Payson and Orem 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.
Signals
Payson
Orem
Opportunity
66 · Top 29%
vs63 · Top 36%
Growth
68 · Top 19%
vs37 · Bottom 28%
Climate
60 · Bottom 16%
vs58 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 42%
vs49 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 39%
vs68 · Bottom 30%
Schools
13 · Bottom 3%
vs49 · Bottom 46%
Access
96 · Top 30%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
73 · Top 21%
vs69 · Top 30%
Measured values
| Metric | Payson | Orem | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,039 | 97,182 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $89,905 | $83,342 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,564 | $35,876 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,751/sq mi | 5,220/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $429,600 | $472,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,549 | $1,438 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 82.1% | 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 | 27.9% | 43.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.3% | 10.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 184 | 65 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.0 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -3.7% | 124.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 22.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.5 | 27.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.49 | 22.69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 32.9% | 42.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 31.8% | 45.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 33.6% | 31.8% | 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
Payson
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Orem
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Payson, UT · Orem, UT · How this is calculated: methodology