Utah is the nation’s fastest growing state and, thanks to that, remained its youngest over the last decade even as the rest of the country got older, according to new data released by the Census Bureau on Thursday. The state grew at a rate more than double that of the rest of the country. The under-18 population grew by nearly 9% even with declining birth rates nationally. Utah also grew more diverse and retained a significant share of young people.
Utah isn’t quite as young as it used to be, but it has the country’s highest percentage of young people at 29%.
Utah’s growth over the last decade has helped power the state’s largest economic expansion, increased tourism and expanded the middle class. Those impressive stats come with side effects, though, such as skyrocketing housing prices.