Utah Population 2024

The last census in the USA was carried out in 2010, and this revealed that the Utah population stood at 2,763,885. This is a significant increase of over 20% from the numbers declared in 2000. Utah is currently the 4th fastest-growing state in the United States. Utah currently enjoys a growth rate of 1.64%, which ranks 4th in the country.

Utah Area and Population Density

Located in the central southern sector of the USA, the state of Utah is the 13th largest in terms of land mass, but it is very sparsely populated by comparison. Around 80% of Utah's residents live in the surroundings of Salt Lake City; therefore, there are vast areas which are simply uninhabited.

It's interesting to note that this is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the US, and although numbers are growing by significant percentages, large parts of Utah remain completely uninhabited.

The total surface area of Utah covers 84,899 square miles (219,887 square kilometers). For every square mile of Utah land, there is an average of 33.6 people, and there are only nine states in the country with a less dense population.

Most of Utah's population (more than 2 million) lives in the towns and cities along the Wasatch Front, a metropolitan area running north-south with the Wasatch Mountains, although growth outside this area is also on the rise. For example, St. George is currently the 17th growing metropolitan area in the country.

By far the largest metropolitan area in the state is the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, with 1.3 million residents as of 2016. This is followed by the Odgen-Clearfield area with 597,000 residents. While Utah as a whole has a very low population density, Salt Lake city proper has a density of 1,666 people per square mile.

Utah Gender and Religion Statistics

The median age across the population of Utah is approximately 30.3 years of age. When examining the ratio of females to males among the residents of Utah, females are at 49.7% and males are at 50.3%.

In terms of religious preferences among the current residents of the state, 73% are affiliated with a Christian based faith, 4% are affiliated with non-Christian based faiths, and 18% are not affiliated with any religion in particular.

Additionally, it's worth noting that Salt Lake City, Utah, is the world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). However, almost half of Utah's counties are seeing significant declines in Mormon membership in recent years. About 60.68% of Utahans are members of the church. This has a large influence on the culture and life in Utah.

Utah Boundary, Census, and Statehood History

Utah was acquired from Mexico in 1848 and established as a territory in September 1850, including most of present-day Nevada and western Colorado. Colorado and Nevada were separated in 1861, with further transfers from Utah to Nevada in 1862 and 1866. Utah acquired its present boundaries in 1868, and was admitted as a State on January 4, 1896. Utah's 1850 census was taken as of April 1, 1851 and included almost no population outside the present State. The 1860 population includes some persons in present-day Wyoming, but excludes counties located in present-day Nevada. The 1870 population excludes Rio Virgin County, which was part of Nevada although enumerated as part of Utah.

Utah is one of few states that has a significantly higher percentage of white residents -- surpassing 90%. The current estimate of 91.2% is significantly higher than the 86.1% recorded during the 2010 Census. Most people residing in the state are of Northern European descent, although there are also communities of Icelandic Americans and Italian Americans.

Utah has one of the lowest African American population percentages in the nation, ranking 43rd out of 50 states. The state does, however, have one of the highest percentages of Hispanic residents in relation to toal population, ranking 12th out of 50 states. It ranks 10th in its percentage of Mexican American inhabitants when compared to total population.

Utah's major ancestry groups include English (26%), German (11.9%), Scandinavian (11.8%), Mexican (9%), American (6.6%) and Irish (6.2%).