Signals
Salem
Provo
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs63 · Top 36%
Growth
84 · Top 2%
vs52 · Top 48%
Climate
58 · Bottom 10%
vs57 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 42%
vs49 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 41%
vs55 · Bottom 14%
Schools
44 · Bottom 40%
vs34 · Bottom 28%
Access
97 · Top 23%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
84 · Top 2%
vs56 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Salem | Provo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,324 | 114,766 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $111,117 | $64,171 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,521 | $27,822 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 854/sq mi | 2,740/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $605,700 | $467,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,592 | $1,193 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 93.7% | 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 | 39.0% | 45.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.2% | 23.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 673 | 371 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 65.2 | 3.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6.3% | -10.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 20.2" | 17.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.9 min | 20.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.3 | 23.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.35 | 20.23 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 42.0% | 38.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 43.8% | 42.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 19.5% | 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
Salem
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Provo
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Salem, UT · Provo, UT · How this is calculated: methodology