American Indian, Pacific Islander growth outpaced Utah's overall growth, new numbers show

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Growth in the American Indian and Pacific Islander populations outpaced Utah's overall growth between 2020 and 2025.
However, the growth rate of the groups lagged the Latino, Black and Asian populations, according to new U.S. Census Bureau figures.
The American Indian and Pacific Islander populations are concentrated in Utah's most populous counties.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's American Indian and Pacific Islander populations have edged up since 2020, outpacing the state's overall rate of growth but lagging growth among other racial and ethnic minority groups, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures.

Moreover, new estimates released last month show that the American Indian and Pacific Islander populations are concentrated in Utah's most populous counties, same as before.

Latinos, 17.6% of Utah's overall population as of the 2025 estimates, have been the main motor behind overall population growth in Utah since 2020, according to the new Census Bureau figures. In percent terms, the Latino and smaller Asian population groups — totaling 623,494 and 100,325 as of 2025 — grew by 25.5% between 2020 and 2025. The non-Hispanic Black population, 46,019 as of 2025, grew by 19.6% in the period, and the non-Hispanic white segment, 2.58 million as of last year, increased by 3%.

Overall, Utah's population increased from 3.28 million in 2020 to 3.54 million as of 2025, up 7.8%.

Here are figures for the American Indian and Pacific Islander populations:

The American Indian and Alaskan Native population in Utah increased from 62,606 to 72,748 between 2020 and 2025, up 16.2%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native population, alone or in combination with other races or ethnicities, increased from 114,051 to 133,088, up 16.7%.
The Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander population increased from 39,400 to 44,469 in the period, up 12.9%. The Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander population, alone or in combination with other races or ethnicities, increased from 63,350 to 73,479, up 16%.
Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, Weber and Washington counties, Utah's most populous counties, were home to the largest populations of American Indian and Pacific Islander populations. The American Indian and Alaskan Native population, alone or in combination, totaled 100,110 in the five counties, 75.2% of the state's total as of 2025. The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population, alone or in combination, totaled 66,557 in the five counties, 90.6% of Utah's total.
In San Juan County, where a portion of the Navajo Nation is located, 50.2% of the population was American Indian or Alaskan Native, alone or in combination, as of 2025, the highest concentration by far in the state. The concentration was 9.5% in Uintah County, 7.8% in Grand County, 7.5% in Duchesne County and 3.8% in Utah as a whole.
The concentration of the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population, alone or in combination, was highest in Salt Lake County, 2.8%, followed by Utah County, 2.4%. Across the state, the concentration was 2.1% as of last year.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.