Riverton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Riverton
Sandy
Opportunity: Riverton is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
82 · Top 5%
vs75 · Top 13%
Growth: Riverton is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs19 · Bottom 7%
Climate
55 · Bottom 6%
vs55 · Bottom 6%
Physical resilience: Sandy is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
55 · Bottom 47%
vs55 · Bottom 47%
Housing affordability: Riverton is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
76 · Bottom 42%
vs73 · Bottom 37%
Access: Sandy is the more favorable of the two.
Access
94 · Top 43%
vs95 · Top 35%
Economic stability: Riverton is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
82 · Top 4%
vs77 · Top 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Riverton | Sandy | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,457 | 94,291 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $126,910 | $112,176 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,277 | $52,871 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,606/sq mi | 3,887/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $592,700 | $614,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,137 | $1,777 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 84.9% | 75.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.0% | 0.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.7% | 46.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.6% | 5.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 369 | 30 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.1 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 34.7% | -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 | 19 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.9 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.4 | 37.6 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Riverton
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Sandy
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Riverton, UT · Sandy, UT · How this is calculated: methodology