The respite services, which provide temporary services when caregivers need a day off, are the most expensive, about $1,000 per caregiver, Ormsby said.

Ormsby pointed to state figures that show a projected growth of 165 percent in the senior population by 2030. Still, he said Utah may be better off than some other states, some of which have communities where the elderly population is expected to top 50 percent.

"There are going to be states with the population over 65 growing fast, and the young population not growing at all," he said. "Utah may be lucky, if we can educate, train and retain our young people."

Utah already has one of the nation's highest dependency ratios, defined as the ratio of people under age 18 and over age 64, to the working-age population.

Utah's is 63.7. The nation's is 59.8. Only Florida and Arizona had higher dependency ratios.

As the nation's baby boomers age, its dependency ratio will surpass Utah's, but only for a relatively short time, said Robert Spendlove, manager of demographic and economic analysis for the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget.

Spendlove pointed to a peak projected school-age population increase of 2.7 percent. The senior population, meanwhile is projected to peak at a 4.5 percent increase and "stay there for over a decade," he said.

"We don't really see the impact until about 2011," he said. "We're going to start feeling it."

The 2005 American Community Survey, released by the U.S. Census Bureau, for the first time includes key demographic social data for areas with populations of 65,000 or more. It covers only household populations and does not include college dormitories, nursing homes or other group quarters.

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com