Draper and Highland receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Draper
Highland
Opportunity
74 · Top 15%
vs75 · Top 13%
Growth
36 · Bottom 25%
vs48 · Bottom 46%
Climate
55 · Bottom 6%
vs55 · Bottom 6%
Physical resilience
54 · Bottom 46%
vs49 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability
71 · Bottom 36%
vs78 · Bottom 45%
Access
93 · Top 47%
vs96 · Top 31%
Economic stability
76 · Top 16%
vs77 · Top 13%
Measured values
| Metric | Draper | Highland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,278 | 20,119 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $128,910 | $186,075 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $58,193 | $62,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,774/sq mi | 2,316/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $784,800 | $928,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,894 | $2,166 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.6% | 91.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.0% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.9% | 64.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.1% | 1.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 155 | 44 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 2.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -60.6% | -48.2% | 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 | 21 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.5 min | 24.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.3 | 28.0 | 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
Draper
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Highland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Draper, UT · Highland, UT · How this is calculated: methodology