Sandy receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Murray
Sandy
Opportunity
75 · Top 15%
vs75 · Top 13%
Growth
41 · Bottom 34%
vs19 · Bottom 7%
Climate
55 · Bottom 6%
vs55 · Bottom 6%
Physical resilience
55 · Bottom 47%
vs55 · Bottom 47%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 34%
vs73 · Bottom 37%
Schools
12 · Bottom 3%
vs76 · Top 18%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs95 · Top 35%
Economic stability
75 · Top 17%
vs77 · Top 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Murray | Sandy | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,188 | 94,291 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,746 | $112,176 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,071 | $52,871 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,082/sq mi | 3,887/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $507,500 | $614,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,500 | $1,777 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.7% | 75.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.0% | 0.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.9% | 46.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.0% | 5.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 132 | 30 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -43.1% | -40.0% | 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 | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.3 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.7 | 37.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.74 | 20.70 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 28.4% | 54.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 32.2% | 53.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.1% | 25.3% | 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.
Sandy
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Murray, UT · Sandy, UT · How this is calculated: methodology