Ephraim, Utah

Ephraim is a city in Sanpete County, Utah, United States. The population was 6,135 at the 2010 census, making it the largest city in Sanpete County. It is the location of Snow College and is located along U.S. Route 89.

History
Ephraim was founded in 1854. Located directly opposite a Native American settlement, Ephraim served as Sanpete County's most important fort through the end of the Black Hawk War in 1868, which is also the year the city incorporated. The presence of the fort drew diverse settlers to the city, and by 1880 the city was nearly 90% Scandinavian. Although the city's initial growth was based on the fort and later on agriculture, more recently its growth can be attributed primarily to the presence of Snow College. Ephraim surpassed Manti as the largest city in the county during the 1960 Census and has since surpassed 6,135.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.2 km²), all of it land.

Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Ephraim has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,505 people, 1,128 households, and 753 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,262.4 people per square mile (487.2/km²). There were 1,275 housing units at an average density of 357.3 per square mile (137.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.23% White, 0.38% African American, 0.38% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.53% Pacific Islander, 6.86% from other races, and 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.86% of the population.

There were 1,128 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 14.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.59 and the average family size was 3.71.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 42.4% from 18 to 24, 14.0% from 25 to 44, 12.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 20 years. For every 100 females there were 80.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,318, and the median income for a family was $35,568. Males had a median income of $28,421 versus $21,042 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,624. About 12.3% of families and 31.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Ephraim is in the South Sanpete School District and has three elementary schools: Ephraim Elementary School, Manti Elementary School and Gunnison Elementary]and two middle schools Ephraim Middle School and Gunnison Middle School. High school students attend Manti High School or Gunnison High School, while the Sanpete Academy, which is an alternative high school for both the North Sanpete and South Sanpete School Districts, is located on the campus of Snow College. It is also the location of Snow College, which was founded in 1888 as the LDS Sanpete Stake Academy. It was later renamed Snow Academy in honor of LDS president Lorenzo Snow, and finally to Snow College in 1923. Ownership of the college was transferred to Utah in 1932. Current enrollment is around 3,300, some of whom attend the Richfield campus. Utah State University operates a branch campus in Ephraim that offers Bachelors and Graduate Degrees.

Notable people

 * Richard Nibley
 * Linnie Findlay