CEDAR CITY — Cedar City Mayor Garth Green said he’s not surprised to see the city recognized nationally after it experienced “tremendous growth” over the last few years.
Heartland Forward, which describes itself as a “think and do tank,” compared 536 like-sized micropolitans across the United States and ranked their “economic dynamism,” the nonprofit stated in a recent press release sent to Cedar City News via email.
A micropolitan is an urban area with a population of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000 people and “outlying areas with close economic ties to those communities,” the website states.
“(We studied) changes in key economic conditions from 2015 through 2020, with special attention to the change in employment from September 2020 through September 2021 to better understand communities’ ability to rebound from the early months of the pandemic,” the release states.
Cedar City was No. 8 on their list of Most Dynamic Micropolitans: 2022 and was the second Utah city on the list, after Heber, which landed at No. 3.
Green told Cedar City News in a phone call that he is not surprised by the ranking.
“We all know and recognize that Cedar City is an amazing place,” he said.
Cedar City was recognized principally for its “tremendous growth,” Green said.
“But more so than just our rapid growth is the quality of life that’s bringing that rapid growth,” he said. “Even during the great pandemic -which we’ll call it — people still wanted to come to Cedar City. Perhaps, because of the pandemic.”
Urban amenities in large metropolitans were shut down during the pandemic, the list’s website states, which forced many desk-based workers to adapt to a home office, increasing the “intrigue of an outdoor-centric small town.”
Cedar City boasted the fastest population growth of any micropolitan between July 2020 and July 2021, the report states.
There were fewer COVID-19 mandates and restrictions in Cedar City than in some other areas, Green said. Additionally, when many employees began to work from home, they could choose to work from anywhere in the world with a good internet connection.
“And if you’re going to work from home,” Green said, “wouldn’t you want to live where you want to live?”
Southern Utah University contributes to residents’ quality of life by hosting activities “that are very desirable and the Shakespeare Festival, Green said, adding that other events throughout also attract new residents to the area.
Additionally, he said that while St. George is “clearly more comfortable to live in,” people flock to Cedar City to experience its climate and distinct seasons, with milder summers than the surrounding metropolitans.
“I’m going to be really glad when it’s over, but I still want winter to come every year,” he said. “And the falls are absolutely to die for.”
Green said that the secret is out concerning the city’s commercial development and companies are relocating to Southern Utah. BZI Steel recently broke ground on their new Commerce Crossroads Logistics Park, which includes a rail transport loading facility and an 820-acre, rail-served industrial park. Information about the park was shared by the Cedar City Utah Economic Development’s Facebook page.
“The need is just tremendous for a way to unload rail cars and load them onto trucks,” he said. “Because Cedar City is the hub — the center of the western United States.”
Additionally, other businesses are opening shop in the city, such as the American Packaging Corporation, which Cedar City News reported breaking ground in February, and Align Precision, which hosted a ribbon-cutting on Oct. 15.
“The businesses are just coming and they’re wonderful businesses,” Green said. “They’re paying above grade on their wages. They’re looking for great employees. Rising tides raise all ships, and we’re all going to benefit from an excellent commercial environment in Cedar City.”
According to the report, Cedar City experienced a 27.2% employment growth between 2015 and 2020 and a 31.6% increase in average annual pay over the same period. Additionally, the city’s gross domestic product grew by 35.8%.
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