And, nationwide, minorities are younger than non-Hispanic whites, who have a median age of 40.8. That's compared to a median 27.6 years old for Hispanics, who have the youngest median age.

While the age difference isn't as dramatic in Utah as it is nationally, Utah is also seeing a more diverse younger generation. With median ages of 31.4 and 29.4, respectively, Asians and whites were the state's oldest groups. Meanwhile, blacks had a median age of 22.9 years old, and Hispanics 24.9.

"The main point is we're very young," Tennert said. "That's on account of a really high fertility rate and lots of children. It's also on account of a growing proportion of our Hispanic population."

Utah's school system is spotted with areas of rapidly growing school age populations, some of which are outpacing projections, said Todd Hauber, associate superintendent for the State Office of Education.

"It's usually the facility question," he said. "Where are we going to house all these children ... It also comes down to are there enough teachers in the system."

Many schools, like Oakcrest, are now on a year-round system, which means that one-fourth of the school is always out of session. Districts are also building schools to meet the demand. A new elementary school opening this summer will relieve some of the stress on Oakcrest, allowing the sixth graders to learn at the elementary school.

On the older end, the state is bracing for the eminent wave of retiring baby boomers. Each county has an agency on aging and there's a governor's commission looking at the issue, Booth said. A key challenge will be to extend services to people in rural areas, she said. And education is also key.

"We want to educate people on a number of things," she said. "One is prevention and wellness so they can age better. Through the aging process they will have longer, productive lives, healthy lives."

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com