Cottonwood Heights receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Cottonwood Heights
West Valley City
Opportunity
72 · Top 19%
vs66 · Top 30%
Growth
52 · Top 48%
vs49 · Bottom 47%
Climate
55 · Bottom 6%
vs55 · Bottom 6%
Physical resilience
55 · Bottom 47%
vs55 · Bottom 47%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 38%
vs79 · Bottom 47%
Access
96 · Top 31%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
74 · Top 20%
vs71 · Top 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Cottonwood Heights | West Valley City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,828 | 138,437 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $119,422 | $92,209 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $59,208 | $30,104 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,560/sq mi | 3,864/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $694,100 | $419,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,730 | $1,504 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.4% | 72.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.0% | 0.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53.8% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 9.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 45 | 255 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 275.0% | 168.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.5" | 15.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.0 | 31.2 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Cottonwood Heights
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
West Valley City
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.
Cottonwood Heights
68
Your Score
65
Area Score
West Valley City
60
Your Score
56
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Cottonwood Heights, UT · West Valley City, UT · How this is calculated: methodology