Utah’s population is aging and becoming more racially, ethnically diverse
Utah’s demographic profile is youthful, aging, and becoming more racially and ethnically diverse.
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute recently released an update to their 2021 data book on demographics in Utah. The report covers characteristics by age, disability, race, ethnicity, sex, religion, and location.
One key finding was that Utah continues to diversify racially and ethnically, with 24% of Utahns identifying as a racial or ethnic minority. That number has been increasing for six consecutive decades.
Utah’s population also continues to age with declining fertility rates and the aging of the adult population, a trend that’s expected to continue and impact a number of public policies such as education, housing, and transportation.
The full data book can be found online here.
Statue of Utah’s first female state senator heads to Washington, D.C.
A statue of Martha Hughes Cannon, Utah’s first female state senator, is being moved to Washington, D.C. to represent Utah inside the National Statuary Hall.
The hall has two statues for each state. Currently, one of those for Utah is of television inventor Philo Farnsworth, but six years ago, the state legislature voted to replace it with Cannon’s statue.
Now, after delays due to the pandemic, she will finally be sent off with a public event at the Utah State Capitol on June 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. with live music, food trucks, and activities for all ages.
There is no word yet on when the statue will be installed inside Statuary Hall.
Construction to begin on $466 million project to ease Utah County traffic
A $466 million construction project on Mountain View Corridor is aiming to ease traffic in Utah County.
The county has experienced booming growth, which in turn has caused increased traffic. To offset this, Utah Department of Transportation plans to create a functioning freeway from Salt Lake County and Utah County.
As part of that plan crews have begun construction on a freeway to connect 2100 North in Lehi to Porter Rockwell Boulevard in Bluffdale.
The project is expected to take two years but won’t impede traffic because it’s being built on undeveloped land.
