Influx of immigrants into Utah is slowing

People are still migrating to Utah, but the influx of immigrants is slowing, according to a survey released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Deseret Morning News graphic Being Utahn Requires Adobe Acrobat.

The American Community Survey of about 800,000 households shows that in 2003, 0.7 percent of the state's estimated 2.3 million residents were immigrants who had moved here in the previous year. That's a gradual decline from 1.1 percent in 2000.

The survey includes data for the nation, states, cities and counties with a population of at least 250,000. In Utah, the only counties large enough to be included were Salt Lake, Utah and Davis.

The survey does show a continued trend toward diversity in Utah, especially in Salt Lake County, where 16 percent of the residents didn't speak English at home in 2003 and 10 percent were foreign born.

Alan Dayton, deputy mayor of Salt Lake County, called the census report "encouraging."

"Our fastest-growing segment is Spanish speaking; that's great," he said. The diversity is "making our state richer and more vibrant."

Utah's overall foreign-born population was estimated at about 167,443 in 2003, up slightly over the previous year.

The census survey shows a slight increase in new residents from other states, who comprised about 3.2 percent of Utah's population.

Neil Ashdown, deputy director of the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, said the influx of job seekers slowed over the past few years as the economy struggled.

"There still are more people moving into than moving out," he said. "There haven't been as many jobs to fill, which has resulted in a slower net migration rate."

Ashdown said despite the recession, Utah has maintained a household income above the nation's and he expects the state's income level to rise this year as the economy improves.

In 2003, the state's median household income was $46,873, virtually unchanged from the previous year, according to the census. The national median household income was $43,818.

"We are actually expecting to see probably about a 2 percent job growth range this year," he said. "It's been relatively flat the last three years. This is the first year we've actually seen a significant improvement in local economy."

At $54,210, Davis County had the highest median household income of the state's three counties large enough to be included in the survey. Davis also had the lowest poverty rate — 2 percent.

Barry Burton, assistant of community and economic development for Davis County, said the low poverty rate could be attributed to the newer housing stock in the county, which has been adjusting from rural to urban over the last 25 years.