“Don’t California my Utah”
The year was 2020. The world was entering a pan demic, a recession, and a lockdown. Utah was a state polluted with stickers and negativity. Driving down I-15, cars were littered with “Don’t California my Utah” stickers. Similarly, riding up the chairlift, the lift towers were plastered with “Go back to New York and tell your friends Utah sucks” stickers.
Neighborhoods and communities complained about rising prices and the difficulties of social change in rural areas. Reels and Tik-Toks discussed the radical changes in Utah’s political landscape as outsiders voted for atypical candidates. As a result, land trusts were formed in many communities to prevent new construction from blocking mountain views. As “new money” entered Utah and bought their slice of paradise, they did whatever they could to keep others out.
Utah’s culture was shifting from acceptance to protectiveness, affecting all residents. Utah’s rhetoric previously stemmed from its mantra: “The Beehive State.” Working together to make the state better for all residents was a fundamental belief of Utah citizens. This all changed in 2020 because of remote-working policies.
Jobs around the U.S. were turning to remote work to promote productivity and comply with government-enforced regulations. Remote-working capabilities allowed people to live in destinations typically reserved for vacation. As a result of these work policies, migration from California, New York, and other metropolitan areas to Utah increased.
The negative sentiment surrounding the interstate migration to Utah is misplaced.
Residents became uncomfortable because of a change in ideals, morals, and culture. As a result of this change, they lashed out with snippy comments, sarcastic media, and mocking stickers.
The U.S. has always been a melting pot where different cultures blend to create the American people. Diversity in thinking leads to innovation, which cultivates the economy. Innovation is the greatest strength of the U.S. and the key to the country’s economy. Utah grew from diversifying thinking and perspectives to become an economic giant within the United States.
The unhappy reaction to Utah migration stems from the population growth and expanding economy, proving a causation relationship between them.
“Be Right Back, Running Away to Utah”
The statement above is a common sentiment for population growth in the state of Utah.
Utah currently maintains a population of 3.4 mil lion (as of 2022), with a growth rate of 1.8% over 2017–2022.1 The population growth ranks Utah as the 2nd fastest growing state in the country.2 According to Utah Business, net migration accounted for 56% of new residents.3 We can attribute Utah’s rapid growth to these residents moving in from out-of-state.
Heber Valley and Park City are prime examples of growth in Utah.
According to a research paper by BYU and the James town Community College, Heber Valley and Park City started as mining and farming communities. They have since transitioned to tourist destinations, transforming them into hotspots for future Utah residents. The historical growth in these cities shows a time of ups and downs until the 1970s when the population skyrockets. In the 1970s, tourism and land development boomed, creating jobs and increasing wealth in those areas. The population was further expanded from Salt Lake City’s hosting of the 2002 Olympic Games.
As people learned about Heber Valley and Park City, the average home price rose from $700,000 in 2017 to $1,516,385 in 2024, which shows a 116.6% increase over these seven years.4 The large increase in home prices is a result of increased demand for houses in Utah and nationwide inflation.5
The Kem C. Gardiner Policy Institute’s analysis of Utah’s population change shows a projected 60% population growth from 2020 to 2060. According to the same study, remote working policies had the greatest impact on growth in Utah’s metropolitan areas.
The theme is evident: people prefer to live in places with access to the outdoors while maintaining the ability to commute to work. Due to the pandemic and its remote-working implications, people have experienced Utah life and decided to stay.6, 7, 8
Utah has a strong history of founding and growing companies. Evans & Sutherland, WordPerfect, and Novell were early in Utah’s Silicon Slopes. Later, Omniture, Ancestry, and Adobe continued to help grow the state’s tech group. Qualtrics, Entrata, and others are the largest companies stimulating the Utah economy. Companies focused on innovation and changing the world are a massive part of Utah’s social infrastructure.9
Utah has a strong entrepreneurial spirit that feeds economic growth. The relocation of industry and business experts from other metropolitan areas continues to drive that entrepreneurial spirit. New companies are constantly starting and raising millions of dollars in funding. Funding significantly helps these companies thrive. The increase in business professionals and money in Utah has directly improved new business development.10
More large companies are moving to Utah than ever before. The $11 billion investment in a semiconductor factory that Texas Instruments has decided to build in Lehi is evidence. The $11 billion investment made by Texas Industries into a semiconductor factory in Lehi is evidence. Explaining their decision, the Texas Instruments website states that the expansion in Lehi stems from their “commitment to Utah and is a testament to the talented team there who will lay the groundwork for another important chapter in Texas Instruments’ future.”11 Large companies’ decisions to relocate and small companies’ decisions to start in Utah has much to do with the hardworking people found there.
