Utah's youth population is increasing

OGDEN (AP) — A U.S. Census Bureau report released Friday shows more than 30 percent of Utahns are minors, and state officials say they only expect that percentage to increase.

Historically about 75 percent of the state's growth has been internal, said Robert Spendlove, director of demographics and economic analysis for the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget.

"This is Utah's second echo boom, the grandchildren of the baby boomers," Spendlove said. "Added to that is a high level of in-migration."

Utah also has the country's lowest median age, 27 years, and largest household size, with more than three people per home, he said.

And those factors can attract economic growth to the state.

"Utah has a young, well-educated, hard-working work force that is very attractive to companies," Spendlove said. "The fact that Utah has the second-highest growing job sector in the nation is due to its young work force."

Utah's high number of youngsters makes the state demographically unique, but the distinction can also skew some national data, Spendlove said.

For example, the state ranks 46th in per capita income level but 11th in median income because so many state residents fall into nonworking age groups.

In 2005, the number of school-age children grew by 14,000, which is half as much as the growth during the entire 1990s, said Spendlove. And, he said, public school enrollment is expected to grow by 150,000 students over the next 10 years.

Such growth will put a strain on state public schools and other essential services, said Patty Murphy, an economist for the State Office of Education. Those demands will be especially apparent along the urbanized area known as the Wasatch Front, where most Utahns live, she said.