Oakdale vs Layton

Which is the better fit for you?

Oakdale, MN
67
Area Score
Top 21% nationally
Layton, UT
67
Area Score
Top 21% nationally

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Oakdale and Layton 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.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Oakdale to Layton

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Everyday prices
8% lower
Regional price level 96.1 against 104.3 (US = 100)
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$95 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,614 in Layton against $1,709 in Oakdale.
The median home
50% more
$477,700 in Layton against $318,100 in Oakdale.
The weather you would swap
Winters 12°F milder
Normal January lows are 21°F in Layton against 9°F in Oakdale; July highs are 91°F against 83°F (summers 8°F hotter).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

28 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.

Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.

Signals

Oakdale
Layton
Opportunity: Layton is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 45%
vs
65 · Top 32%
Growth: Oakdale is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
84 · Top 2%
vs
73 · Top 11%
Climate: Layton is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
55 · Bottom 5%
vs
60 · Bottom 14%
Physical resilience: Oakdale is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
87 · Top 15%
vs
83 · Top 20%
Housing affordability: Oakdale is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
69 · Top 45%
vs
65 · Bottom 46%
Schools: Oakdale is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
48 · Bottom 47%
vs
44 · Bottom 42%
Access: Layton is the more favorable of the two.
Access
94 · Top 44%
vs
99 · Top 9%
Economic stability: Oakdale is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
76 · Top 11%
vs
65 · Top 34%

Measured values

MetricOakdaleLaytonSource period
Population28,58583,2862024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$93,772$102,480 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income — the two are too close to separate$45,119 ±$2,506$42,444 ±$1,7622024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,608/sq mi3,691/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$318,100$477,7002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent — the two are too close to separate$1,481 ±$109$1,538 ±$802024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,709$1,614 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index104.396.1 — more favorable2023
Homeownership rate77.5%72.5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.9%3.2% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−2.0%−1.4% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher — the two are too close to separate35.6% ±3%36.6% ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate5.4% — more favorable8.2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)52965512 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents18.5 — more favorable7.912 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+2684.2% — more favorable+252.2%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high83°F91°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low9°F21°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation29.2"16.4"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport15 mi9 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute — the two are too close to separate24.4 min ±1.1 min24.6 min ±0.8 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age39.732.32024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools4222024-25 school year
Students per teacher18.8 — more favorable22.92024-25 school year
Math proficiency60.4%44.8%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency57.8%48.7%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility59.7%22.1%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.

4 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison.

Minnesota and Utah do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.

Physical risk tradeoff

Oakdale

Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail.

Layton

No hazard reaches elevated exposure.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Oakdale
—
Oakdale: Your Score
67
Area Score
Layton
—
Layton: Your Score
67
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Oakdale, MN · Layton, UT · How this is calculated: methodology