Highland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Highland
Orem
Opportunity
75 · Top 13%
vs63 · Top 36%
Growth
48 · Bottom 46%
vs37 · Bottom 28%
Climate
55 · Bottom 6%
vs58 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 42%
vs49 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability
78 · Bottom 45%
vs68 · Bottom 30%
Access
96 · Top 31%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
77 · Top 13%
vs69 · Top 30%
Measured values
| Metric | Highland | Orem | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,119 | 97,182 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $186,075 | $83,342 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $62,900 | $35,876 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,316/sq mi | 5,220/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $928,300 | $472,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,166 | $1,438 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 91.7% | 57.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.4% | 43.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 1.9% | 10.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 44 | 65 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -48.2% | 124.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.3 min | 22.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 28.0 | 27.0 | 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
Highland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Orem
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Highland, UT · Orem, UT · How this is calculated: methodology