Price is a city in the U.S. state of Utah and the county seat of Carbon County. The city is home to Utah State University Eastern, as well as the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum. Price is located within short distances of both Nine Mile Canyon and the Manti-La Sal National Forest.

The population was 8,216 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city in Carbon County. A substantial irrigation canal was completed in 1888, allowing for large-scale farming. Members of the U.S. Army 9th Cavalry Regiment completed the construction of a road and telegraph lines through nearby Ninemile Canyon in 1886, linking Price and the surrounding region to the Uintah Basin and Fort Duchesne.

The city was formally incorporated July 14, 1892 (originally as part of Emery County) and is named after the Price River, itself named after early settler William Price.

Geography

Price is located in west-central Carbon County at the northwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. The Price River, a tributary of the Green River, flows southeasterly through the city, and the San Rafael Swell is to the south.

The city is on U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 191. US 6 leads northwest to Spanish Fork on the Interstate 15 corridor, while US 191 leads northeast to Duchesne. The two highways together run southeast to the city of Green River and Interstate 70. Utah State Route 10 leads southwest from Price to Huntington.

Price was one of the communities that was served by the Rio Grande Zephyr passenger train. Today Amtrak's California Zephyr passes once a day each direction with a station about seven miles away in Helper.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Price has a cool semi-arid climate, abbreviated BSk on climate maps. It features cold winters and relatively moderate summers. The average high in January is and it rises to in July. The low in January averages , and even in summer the dry climate keeps the nights cool, with an average of . The all-time record high is , which was set on August 3, 1918, while the all-time low is , set on December 26, 1924. Price lies in the rain shadow of central Utah's Wasatch Mountains so that precipitation averages only annually. Late summer and early fall are the wettest times of year due to the Gulf of California monsoon that brings scattered thunderstorms to the region. The city also sees frequent snow during winter and early spring.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Price had a population of 8,216. The median age was 36.0 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.6 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,240 households in Price, of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.9% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 7,029 || 85.6%

|-

| Black or African American || 46 || 0.6%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 156 || 1.9%

|-

| Asian || 41 || 0.5%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 14 || 0.2%

|-

| Some other race || 274 || 3.3%

|-

| Two or more races || 656 || 8.0%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 1,168 || 14.2%

|}

2000 census

As of the 2000 census

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"

|-

! Largest ancestries (2015) !! Percent

|-

| English||25.9%

|-

| German|| 13.1%

|-

| Irish|| 7.7%

|-

| Danish|| 5.7%

|-

| Italian|| 5.6%

|-

| Swedish|| 5.2%

|-

| Scottish|| 3.6%

|-

| Polish|| 2.8%

|-

| Greek|| 2.3%

|-

| French (except Basque)|| 2.2%

|-

| Norwegian|| 2.0%

|-

| Welsh|| 1.9%

|-

| Dutch|| 1.4%

|-

| Swiss|| 1.2%

|}

thumb|right|The [[U.S. Post Office-Price Main|post office in Price is one of 12 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places.]]

Education

There are two public elementary schools in Price (Creekview and Castle Heights); one middle school (Mont Harmon); one high school (Carbon High School). It is also the location of the charter Pinnacle Canyon Academy, which serves grades K-12, as well as the Castle Valley Center for disabled children. Some children located in the Gordon Creek area attend Sally Mauro Elementary in Helper.

Price is the location of Utah State University Eastern, which has an enrollment of approximately 1,525.

Notable people

  • Harold Arceneaux, professional basketball player
  • Dean and Lynn Fausett, painters of the American West
  • John D. Fitzgerald, author known for his The Great Brain series of books for children
  • Herman Franks, former catcher, coach, manager, general manager and scout in Major League Baseball
  • Dave Lauriski, head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration from 2001 to 2004
  • J. Bracken Lee, mayor of Price from 1935 to 1947, governor of Utah from 1949 to 1957
  • Cassandra Lynn, model, Playboy Playmate, born in Price
  • Erik Pears, NFL offensive lineman
  • Jean Westwood, first female chair of the Democratic National Committee; worked on several presidential campaigns
  • Scott Woodward, molecular geneticist noted for his work with the discovery of the first genetic marker for cystic fibrosis

See also

  • List of cities and towns in Utah
  • Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry
  • Helper, Utah
  • KCBU
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Carbon County, Utah

References

  • Price City official website
  • USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum