Draper receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Draper
Salt Lake City
Opportunity
74 · Top 15%
vs77 · Top 11%
Growth
36 · Bottom 25%
vs77 · Top 8%
Climate
55 · Bottom 6%
vs55 · Bottom 6%
Physical resilience
54 · Bottom 46%
vs55 · Bottom 47%
Housing affordability
71 · Bottom 36%
vs55 · Bottom 14%
Schools
71 · Top 25%
vs23 · Bottom 15%
Access
93 · Top 47%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
76 · Top 16%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Draper | Salt Lake City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,278 | 208,007 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $128,910 | $75,090 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $58,193 | $51,173 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,774/sq mi | 1,876/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $784,800 | $539,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,894 | $1,414 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.6% | 45.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.0% | 0.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.9% | 51.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.1% | 13.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 155 | 2,955 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 14.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -60.6% | 19.8% | 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 | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.5 min | 21.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.3 | 32.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 40 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.70 | 18.29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 54.1% | 33.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 51.1% | 38.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 14.3% | 58.3% | 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
Draper
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Salt Lake 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.
Draper
66
Your Score
63
Area Score
Salt Lake City
63
Your Score
61
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Draper, UT · Salt Lake City, UT · How this is calculated: methodology