Utah's governor asks Californians to stop moving as 'refugees' to his fast-growing state

If you're thinking of fleeing California's traffic and high prices for Utah, well, you might not exactly be welcomed there with open arms.

Gov. Spencer Cox says his state is already growing too fast and is facing problems associated with overpopulation like housing and water shortages.

"This last census confirmed that Utah was the fastest-growing state over the past 10 years," Cox said during remarks at a White House appearance. "Our biggest problems are more growth-related. We would love for people to stay in California instead of coming as refugees to Utah."

Utah saw the highest percentage of population growth among all states from 2010 to 2020, according to U.S. Census data.

California is the biggest source of people moving into Utah, studies have shown. In 2018, there were some 18,000 Californians who moved to the Beehive State.