Draper receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Murray
Draper
Opportunity
75 · Top 15%
vs74 · Top 15%
Growth
41 · Bottom 34%
vs36 · Bottom 25%
Climate
55 · Bottom 6%
vs55 · Bottom 6%
Physical resilience
55 · Bottom 47%
vs54 · Bottom 46%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 34%
vs71 · Bottom 36%
Schools
12 · Bottom 3%
vs71 · Top 25%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs93 · Top 47%
Economic stability
75 · Top 17%
vs76 · Top 16%
Measured values
| Metric | Murray | Draper | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,188 | 50,278 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,746 | $128,910 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,071 | $58,193 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,082/sq mi | 1,774/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $507,500 | $784,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,500 | $1,894 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.7% | 68.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.0% | -0.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.9% | 51.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.0% | 6.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 132 | 155 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 3.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -43.1% | -60.6% | 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 | 11 mi | 21 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.3 min | 25.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.7 | 34.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.74 | 22.70 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 28.4% | 54.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 32.2% | 51.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.1% | 14.3% | 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
Murray
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Draper
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Murray, UT · Draper, UT · How this is calculated: methodology