Best places to live in Utah

The 33 Utah cities and towns of 20,000+ where people are moving in, ranked on growth, commute times and cost, using Census data. Looking for the lowest prices instead? See the cheapest places to live in Utah.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

Cedar City#1 pickScore 68 of 100
Saratoga SpringsFastest growing+62.8% since 2020
Cedar CityShortest commute13.4 min average

The top 3 in Utah

#1Score 68
Cedar City
Growth
+18.8%
Home value
$377,000
Commute
13 min
#2Score 68
West Haven
Growth
+53.2%
Home value
$564,300
Commute
23 min
#3Score 61
Saratoga Springs
Growth
+62.8%
Home value
$605,500
Commute
29 min

The 10 best places to live in Utah

Score out of 100. Values and rents are Census medians for each city or town.

#	Place	Score	Median home value	Median rent	Commute	Growth since 2020
1	Cedar City	68	$377,000	$1,054	13.4 min	+18.8%
2	West Haven	68	$564,300	$1,702	22.9 min	+53.2%
3	Saratoga Springs	61	$605,500	$2,256	28.7 min	+62.8%
4	Washington	60	$570,400	$1,614	18.2 min	+32.5%
5	Hurricane	58	$456,000	$1,426	22.1 min	+28.5%
6	Logan	55	$383,600	$1,149	15.2 min	+5.2%
7	Eagle Mountain	54	$518,100	$2,020	32.3 min	+52.6%
8	St. George	51	$496,100	$1,545	17.2 min	+14.0%
9	Magna	51	$376,200	$1,625	23.8 min	+21.0%
10	Spanish Fork	49	$481,500	$1,489	20.0 min	+14.6%

Every Utah city and town we ranked

See all 33, with scores

#	Place	Score	Median home value	Median rent	Commute	Growth since 2020	Population 2025
1	Cedar City	68	$377,000	$1,054	13.4 min	+18.8%	41,871
2	West Haven	68	$564,300	$1,702	22.9 min	+53.2%	25,627
3	Saratoga Springs	61	$605,500	$2,256	28.7 min	+62.8%	61,397
4	Washington	60	$570,400	$1,614	18.2 min	+32.5%	37,107
5	Hurricane	58	$456,000	$1,426	22.1 min	+28.5%	25,745
6	Logan	55	$383,600	$1,149	15.2 min	+5.2%	55,576
7	Eagle Mountain	54	$518,100	$2,020	32.3 min	+52.6%	66,557
8	St. George	51	$496,100	$1,545	17.2 min	+14.0%	108,713
9	Magna	51	$376,200	$1,625	23.8 min	+21.0%	35,401
10	Spanish Fork	49	$481,500	$1,489	20.0 min	+14.6%	48,837
11	American Fork	48	$496,700	$1,697	23.3 min	+22.9%	41,020
12	Payson	48	$429,600	$1,549	23.1 min	+16.5%	24,630
13	Clearfield	47	$373,900	$1,579	21.8 min	+10.2%	35,144
14	Salt Lake City	45	$539,500	$1,414	19.5 min	+9.4%	218,428
15	Lehi	44	$612,100	$1,964	23.7 min	+25.6%	95,313
16	Tooele	43	$381,400	$1,214	30.8 min	+18.3%	42,270
17	South Salt Lake	42	$410,200	$1,451	20.3 min	+0.6%	26,934
18	Murray	40	$507,500	$1,500	20.7 min	+5.1%	53,297
19	Midvale	39	$436,600	$1,597	20.6 min	+0.2%	36,099
20	Layton	38	$477,700	$1,538	22.9 min	+4.3%	85,308
21	North Salt Lake	38	$497,700	$1,667	20.3 min	+2.5%	23,588
22	Syracuse	36	$573,300	$2,140	28.5 min	+24.2%	39,909
23	Springville	36	$454,400	$1,572	22.7 min	+1.1%	35,670
24	Pleasant Grove	35	$491,000	$1,689	21.7 min	+0.1%	37,773
25	North Ogden	34	$476,600	$1,638	24.7 min	+3.9%	21,689
26	Millcreek	33	$627,200	$1,492	20.6 min	+0.1%	63,926
27	Farmington	33	$650,700	$1,769	21.7 min	+7.0%	26,266
28	Clinton	33	$449,100	$1,698	24.5 min	+1.7%	23,797
29	South Jordan	32	$650,500	$1,991	24.1 min	+13.1%	87,614
30	Herriman	32	$590,700	$2,019	27.1 min	+14.7%	63,282
31	Kaysville	31	$623,700	$1,538	22.2 min	+1.0%	33,307
32	Riverton	26	$592,700	$2,137	24.8 min	+4.6%	47,395
33	Highland	21	$928,300	$2,166	23.1 min	+11.3%	21,571

How we ranked them

This list is about where people are moving. Each growing place is scored against the others in the state on four Census measures, then weighted. Nothing about who lives in a place goes in.

Who makes the list: places that grew from 2020 to 2025 and whose median home value is at least 75% of the state's typical place ($369,375 in Utah). Of 47 places, 12 lost population and 2 sit below that line, so they are left off this list. They are all on the cheapest places in Utah page. Population growth counts births as well as moves.

Weight	Measure
45%	Population growth, 2020 to 2025
25%	Shorter commutes (mean travel time to work)
20%	Lower home values (median value of owner-occupied homes)
10%	Lower rent (median gross rent)

Places are incorporated cities and towns with at least 20,000 residents in July 2025. Unincorporated communities are left out because the Census population estimates do not cover them. Census reports home values of $2 million or more as $2,000,000+ and rents of $3,500 or more as $3,500+. A place with no figure on a measure gets half points on it. Home values are what owners estimate their homes are worth, averaged over 2020 to 2024, so they run below today's listing prices.

Statewide, Utah has a top income tax rate of 4.50%, an effective property tax rate of 0.50% and a combined sales tax of 7.42%, and it taxes some Social Security benefits. See property taxes by state and states with no income tax.

Weigh things differently? The quiz ranks cities on your own priorities.

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in Utah?

On our ranking of the 33 growing Utah cities and towns with 20,000 or more people, Cedar City, followed by West Haven and Saratoga Springs. Cedar City has a median home value of $377,000, median rent of $1,054, an average commute of 13.4 min and grew +18.8% from 2020 to 2025 (US Census Bureau).

What is the fastest-growing city in Utah?

Of the places we rank, Saratoga Springs, up +62.8% from the 2020 base to July 2025 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025).

Where in Utah are commutes shortest?

Cedar City, where the average trip to work takes 13.4 min (American Community Survey 2020-2024).

Do you rank places by who lives there?

No. The ranking uses population growth, commute times, home values and rent only. Nothing about who lives in a place goes in.

Why isn't the cheapest town in Utah on this list?

This list ranks the places people are moving to. Places that lost population from 2020 to 2025, or whose median home value is below 75% of the state's typical place, are left off. Every place is on our cheapest places to live in Utah page.

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