- The Washington Times - Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox doesn’t want more Californian “refugees” flooding his state.

The Republican governor said last week that the rapidly growing Beehive State was struggling to keep pace with the rising demand for housing and water, thanks to all its transplants.

“This last census confirmed that Utah was the fastest-growing state over the past 10 years, so our biggest problems are more growth-related,” Mr. Cox said in a press conference following the National Governors Association meeting in the District, according to C-SPAN. “We would love for people to stay in California instead of coming as refugees to Utah.”

Utah went from 2,763,885 residents in the 2010 census to 3,271,616 in 2020 — an increase of 18%. Still, most Californians are moving to other states, namely Texas, Arizona and Washington.

Utah’s housing prices have exploded along with its population.

Since 2000, home prices in Utah have gone up 200%, according to KTVX, the ABC affiliate in Salt Lake City. In comparison, the national average for home prices increased 150%

Mr. Cox has also pointed the finger at short-term rentals in the state’s popular tourism spots for contributing to the housing shortage, according to SFGate.

• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.

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