“I’d Rather Be in Utah”
This is another saying that makes it a fun reason to come, an economic reason to stay in Utah.
Talent recognition starts at leading universities, such as Brigham Young University (ranked 20th best university in the U.S. by the Wall Street Journal) and the University of Utah (ranked in the top 10 public universities in the country by the Wall Street Journal).12 A combination of young professionals from these universities and mature, out-of-state professionals gives a powerful push to the state's economic potential.
New talent has contributed to the gross state product (GSP) growth rate of 3.7%, ranking it at #1 in the country. The quantity of businesses has grown to 463,372 companies with a growth rate of 5.0% over the 2017-2022 period, making Utah the 2nd fastest grow ing state by number of businesses.13
“Welcome to Utah, Now Go Home.”
Utah’s economic prowess derives from an attractive banking model that holds 4% of the country’s bank de posits. Special legislation incentivizes banks to operate more heavily in Utah. The strength of the banking sys tem is evident when comparing its deposit amount to the GSP. Utah ranks as the 3rd highest deposit-to-GSP ratio state in the country.14
Utah’s vast capital enabled the economic and population growth that started in 2020.15 Utah’s financial pow er is greater than that of most other states. Until the pandemic, these deposits hadn’t truly been deployed.
Utah’s current economic situation is a direct representation of the quantity of deposits in the state. The rapid expansion of population and business was made possible by the amount of capital already inside the state. The excess capital fueled innovation and business growth, which motivated newcomers to stay.
The relationship between economic growth and population growth was further explored using regression analysis. The data of Utah’s real GDP and Utah’s res ident quantities were compared to yield the results below.
“I Bet You Were Cool in California”
The economic and population correlation.
The global pandemic caused migration to Utah. The population increase further built the economy through a melting-pot culture of ideas, innovation, and knowledge. Utah’s monetary policy incentivizes investment and banking inside the state, which capacitated the growth in gross state product.18
Heber Valley and Park City show that tourism trans lates to relocation.
The continued growth of Silicon Slopes is proof of causation, as the population around that area of Utah expands, and the businesses that form Silicon Slopes continue to grow as well.
Population growth has an exponential symbiotic relationship with business development, GSP, and innovation. These exponential synergies created through population growth and economic growth are fundamental reasons people move to and stay in the area.
The graph “Correlation of Utah Real GDP and Population” suggests that population and GDP in Utah are highly correlated. A regression analysis found an R-Square of 96.0% and a P-Value of 3.8E-9. The regression analysis indicated that the Real GDP and Population growth in Utah are statistically significant.
From 2018 to 2022, the Real GDP catches up to the population of Utah. The high GDP growth relative to population growth indicates a more efficient population in its overall production. The exponential growth relative to population increase furthers the point that high GDP growth was caused by relocated residents from outside the state of Utah in the year 2020. Causation has proven to be the highest year-over-year increase in GDP per capita since 2001, with 4.92% in 2021.
“We’re Full! Go Back to California!”
Negative sentiment derives from new move-ins, but it’s misplaced.
The negative sentiment, a result of Utah’s immigration and population growth, is erroneous. A growing economy is a positive thing for all of us in the state, no matter where you originated from. Economic growth has benefitted all Utahns despite the social changes demanded by population growth. Attracting top talent should be the top focus for Utah, not keeping our rural communities small.
Utah’s rankings of fastest growing state in GSP, second fastest growing state in population, and lowest unemployment rank in the United States show Utah’s status as an economic powerhouse.19
It may be time for all of us to start peeling off our stickers, introducing ourselves to our neighbors, and thanking new businesses for the opportunities that have arisen because of the strong economy we have built together. The global pandemic in 2020 was difficult for all of us, but as with all difficult things, it built Utah into the economic giant it was always meant to be. Remote working capabilities allowed professionals from all over the United States to relocate to a dream destination and apply their skills to the surrounding communities.
