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Utah is growing and changing, including becoming more diverse over the past six decades, with close to one-fourth of the population now identifying as a racial or ethnic minority. Close to 1 in 7 residents are Latino or Hispanic. But its “distinctive demographic profile” remains that of a “youthful, aging and predominantly urban state.”

According to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s just-released data book on Utah demography, the Beehive State has a “striking collection of faith traditions" and, as Deseret News recently reported, the greatest share of religious adherents in the country.

“Every Utahn has a different experience, which can be influenced by their age, disability, ethnicity, geographic location, race and sex, among other characteristics,” said Mallory Bateman, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, in a news release.

Read more about the data and what it means for Utah’s evolution.

What are projections for drought in the West?

Utah has been flirting with hope because a couple of good winters may mean conditions are looking up in terms of water availability, but it does not mean the state has escaped a hatchet move when it comes to a relentless drought that has held residents in defensive mode for more than two decades.

There is good news and bad news. Much of the state, as of mid-May, is escaping the immediate drought conditions.

But according to a briefing Tuesday in a webinar called the Intermountain West Drought and Climate Outlook, Utah can look forward to hotter than normal summer temperatures from June through August.

Read more about a reason for optimism and the reality of climate.

More in Utah

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