Half of Utah's ten fastest-growing communities in 2025 were in Utah County, and almost all of that growth landed in the north and west of the county. At the same time, the county's two biggest cities, Orem and Provo, both lost residents, and Orem lost more people than any other city in the state.
Those are the July 1, 2025 estimates from two sources that usually agree on the big picture: the Utah Population Committee, staffed by the University of Utah's Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, released in May 2026, and the U.S. Census Bureau, released May 14, 2026.
The biggest gains
From the Utah Population Committee's estimates, mid-2024 to mid-2025:
| City | 2025 estimate | People added | Growth | Statewide rank, people added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saratoga Springs | 60,351 | 4,682 | 8.4% | 1st |
| Eagle Mountain | 65,409 | 4,169 | 6.8% | 2nd |
| Lehi | 93,080 | 2,386 | 2.6% | 5th |
| Spanish Fork | 50,282 | 1,777 | 3.7% | 6th |
| Mapleton | 16,368 | 1,336 | 8.9% | 8th |
| Salem | 12,304 | 1,031 | 9.1% | Not in top 10 |
Among Utah cities of 50,000 or more, the four fastest-growing were all in Utah County: Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, Spanish Fork and Lehi, in that order.
The Census Bureau's version
The Census Bureau's numbers rank the same cities near the top, with some differences. By its count:
- Eagle Mountain added 5,195 people (8.5%), the most of any Utah city, and the Census Bureau named it Utah's fastest-growing city of 2025. Its growth rate ranked ninth among U.S. cities with 20,000 or more residents.
- Saratoga Springs added 4,242 people (7.4%).
- Lehi added 2,232, third in the state.
- Mapleton led every Utah city of 10,000 or more in percentage growth at 10.4%, adding 1,527 people.
- Salem grew 8.8%, second in the state by rate.
- Spanish Fork added 1,213, and Santaquin grew 3.8%.
The cities that shrank
Orem lost an estimated 943 residents in the Utah Population Committee's figures, the largest drop of any Utah city, and the Deseret News reported the Census Bureau's estimate as a loss of up to 1,128. Provo lost an estimated 498, KSL reported, among the five largest declines in Utah. Small Cedar Hills lost 116 people, a 1.2% decline, the steepest rate among Utah communities of 5,000 to 19,999.
Neither report explains why a particular city shrank. In general terms, researchers pointed to children growing up and moving out, lower birth rates, and the fact that people moving to Utah tend to be younger adults with smaller households. "There are a lot of factors at play," Mallory Bateman, the Gardner Institute's director of demographic research, told KSL. For Provo specifically, our Provo population guide explains how the student population makes the city's numbers hard to read in the first place.
Why the two estimates differ
The Utah Population Committee estimates from local housing data: new homes and the people likely to live in them. The Census Bureau uses births, deaths and migration records, and this year it added immigration court records to its method. The Deseret News reported the two sets agree on Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs and Orem but differ for some other cities, mostly in Salt Lake County. Either way, the direction in Utah County is the same.
What it means if you're choosing where to live
If you're weighing the two fastest-growing cities against each other, start with our Saratoga Springs vs. Eagle Mountain comparison. For the cities themselves:
- Living in Saratoga Springs
- Living in Eagle Mountain
- Living in Lehi
- Living in Spanish Fork
- Living in Mapleton
- Living in Salem
- Living in Orem
Related guides
- Provo population and city facts
- Saratoga Springs vs. Eagle Mountain
- Provo's area codes: 801 and 385
- Utah County cities by population (2025 Census estimates)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest-growing city in Utah County?
How many people live in Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs?
What is Lehi's population?
Is Orem's population shrinking?
Did Provo lose population in 2025?
Which small Utah County towns grew fastest?
Why do the Census Bureau and the Utah Population Committee disagree?
Why is north and west Utah County growing so fast?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Utah Subcounty Estimates: Cities, Towns, and Unincorporated Areas, 2025, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, University of Utah. Checked November 7, 2026.
- How Utah's fastest-growing cities compare with others in the U.S., Deseret News. Checked November 7, 2026.
- These were Utah's fastest-growing cities in 2025, according to the University of Utah, KSL. Checked November 7, 2026.
