American Fork receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
American Fork
Payson
Opportunity
73 · Top 18%
vs66 · Top 29%
Growth
67 · Top 20%
vs68 · Top 19%
Climate
59 · Bottom 13%
vs60 · Bottom 16%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 42%
vs49 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability
71 · Bottom 36%
vs74 · Bottom 39%
Schools
69 · Top 28%
vs13 · Bottom 3%
Access
98 · Top 15%
vs96 · Top 30%
Economic stability
76 · Top 15%
vs73 · Top 21%
Measured values
| Metric | American Fork | Payson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,109 | 23,039 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $98,878 | $89,905 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,056 | $30,564 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,258/sq mi | 1,751/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $496,700 | $429,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,697 | $1,549 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.8% | 82.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.8% | 27.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.3% | 7.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 189 | 184 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.1 | 8.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 7.4% | -3.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 16.4" | 18.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.8 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 28.0 | 29.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.29 | 22.49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 52.0% | 32.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 51.7% | 31.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 16.1% | 33.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
American Fork
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Payson
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
American Fork
70
Your Score
67
Area Score
Payson
63
Your Score
59
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: American Fork, UT · Payson, UT · How this is calculated: methodology