Payson receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Payson
Provo
Opportunity
66 · Top 29%
vs63 · Top 36%
Growth
68 · Top 19%
vs52 · Top 48%
Climate
60 · Bottom 16%
vs57 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 42%
vs49 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 39%
vs55 · Bottom 14%
Schools
13 · Bottom 3%
vs34 · Bottom 28%
Access
96 · Top 30%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
73 · Top 21%
vs56 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Payson | Provo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,039 | 114,766 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $89,905 | $64,171 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,564 | $27,822 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,751/sq mi | 2,740/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $429,600 | $467,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,549 | $1,193 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 82.1% | 39.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.9% | 45.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.3% | 23.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 184 | 371 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.0 | 3.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -3.7% | -10.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 18.4" | 17.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 20.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.5 | 23.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.49 | 20.23 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 32.9% | 38.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 31.8% | 42.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 33.6% | 38.0% | 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.
Provo
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Payson, UT · Provo, UT · How this is calculated: methodology