The 2016 Census left no doubt that Utah’s population is growing statewide. In fact, it’s growing more than any other state. But what’s really interesting is where all the growth is occurring. Hint: it’s not Salt Lake City or even Salt Lake county.
Utah County Population Growth Leads the State
Goodbye fields, hello homes! Pam Perlach, of the Kem C. Gardener Policy Institute at the University of Utah, recently released demographic research showing that Utah population grew more than 2% between July 2015 and July 2016, landing north of three million total inhabitants. And, Perlach’s team found that—for three years in a row—the highest rate of growth has been concentrated in Utah County.
Tech Boom Spurs Rapid Growth
Perlach cites the booming Silicon Slopes and breakneck retail development as major factors contributing to Utah County’s rapid expansion. Earlier this month, “Forbes” touted the Silicon Slopes as the new capital of Cloud computing. Utah County company Vivint has been recognized as leading the way in smart home tech and the success of tech startups in Utah County has been compared to the heyday of Silicon Valley.
Farmlands Make Way for Housing
While all of this is good news for residential and commercial developers, it also impacts Utah County’s agricultural traditions. Utah County has long been a thriving farming and ranching community, bringing in as much as $2.4 billion per year. Right alongside tech developments, Utah County has been home to the state’s largest number of cattle and most productive barley crops.
Now those barley fields and roaming cattle are making way for new housing. Perlach shows that Eagle Mountain basically came out of nowhere and another Utah County town, Vineyard, grew by 417% in just one year. Landowners are cashing in on the boom, watching neighborhoods pop up where alfalfa and wheat once swayed.
Homie ranks 2nd for Utah County listings
In the same innovative spirit that gave birth to the Silicon Slopes, Homie has transformed the way people buy and sell real estate in the digital age—cutting out commissions and saving homeowners thousands.
Not only do we make buying and selling easier and more cost-effective, but we’ve got the inside track when it comes to Utah County real estate. In the month of May 2017, Homie ranked second in Utah County for new listings. That means we have listings that no one else does, and best of all, our listings come with built-in savings.
You don’t want to miss out on your Utah County dream house. Make sure this housing boom doesn’t pass you by, and get started with Homie today.