Salem receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Salem
Payson
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs66 · Top 29%
Growth
84 · Top 2%
vs68 · Top 19%
Climate
58 · Bottom 10%
vs60 · Bottom 16%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 42%
vs49 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 41%
vs74 · Bottom 39%
Schools
44 · Bottom 40%
vs13 · Bottom 3%
Access
97 · Top 23%
vs96 · Top 30%
Economic stability
84 · Top 2%
vs73 · Top 21%
Measured values
| Metric | Salem | Payson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,324 | 23,039 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $111,117 | $89,905 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,521 | $30,564 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 854/sq mi | 1,751/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $605,700 | $429,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,592 | $1,549 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 93.7% | 82.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.0% | 27.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.2% | 7.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 673 | 184 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 65.2 | 8.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6.3% | -3.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 20.2" | 18.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.9 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.3 | 29.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.35 | 22.49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 42.0% | 32.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 43.8% | 31.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 19.5% | 33.6% | 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
Salem
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Payson
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Salem, UT · Payson, UT · How this is calculated: methodology