Utah Keeps More Homegrown Residents Than Any Western State

Like much of the west, Utah has seen an influx of people moving in over the past few years. The state still has one of the higher percentages of homegrown residents as compared to all our neighbors.

A Strong Percentage of Homegrown Residents

The percentage of people in Utah who were born in the state is over 60% while the state with the lowest number of homegrown residents is Nevada where only 27% say there were born there. That is according to the Census Bureau.

Utah has a higher percentage than all the states in the west. Part of the reason is Utah's traditionally high birth rate. The people moving in may have been as high as other western states, but the birthrate has kept the overall percentages in check.

The Declining Birth Rate: Implications for Residents

That is changing. The birthrate has dropped in Utah but this may not affect the percentage of homegrown residents in the state as the birth rate has also dropped in the rest of the nation.

People continue to move in from other states with the largest percentage coming from California. However, Utah hasn't been the largest recipient of folks leaving California. The most have moved to Texas and Idaho.

Read More: Do People in Utah Eat Crawdads?

With the US News naming Utah the best state to live in because of low crime and a strong economy, people will continue to move here. Just remember you can't blame all the problems of growth on transplants to Utah.

The percentage of homegrown, and probably some of your posterity, is still high in Utah.