates for 2019 — up by 4.1%. Following close behind was its neighbor, Washington County, with a growth rate of 3.5%.
• Other fast-growing areas included counties at the edge of urban spread, such as Juab, Tooele and Wasatch.
• Although Piute County saw an increase of only about 30 individuals, its small base population also resulted in a strong percentage increase (2.9%).
• Utah County showed the highest percentage increase (2.4%) of the big-four Wasatch Front counties.
• Estimates for both San Juan and Daggett counties suggested a decline in population, while Duchesne County’s population appeared to hold steady.
• Utah County experienced the largest numeric gain in population — nearly 15,000 residents, followed by Salt Lake County (up about 12,000) and Washington County (up nearly 6,000).
• Utah and Washington counties finished neck-and-neck in the race for net in-migration. Utah County’s net in-migration measured 5,200 compared to 5,100 for Washington County.
• Several counties displayed net out-migration. Most notable on the list were Duchesne and San Juan counties. Daggett, Emery and Summit counties showed lesser out-migration estimates.
• For its size, Utah County shows a relatively high number of births and a low number of deaths, placing its natural increase not far behind population-dense Salt Lake County.
• Although Washington and Cache counties showed roughly equivalent numbers of births, deaths in Washington County measured much higher.
• In 2019, Emery County experienced its first (albeit small) population growth in more than a decade.
• Morgan County’s 2019 growth rate slipped below the state average for the first time this decade.
• Wayne County saw its best population growth (1.5%) of the past 10 years in 2019.
• Between 2010 and 2019, Wasatch County was the third fastest growing county in the nation. Washington County (St George, UT MSA) was the fifth fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States between 2010 and 2019. Its relatively small size contributes mathematically to a high growth rate. The Provo-Orem, UT MSA ranked ninth.

These aren’t the only estimates in town. The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah has assembled the Utah Population Committee (UPC) to reinstitute the population-estimates work previously conducted by the Utah Population Estimates Committee (UPEC). These estimates can be found here.
U.S. Census Bureau estimates use the same methodology in producing population figures for every county in the nation. Therefore, for nationwide comparisons, U.S. Census Bureau estimates may have the advantage. On the other hand, UPC population estimates have the benefit of local-analyst expertise and additional data sources.

Proposed RV park outside Zion National Park rejected

A proposal to build an RV park, hotel and gas station near the northwest entrance to Zion National Park has been rejected by county commissioners who said the rural area wasn’t equipped to handle that kind of commercial development.


A company called Juniper Investors was asking the commission to rezone land near the town of New Harmony, Washington County, off Interstate 15. The area is near an entrance to Zion National Park that leads to a 5-mile scenic drive through the Kolob Canyons area. The park’s main entrance is southwest of there, about a 40-mile drive by highway to the town of Springdale, which already has dozens of hotels, restaurants, and outfitter and souvenir shops.


Park officials opposed the project because they worried the development would affect views from the canyon and overwhelm the limited staff that work the entrance. Deseret News

New Water Park aims to turn St. George into 'Splash City'

The "Splash City Adventure Park," expected to open next summer, is set to begin construction next week. It would represent the first large water park ever to open in St. George, which has seen several proposed parks come through but never materialize despite the area's high summer temperatures and heavy numbers of tourists.


The 10-acre water park, complete with an 80-foot slide tower and 900-foot lazy river, would move in next door to a trailer park and up against the border with Washington City at approximately 2200 East Middleton Drive, just south of the Green Springs exit of Interstate 15. The Spectrum

Controversial Old West development seeks new location; Hurricane faces lawsuit

Despite the few months it took to change the Hurricane general plan to allow for an Old West town development and the protests that ensued, the “Lost Trails” development is now moving to a new location. The development fell through when it was discovered the owners of the property did not have the required access to a BLM road that would have been used for fire and safety. The Lost Trails development team is now looking at alternative locations for the Old West town, with Elim Valley being one possibility. St George News

Brian Head Resort Makes Major Improvements

Brian Head Resort plans to add $6.5 million worth of capital improvements to the Navajo Lodge and on-hill facilities this summer. The biggest improvement is a new high-speed detachable quad chair lift. Currently, the Navajo side of the mountain is being served by a triple chair lift, and the replacement lift will mean both main areas at the resort will be served by high-speed lifts.

