Utah has more minorities than in recent years, but Sandy, Draper still predominantly white

DRAPER — Slightly more than nine of every 10 people who live in the Sandy and Draper area are white, which is higher than the state average.

According to the 2000 Census, 89.2 percent of people in Utah are white, but Sandy is 93.5 percent white, and Draper is 91.2 percent white. The slightly higher percentages reflect a belief by many residents that the two towns are particularly white.

South valley suburbs are generally whiter than Salt Lake and immediate communities, and east-side communities are generally whiter than west-side communities, according to figures and population estimates from the U.S. Census. That has translated to a comfortable homogeneity that doesn't register as either good or bad with many residents.

"It's mostly white out here, but I haven't really thought too much about it," said Jenny Adamson, a Sandy resident who works in Draper. She recently moved to Sandy from West Jordan, which she thought had a more diverse population, but, "I guess it really wasn't a big deal to me."

But the uniformity bothers Courtney Walker, who grew up outside of Utah and is accustomed to seeing a broader representation in races. Walker works as a manager of a health club in Sandy, and she and her husband moved to Draper about one year ago for the paragliding off the point of the mountain.

"I can think of four to five people out of all our regulars that aren't white," Walker said. She estimated that the gym's "regulars" number from 200 to 300. "Draper has always seemed strange to me."

Minorities who live in the south valley area tend to not congregate in one neighborhood, said Edie Mitko, director of the state office of Asian affairs. Mitko can cite immigrants and ethnic minorities who live in the Sandy-Draper area, but there's not a congealed presence as there is in other cities. That can create an impression of them simply not living there, she said.

"They're just scattered," Mitko said. "It's not like if you go to West Valley City where you see all the strip malls with the Vietnamese shops — they're all pretty well spread out."

Mike Smith, an employee of a paint store in Draper, said his experience didn't match the census numbers. "There's a vast variety of ethnicity here," Smith said in between taking orders for varied colors of paint. "They're all really good people."

Instead, Smith distinguished customers based on their apparent income levels. "Some people tend to flaunt the money they have with their vehicles, the way they carry themselves, and the way they treat you when they're asking for help," he said. But, generally, "it seems to be a pretty tight-knit community."