Orem, Utah

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Orem had a population of 98,129. The median age was 27.2 years. 27.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 10.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.7 males age 18 and over.^[13][14]

99.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.1% lived in rural areas.^[15]

There were 29,920 households in Orem, of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 59.3% were married-couple households, 15.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 16.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[13]

There were 31,591 housing units, of which 5.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.4%.^[13]

2010 census

The 2010 census counted 88,328 residents in Orem,^[11] and as of 2011 the 88,112 residents of Orem had a racial and ethnic composition of 89.3% white, 0.9% black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islander Americans, 4% non-Hispanics reporting some other race, 2.9% two or more races reported and 14.8% Hispanic, as Orem has a large Mexican American community with other Latinos residing in the city. This contrasts with the census^[3] of 2000, which showed a racial makeup of 90.80% White, 0.33% African American, 0.73% Native American, 1.45% Asian, 0.86% Pacific Islander, 3.64% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.56% of the population.

2000 census

The 2000 Census counted 84,324 people, 23,382 households, and 19,079 families. The population density at that time was 4,572.6 people per square mile (1,765.5 people/km²). There were 24,166 housing units at an average density of 1,310.4 per square mile (505.9/km²). There were 23,382 households, out of which 48.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.57 and the average family size was 3.93.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 35.4% under the age of 18, 17.4% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 14.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $52,703, and the median income for a family was $59,066. Males had a median income of $42,249 versus $30,742 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,971. About 10.3% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16% of those under age 18 and 6% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

As of 2002, over 97% of all church-going citizens of Orem are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^{[16][better source needed]} Due to the high numbers of Latter-day Saints in the area, Church President Russell M. Nelson announced a temple in Orem on October 5, 2019.^[17] The temple is located 0.5 miles (800 m) south of the Interstate 15 exit at University Parkway on South Geneva Road.

Top employers

According to the city's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[19] the city's top employers are:

Company startups

Several notable companies started in Orem:

• Blendtec
• Caldera
• Fishbowl Inventory
• Mity-Lite
• Novell (now owned by Micro Focus)
• Omniture (now owned by Adobe Systems)
• PowerQuest
• Wahoo Studios
  • NinjaBee, subdivision of Wahoo Studios
• WordPerfect (now owned by Corel, it was first named Satellite Software International and used Orem City Center as its headquarters for a time in offices the city had available in the basement)

Annual cultural events

Oremfest is an annual, multi-day summer festival that has included different activities over the years, but most recently has featured a charity golf tournament,^[20] pool party, outdoor concert, volunteer opportunities, car show, and parade.^[21] Oremfest originated in 1949 to celebrate the completion of State Street.^[22] Other events traditionally included in the festival: a baby contest, a boutique, the Rotary Club Breakfast, a 5K Fun Run, fireworks, a carnival, and vendor booths.

The festival came to be known as Summerfest, until Orem city officials received a cease-and-desist letter in 2022 from Milwaukee World Festival Inc., based on that city's Summerfest music festival trademark and usage of the name dating back to 1969.^[23] In lieu of signing a licensing agreement to use the Summerfest name, the Orem city council opted instead to rebrand to Oremfest. Other Utah cities like South Jordan, however, obtained permission use the trademarked Summerfest name for their own festivals.^[24]

As of 2025, other city arts and cultural events^[25] through fall and winter include:

• 9/11 Day of Service
• "Taste of Orem" (food festival)
• Harvest Festival
• Veteran's Day Program
• "Lights On" (winter light displays)

Library

Orem's first library opened in 1939, before eventually relocating. The new Orem Public Library was built on the same lot as city hall, adjacent to City Center Park, under Mayor Winston Crawford's tenure in 1971.^[26] The library features stained glass art depicting several fairy tales at a window near the children's storytelling wing, the piece was created by artist Tom Holdman at the beginning of his career.^[27] Library Hall is an events space used for author visits, film screenings, and other programs, and includes an art gallery in the dōTERRA South Lobby.^[28]

Utah Valley University

Utah Valley University is a public university operated by the state of Utah. UVU is one of the United States' only Open Enrollment Universities, accepting all applicants. UVU offers a wide variety of bachelor's and master's degrees. It is Utah's largest and fastest-growing public university, with over 43,000 undergraduates.^[49] The campus's notable features include the UCCU Center, the Digital Learning Center library, the Hal Wing Track and Field Complex, and the Woodbury School of Business. The Roots of Knowledge stained glass display is in the Fulton Library on campus.^[50]

Transportation