Two Western states are bucking the trend of sluggish U.S. population growth, which dipped to the lowest level since the Great Depression. In Utah, births largely drove the growth. In Idaho, newcomers from other states helped it capture the second spot.
FILE - Rows of homes, are shown in suburban Salt Lake City, on April 13, 2019. Utah is one of two Western states known for rugged landscapes and wide-open spaces that are bucking the trend of sluggish U.S. population growth. The boom there and in Idaho are accompanied by healthy economic expansion, but also concern about strain on infrastructure and soaring housing prices.
For both states, which have long been lightly populated, the expansion comes with rapid economic growth, sparking concerns about strains on infrastructure, rising housing prices and a sharp increase in the cost of living that could threaten the area’s quality of life in the long term.
While the fertility rate has slowed a bit in recent years, natural growth still accounts for about 70% of the state’s boom. “We’re still a lot younger and we still have more kids than most states,” said Mallory Bateman, a senior research analyst at the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
It’s making it harder for young Utah families to follow the path their parents took. Matthew Clewett, 26, and his wife, Bethany, want to have a large family like the ones they grew up in, but high housing costs could put a serious damper on that plan. The couple bid on at least 10 houses in northern Utah before they could close on a starter home for themselves and their infant daughter in March.
“For the majority of middle-class Americans, their wealth is tied up in their home. It’s been like that for decades,” Eskic said. “If you’re not able to get into a home, how do you build your household wealth and set your family up?” Lawmakers in the GOP-dominated state took some steps toward addressing the housing crisis this year, setting aside millions for increasing and preserving affordable housing.
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