Emery County experiences population growth

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Utah’s 2009 population 2.8 million
The Utah Population Estimates Committee announced Utah’s population was an estimated 2,800,089 on July 1, 2009-up 42,310 or 1.5 percent from July 1, 2008.
Emery County’s population was an estimated 10,848 on July 1, 2009-up 2.2 percent from July 1, 2008. Southeastern District (Carbon, Emery, Grand, San Juan) population was an estimated 55,752 on July 1, 2009-up 1.4 percent from July 1, 2008.
“In 2007 we added 84,425 people to our population, the equivalent of a city the size of Ogden; last year we added 58,225, a city the size of Taylorsville. In 2009, we added 42,310 people, a city the size of Draper,” said Michael Mower, Utah Population Estimates Committee Chair.
Utah’s unique characteristics of a high fertility rate and low mortality rate consistently contribute to strong natural increase, the difference between births and deaths. In 2009, the number of births did not surpass the record of 55,357 set in 2008. However the 54,548 births led to a strong natural increase of 40,763. Deaths within the state totaled 13,785 in 2009. Natural increase accounted for about 96 percent of total population growth.
The committee estimated net in-migration in 2009 was 1,547, or only 4 percent of total population growth. Net in-migration the previous year was 16,648, or about 29 percent of total population growth.
Juliette Tennert, a member of UPEC and Utah’s State Demographer said, “The estimates show the severity of the economic contraction we’ve experienced in Utah-net-in migration reached a historic high of 44,252 people in 2007, this year the net was only 1,547. Though net in-migration is much lower than in previous years, it is still positive, which suggests that Utah’s economic opportunities are still better than in other states.”
This year, the most rapid regional growth rates occurred in counties along the Wasatch Back and in the Uintah Basin area of the State, as well as in counties adjacent to larger population centers. The populations in Duchesne, Morgan, San Juan, and Wasatch counties are all expanding faster than the state average. Washington County has shifted from the fastest growing county in the state in 2005 with a growth rate of 8.4 percent to the second slowest in 2009 with an increase of 0.5 percent. Carbon County was the only county to have a population decline, with a loss of 0.4 percent.
For 2009, the following counties had the highest population growth rates: Duchesne 3.6 percent; Morgan 3.1 percent; San Juan 2.9 percent; Uintah 2.8 percent; Wasatch 2.6 percent; Sanpete 2.5 percent; Daggett 2.5 percent; Utah 2.3 percent; Emery 2.2 percent; Rich 2.2 percent. For 2009, the following counties had the highest population increases: Utah-11,810; Salt Lake-11,606; Davis-5,741; Weber-2,723; Cache-2,435; Tooele-903; Uintah-845; Washington-756.