The professionalism of out-of-state residents who moved to Utah allowed for exponential GSP growth in the state. Utah’s banking and monetary policies furthered the development, building a community of innovation and investment.20 The culmination of various economic factors changed Utah for the better and continues to do so.
Utah’s rurality and Western vibes will continue as residents cherish their past. There should not be a fear of losing heritage but of building upon it. Utah’s heritage as part of the West lives vicariously by continuing innovation in Silicon Slopes. As the state develops, change is inevitable. Part of the change that occurs will be challenging, but migration will build a stronger, more resilient state.
Utah is a great place to live because of its economic prowess combined with the opportunity for an unbelievable lifestyle. Few places in the world promise a morning of skiing some of the best terrain and an afternoon filled with work meetings and business deals.
The combination of ski bum and startup culture will thrive and change the world for the better. Utah is one of the only states that can fully blend a childlike sense of fun with a secure attitude of professionalism. The skiing and recreation make Utah just a destination for some, but for more and more newcomers, Utah is becoming home.
Notes
1 ”Utah Economic Trends, Stats & Rankings,” IBISWorld, March 2024, https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/ economic-profiles/utah/.
2 ”Utah Economic Trends,” 2024.
3 ”Utah Population Reaches 3,456,482 on July 1, 2023, Driven Mostly by Net Migration,” Utah Business Maga zine, December 2023, https://www.utahbusiness.com/utah-population-net-migration/.
4 ”Park City UT Home Prices & Home Values,” Zillow, March 2024, https://www.zillow.com/home-val ues/26391/park-city-ut/.
5 Michael R. Cope, Scott R. Sanders, Carol Ward, Kirk D. Young, and Haylie M. June, “In the Shadow of the Mountain: A Socio-Historical Case Study on Rapid Population Growth in Two Neighboring Population Centers in the Western United States,” MDPI AG 11 (January 2021), doi:10.3390/soc11010005.
6 Eric Albers, Max Backlund, Mallory Bateman, Emily Harris, Mike Hollingshaus, and Michael Hogue, “Utah Long-Term Planning Projections: A Baseline Scenario of Population and Employment Change in Utah and its Counties,” Informed Decisions, January 2022, https://d36oiwf74r1rap.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/ LongTermProj-Jan2022.pdf?x71849.
7 ”Per Capita Personal Income in Utah in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in Current U.S. Dollars),” Statista, September 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/205497/per-capita-personal-income-in-utah/.
8 ”Real Gross Domestic Product of Utah in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in Billion U.S. Dollars),” Statis ta, March 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/188136/gdp-of-the-us-federal-state-of-utah-since-1997/.
9 Joseph Evans, “Elevating the Silicon Slopes,” BYU Scholars Archive, March 2023, https://scholarsarchive.byu. edu/studentpub_uht/287/.
10 Evans, “Elevating the Silicon Slopes,” 23.
11 ”Texas Instruments Selects Lehi, Utah, for Its Next 300-Millimeter Semiconductor Wafer Fab,” Texas Instru ments, February 2023, https://news.ti.com/2023-02-15-Texas-Instruments-selects-Lehi,-Utah,-for-its-next-300 millimeter-semiconductor-wafer-fab.
12 ”Best U.S. Colleges 2024 - WSJ / College Pulse Rankings,” The Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2024, https:// www.wsj.com/rankings/college-rankings/best-colleges-2024.
13 ”Utah Economic Trends,” 2024.
14 Howard Tenenbaum, “What Is Hiding Behind the Money Accumulating in Utah?” SAGE Publications 53 (September 2021), doi:10.1177/0308518x211041371.
15 Tenenbaum, “The Money Accumulating in Utah,” 21.
16 ”Real Gross Domestic Product of Utah,” 23.
17 US Census Bureau, “Resident Population in Utah from 1960 to 2022 (in Millions),” Statista, December 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/206370/resident-population-in-utah/.
18 Tenenbaum, “The Money Accumulating in Utah,” 21.
19 ”Utah Economic Trends,” 2024.
20 Tenenbaum, “The Money Accumulating in Utah,” 21.
21 James C. Humes, The Wit and Wisdom of Winston Churchill: A Treasury of More Than 1000 Quotations (New York: HarperCollins, May 2007).