Sandy and Draper 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
Sandy
Draper
Opportunity
75 · Top 13%
vs74 · Top 15%
Growth
19 · Bottom 7%
vs36 · Bottom 25%
Climate
55 · Bottom 6%
vs55 · Bottom 6%
Physical resilience
55 · Bottom 47%
vs54 · Bottom 46%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 37%
vs71 · Bottom 36%
Schools
76 · Top 18%
vs71 · Top 25%
Access
95 · Top 35%
vs93 · Top 47%
Economic stability
77 · Top 12%
vs76 · Top 16%
Measured values
| Metric | Sandy | Draper | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 94,291 | 50,278 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $112,176 | $128,910 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,871 | $58,193 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,887/sq mi | 1,774/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $614,100 | $784,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,777 | $1,894 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.2% | 68.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.0% | -0.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.0% | 51.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.5% | 6.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 30 | 155 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 3.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -40.0% | -60.6% | 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 | 16 mi | 21 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.4 min | 25.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.6 | 34.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 33 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.70 | 22.70 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 54.1% | 54.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 53.9% | 51.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 25.3% | 14.3% | 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
Sandy
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Draper
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Sandy, UT · Draper, UT · How this is calculated: methodology