Brian Head officials are also planning to complete an expansion project to the Navajo Lodge, which houses the resort's ski school, snowboarding school, kid's camp, rental area, restaurants and dining spaces. The expansion will add a total of 12,000 square feet to the building. He said it's sometimes difficult to find space for guests to move around efficiently or find places to sit and eat on busier days of the year. The Spectrum

St. George Ironman brings dollars to area

IRONMAN 70.3 St. George is not just the North American Pro Championship, it also pumps millions of dollars into the city's economy. Last year, IRONMAN brought 8,213 visitors and an estimated $7 million in direct economic impact to the area, according to the St. George Tourism Office. Officials expect this year’s impact to be similar to that of 2018. The Spectrum

Construction begins on multifaceted Utah Shakespeare Festival, SUMA project

The Utah Shakespeare Festival and the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) recently broke ground on a multipart project meant to enhance the guest experience at the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts on the campus of Southern Utah University. The project includes a new gift store, a concessions stand, a clock tower, an outdoor gathering area and landscaping and seating upgrades at SUMA, according to a recent news release announcing the projects. St George News

Climbing gym approved for construction in St. George near Pine View High

A new gym slated to be built in St. George promises to combine the art of yoga with the athletics of rock climbing. The gym is called Contact Climbing and will be built on the vacant lot at 2865 E. 850 N. Street, near the roundabout just west of Costco and Sportsman’s Warehouse. The lot is also just a couple blocks north of Pine View High School.


To accommodate the verticality of its climbing walls, the building will be nearly 60 feet tall. A conditional use permit for the building’s height was approved during a recent St. George City Council meeting. The 18,500-square-foot indoor, climate-controlled gym will include a suite of rock-climbing walls and will also offer yoga and fitness classes and a full set of cardio and fitness equipment. The building will also accommodate parties, corporate events, competitions and after-school programs. St George News

Youth Tournaments Bring Visitors, Large Economic Impact to St. George during President's Day Weekend

Following a consistent migration pattern, youth teams from the north got an early start on their seasons by participating in three massive tournaments over the Presidents’ Day weekend. These events utilized nearly every patch of grass in the St. George area. Attracting some of the largest crowds this holiday weekend is the Rage Invitational soccer tournament, which includes 266 teams and an estimated 4,000 players, coaches and officials.

The Rage Invitational tournament brings an estimated 11,000 people into the St. George and Washington City area for a fun recreational weekend of soccer according to officials. The Ice Breaker Soccer Tournament brought a significant quantity of visitors to the area, with 246 teams and nearly 4,000 total participants.

In addition to the soccer tournaments, a plethora of out-of-town visitors also come to St. George to participate in the Rocky Mountain School of Baseball’s sizable Presidents’ Day Tournament. The event includes 125 competition teams — adding up to approximately 2,000 players, coaches and umpires.

The economic impact of the youth athletic tournaments is significant, given the fact that each player is accompanied by family members who stay at area hotels, dine at restaurants and spend money shopping or on other outdoor recreational activities. Historically, an average of more than three-quarters of the participants for these tournaments are from outside the area. The sports commission estimates the economic impact of those three tournaments to be approximately $15 million. Utah Business Magazine

Report: Cultural businesses generated $76M, 2,000 jobs in Iron County last year

Businesses related to arts, humanities and culture in Iron County generated $76.1 million in spending last year and employed nearly 2,000 people, according to the Utah Cultural Alliance.

The Alliance highlighted Iron County in its annual “State of Utah Cultural Report,” which found that cultural businesses in the state accounted for $3.5 billion in revenue and provided jobs for 79,328 people. A press release from the Alliance did not include data for Washington County. Iron County was higher than typical in direct spending because most patrons were visitors. St. George News

Record number of sports participants bring in over $78 million to St. George in 2017

Healthy competition has been good for the economy in Washington County. In 2017, 42 major athletic events brought more than 62,000 participants and over 116,000 out-of-town visitors to the area. The result was a whopping $78 million in direct economic impact, according to a news release from the St. George Area Sports Commission, thousands in tax relief for residents and hundreds of thousands more in media exposure for the area. St George News

Cedar City Business Openings and Closings

Das Nest—Located next to the Knight’s Inn on South Main Street, this new restaurant is bringing international cuisine to Cedar City each week. Das Nest is open every Friday and Saturday night with a limited menu featuring international dishes from a pre-selected country.

Iron County Courthouse—The Iron County Courthouse has re-opened in Parowan after being closed for more than a year for renovations. The $2.5 million project focused on fixing the outdated plumbing and electrical systems of the 42-year-old building.

Courtyard Marriott—Cedar City’s newest hotel is officially open. The 100-room hotel features a meeting and banquet hall in addition to four separate spaces for break-out sessions.

Porkbelly’s Express and Purple Oasis Acai Bowls & Smoothies—Two Cedar City staples have now found a home at Southern Utah University. Following the lead of Fat Zeus, Purple Oasis Acai Bowls & Smoothies has now transformed from a food truck to a storefront in the Sharwan Smith Student Center. Purple Oasis offers a menu of healthy food and smoothies, including the trendy acai bowl.

Nature’s Grocer—Nature’s Grocer quietly opened on south Main Street at the end of 2017 near Retro Fitness and the IFA. The health food store carries a variety of nutrition products, herbs, supplements and bulk foods.

Tagg N Go Express Car Wash—A Tagg N Go Express Car Wash is under construction on South Main Street near Ross. Construction is expected to be completed by June or July. Walmart—Walmart is about to undergo a major renovation starting in mid-February. According to a representative for the international chain superstore, the upgrades will include new paint and flooring.

