VINEYARD, Utah (AP) - The once tiny town of Vineyard in Utah County has exploded in popularity the past two years.
Vineyard has grown from 611 residents to a population of 3,953, making it the fastest growing city in the state in 2016, according to U.S. Census estimates released Thursday.
City Manager Jacob McHargue said last week that he thinks the town’s population has already ballooned to 8,000 residents, based on the number of recently completed and occupied homes.
McHargue said people are flocking to Vineyard because available land is hard to find elsewhere in the middle of Utah County.
“Vineyard’s in a unique situation because none of this land was available 10 years ago,” he said. “Some of it was in the Geneva Steel site, and a lot of it was farmland.
“We’re really building a city from the ground up,” McHargue said. “I think people are really excited about being part of a community that is brand new across the board.”
Vineyard’s official growth rate in 2016 was 24 percent, the highest by far in the state. Herriman was a distant second at 15 percent, The Salt Lake Tribune reports (https://bit.ly/2rPawQs ).
“We did over 1,000 building permits last year, and we’re on track to do that again this year,” McHargue said. “You can see growth in every direction.”
The Geneva development there is expected to add as many as 27,000 people in a decade.
The state of Utah leads the nation in population growth. The 2016 population estimates show 202 of Utah’s 246 cities and towns gained residents, 37 had fewer residents and seven remained unchanged.
“We’re fortunate we are talking about growth instead of decline, because a lot of cities in the nation are still experiencing economic and population decline,” said Pam Perlich, demographics director at the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
Lehi was the 11th fastest-growing city in the nation by percentage among those with populations greater than 50,000. Lehi saw 4.6 percent growth last year, up from 58,428 residents to 61,130.
“Lehi is as close to heaven as most people will get in this lifetime,” Mayor Bert Wilson said. “It’s a great place to live, a great place to work, and a great place to recreate with some great family values.”
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