Utah suburb ranks fastest-growing in US in the past decade

Photo: Unsplash // Blake Wheeler

Vineyard, in Utah County, takes the top spot

VINEYARD, Utah – New research reveals that Vineyard ranks as the fastest growing suburb in the United States over the past decade.

“Suburban living is seeing renewed interest, driven by skyrocketing home prices and dwindling inventories in urban centers, as well as the need for extra space generally associated with working from home,” said Maria Gatea, the author of the research.

Using data derived from official U.S. census’ from 2013 through 2022, StorageCafe, a self-storage search website, examined housing inventory changes, population shifts, and the share of people working from home to determine which suburbs have experienced the most growth over the past decade.

The soaring prices and scarce availability of housing are major reasons pushing people away from cities and towards suburbs and farther areas. Utah is not exempt to this trend, as data from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute reveals Utah to be the third fastest growing state in the U.S.

StorageCafe examined nearly 4,100 cities nationwide with populations over 10,000 and ranked them based on the change in their housing inventory, including both single-family and multifamily units from 2013 to 2022 to find the fastest growing suburb.

In their research, it was found that Vineyard experienced a 7,054% population increase from 2013 to 2022, increasing from 177 people in 2013 to 12,663 in 2022.

To accommodate the growing population, the housing stock also experienced significant growth, jumping from a mere 57 units in 2013 to 4,163 units in 2022. Virtually all of Vineyard’s multifamily stock has been built in the last 10 years.

As expected this also tremendously increased Vineyard’s population density, as it increased from 36.9 people per square mile in 2013 to 2640.9 people per square mile in 2022.

“Potential homeowners are interested in suburbs that provide access to lifestyle-related amenities such as shopping and dining venues, and various services. We might be witnessing a redefinition of the American suburb: not just tree-lined streets and tranquility, but also dynamic environments where people can work, play, and relax,” said Gatea.

“Take Provo’s Vineyard, for example, the suburb with the most expansive growth over the past decade. This newly developed area included diverse housing options, retail, dining, and entertainment facilities right from the start, a blueprint echoed in many of today’s expanding suburban areas across the country.”

Development and growth has primarily been focused on suburban areas near Salt Lake City and Provo, but cities along the Wasatch Back have also experienced significant growth.

In Wasatch County, both Heber City and Midway in Wasatch County growing significantly. Heber City has increased its housing stock by 53% between 2013 and 2022, reaching a total of 5,160 units.

During this decade, the city built 1,554 single-family homes and about 225 apartments, and Heber City’s population grew by 43%, nearly reaching 17,000 residents in 2022.

Also in Wasatch County, Midway has expanded significantly, increasing its housing stock by 50% to 2,753 units in 2022. This nearly paralleled Midway’s population growth, which increased by 52% from 2013 to 2022, growing to over 6,000 residents.

Conversely, in Park City housing stock has decreased by 11% from 2013 through 2022, highlighting the limited availability of developable land and strict zoning regulations that limit development.

The scarcity of available housing in Park City has led to a hot real estate market, with the average home price jumping by 114% over the past decade and now exceeding $1.5 million.

Despite this, Park City’s population has increased by 8%, rising to nearly 8,400 in 2022.

Vineyard is not the only suburb located in the Wasatch front that has experienced significant growth over the past decade, as Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, and Herriman have all seen significant expansion of their housing markets.

Saratoga Springs’ housing stock has increased by 109% since 2013, Eagle Mountain has experienced a 100% increase in housing units, and Herriman’s housing inventory has increased by 165%.

Herriman’s population has also more than doubled, growing from under 23,500 in 2013 to over 55,000 in 2022.

Suburbs such as these have seen much more growth than larger cities in Utah, as Salt Lake City has seen a far more modest 16% increase in its total housing inventory, coupled with a 7% population growth, along with Provo registering a minor 5% increase in its housing inventory, with its population remaining largely stagnant.

Orem has grown slightly more, experiencing an 18% increase in housing inventory, but this growth is still not comparable to the rapid development in the metro area’s suburbs.