Main Street Grill—The downtown breakfast and lunch spot shuttered early this year. The exact reason behind the closing of Main Street Grill is unknown, but it looks like the coveted space is already undergoing a makeover.

Funky Monkey Arcade—After multiple ownership changes since opening in 2016, Funky Monkey Arcade on south Main Street has officially shut its doors. The Spectrum

Zion, Bryce Canyon both set new records for numbers of visitors in 2017

Utah's most popular national parks are only getting more popular, with both Zion and Bryce Canyon National Park reporting record numbers of visitors in 2017. Zion National Park saw more than 4.5 million visitors over the course of the year, a 5 percent increase over 2016, which had been the record year with 4.3 million visitors, according to figures published by the National Park Service. At Bryce Canyon, the figure was 2.6 million, a 9-percent increase over 2016, which was also the previous record holder at 2.4 million. Both parks have seen visitation grow by more than 40 percent since 2010, with steady increases in traffic each year. The Spectrum

St. George, Cedar City announced as host cities for 2018 Tour of Utah

Organizers announced that the route for the men's professional cycling race will include both St. George and Cedar City. The seven-stage event will start in St. George on Aug. 6 before ultimately ending on Aug. 12 in Park City. Dixie will make its initial appearance in the Tour of Utah for the prologue portion before riders begin the first stage the next day on Aug. 7. This is the fourth time the Festival City will be included in the route. The Spectrum

Zion sets visitation record, highlighting crowding concerns

Zion National Park has already set a new visitation record with a month left to go in 2017, a milestone that highlights concerns about overcrowding. Nearly 4.4 million people visited the park through the end of November, an increase of about 5 percent over last year.

Attendance at Zion has risen steadily over the past decade and is up some 70 percent since 2010, when there were 2.7 million visitors for the year. The new numbers come as park officials weigh a first-of-its kind reservation system and the National Park Service considers hiking fees to $70 per car during the peak summer season at several popular parks, including Zion. The plan announced in October would more than double the entry fees at 17 national parks that now charge $25 or $30 per vehicle. Prices for national park passes and senior passes would be unchanged. Officials say the higher fees are needed to address an $11 billion maintenance backlog that's built up as park funding stayed flat. Deseret News

Dixie State to break ground on Human Performance Center

Dixie State University broke ground on a Human Performance Center. The Utah Legislature appropriated $25 million over two years for the 155,000-square-foot building, which will house academic programs in exercise science, sports and recreation management, health administration, and population health. The facility will also be equipped to host local, regional and state high school games, the Huntsman World Senior Games and community-sponsored sports events. It will also feature basketball courts that convert to indoor soccer venues, a fitness center, a track, a climbing wall and a 50-meter swimming pool with deck space. Deseret News

St. George area bicycle network earns state support

Plans to build out a network of bike routes across Washington County, complete with wayfinding signs, bike maintenance stands and designated maps, took a key step this week by earning funding from the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation. The Washington County Recreational Road Bike Network, which would identify 14 different routes throughout the county, won a $10,710 grant from the state office, money that organizers say will help the county to build on its growing reputation as a destination for cyclists. The Spectrum

Zion to get new funding for trails

The Department of the Interior announced more than $50 million in new money for high priority maintenance and infrastructure projects at 42 national parks, including nearly $700,000 at Zion to help restore and maintain the popular Emerald Pools trails. The costs will be evenly split, with $346,337 allocated from Congress and $348,240 coming from private partners. The Spectrum

High Economic Value of Quiet Recreation in Southern Utah

Non-motorized (quiet) recreation activities like camping, hiking, hunting, mountain biking and wildlife viewing on public lands are a significant economic driver in local communities near where the recreation activities take place according to a new report by the independent firm ECONorthwest.

The report titled “Quiet Recreation on BLM-Managed Lands in Southwest Utah” shows that in 2015 the 364,000 quiet recreation visits to SW Utah BLM lands generated $17.4 million in direct spending within 50 miles of the recreation sites. The study shows 204 Utah jobs are supported locally as a result of quiet recreation visits to BLM Land.

The report comes as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is updating their resource management plan for the Cedar City Region. The BLM’s Cedar City Field Office in Southern Utah oversees 2.1 million acres of public land within Iron and Beaver counties. This report is the first ever to quantify both the amount of quiet recreation and the spending associated with quiet recreation specifically on BLM lands in this region of Southern Utah. Utah Business Magazine

Utah national parks see major leap in visitation in 2016

National parks across the country saw record-breaking attendance in 2016, and Utah's parks were no exception. A new government report indicates there were 330.97 million total recreation visits to national parks, a 7.72 percent increase over 2015. In Utah, Zion National Park saw a 17 percent jump in visitation in 2016. Bryce Canyon National Park saw a 26 percent jump and there were similar increases at Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef. In all, Zion National Park ranked fifth for the most-visited national parks in the country.

Officials attribute the boost in visitation to a strong economy, good weather, low gas prices and the National Park Service's Find Your Park marketing campaign, which aimed to draw more visitors to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its creation. Deseret News