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Place dossier plate
SheetUT-MOAB-UT · Moab, UT 5,316 pop · income 28th pct · 3 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Moab
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Moab on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Salem · lowest
40,650
Salem · lowest
40,650 median HH income
30.1% of the leader · rank #1
Diboll · near
55,326
Diboll · near
55,326 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #2
Caryville · near
55,329
Caryville · near
55,329 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #3
Ellinwood · near
55,332
Ellinwood · near
55,332 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #4
Moab · this city
55,333
Moab · this city
55,333 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #5
New Orleans · near
55,339
New Orleans · near
55,339 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #6
Turpin Hills · highest
135,250
Turpin Hills · highest
135,250 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Moab on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 5,316.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Moab - the verdict
Nationally, Moab sits in the 28th percentile for household income and the 36th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
28th
percentile, household income
84th
percentile, home value
60th
percentile, median rent
36th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Moab, UT
Moab is a small town in Utah, home to 5,316 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Moab households earn a median of $55,333 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 12.9%. Home values in Moab run a median of $478,700, and the median resident age is 35.6 years. 35.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 67.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 92 residential building permits were authorized in Moab (Rapid Growth), up 30% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 1855.1 crimes per 100,000 residents, near the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Moab's yearly average temperature at 57.6°F with 9.1 inches of precipitation per year and 9.3 inches of snowfall.
Utah tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Utah scores 98.9 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,313 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $178 across Utah, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 36.2 out of 100 (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Moab's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to climate and hazard context to schools and households to work and mobility to reported crime to housing and income to within-city variation to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Moab, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
Is Moab growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -159 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -3.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 92 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 57.6°F, with 9.1 inches of precipitation and 9.3 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Utah is 36.2 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Moab?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Utah, the closest population matches are Hyde Park (5,410 residents, $108,068 income); Sunset (5,567 residents, $74,250 income); White City metro township (5,568 residents, $98,603 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Salem, NJ (5,315 residents); Turpin Hills, OH (5,315 residents); Ashland City, TN (5,318 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Moab?
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 35.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
12.9%
Bachelor's degree+
35.4%
Matched public schools
1
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 65.0%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
65.0%
Work from home
10.8%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 2,779 workers age 16+.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1855.1 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 19% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
1855.1
Violent rate
734.3
Property rate
1120.8
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
How far does income reach against housing in Moab?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 8.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 12.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
8.7×
Home value
$478,700
Household income
$55,333
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Below median income · poverty 12.9% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
98.9 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Utah average
F
City profile score · Moab, UT
32/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share B-
35.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living D
98.9 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Household income F
$55,333
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
12.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
734 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Moab profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 67/100 (B-) · 35.4%
Cost of living: 44/100 (D) · 98.9 index
Household income: 28/100 (F) · $55,333
Poverty rate: 28/100 (F) · 12.9%
Violent crime: 4/100 (F) · 734 /100k
Where Moab sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Moab's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Moab highlighted among 26 peers.Read the chart values
Moab, UT (this city): home $478,700, crime 1,855/100k
Ashland City, TN : home $259,900, crime 1,205/100k
Sunset, UT : home $296,900, crime 1,522/100k
Kanab, UT : home $378,600, crime 681/100k
Perry, UT : home $399,400, crime 1,502/100k
Ephraim, UT : home $405,600, crime 573/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does Moab compare to other US cities?
Moab measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income28% higher than other cities
Home value84% pricier than other cities
Median rent60% pricier than other cities
Safety36% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Utah alone, Moab ranks #56 of 67 Utah cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Moab against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Utah only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Utah-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Moab near the bottom of Utah's cities
Among the 310 Utah cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Moab ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Moab only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#264 of 293
10th percentile in Utah
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 310
0th percentile in Utah
Median Home Value
#92 of 301
69th percentile in Utah
Poverty Rate
#43 of 310
86th percentile in Utah
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#103 of 310
67th percentile in Utah
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Utah only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
28th percentile nationally for median household income · 36th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Moab's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Moab's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Moab's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$478,70016th percentilemore affordable than 16% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Moab's home-value-to-income ratio: 8.7×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#15,190 of 15,516
More affordable than 2% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#11,130 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 8.7×, Moab sits in the pressured band:
national rank #15,190 of 15,516 and #11,130 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$55,333Moab, UT median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Moab, UT median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Moab, UT.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)35.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)12.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)67.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
5,316
Median Income
$55,333
Median Home Value
$478,700
Median Age
35.6
Poverty Rate
12.9%
Labor force participation
67.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
35.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1855.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
734.3
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1120.8
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
57.6°F
Annual Precipitation
9.1"
Annual Snowfall
9.3"
Schools
Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Moab's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
5,365 residents
2021
5,323 residents
2022
5,337 residents
2023
5,258 residents
2024
5,194 residents
2025
5,206 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Rapid Growth
Total Permits (2024)
92
housing units authorized
Single-Family
6
detached homes
Multifamily
86
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
17.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
71
21
50
$10.0M
2020
27
17
10
$4.4M
2021
16
8
8
$4.5M
2022
11
2
9
$2.1M
2023
27
16
11
$6.1M
2024
92
6
86
$4.0M
Permit volume increased 30% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
65.0%
Carpool
12.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.8%
Work from Home
10.8%
Other
8.9%
Based on 2,779 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Utah statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $178
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Utah at $178 (electricity about $85 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Utah statewide averages, not a meter reading for Moab. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Utah's BEA cost-of-living index is 98.9 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Moab is $1,313/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Utah statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 36.2 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Utah statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Moab sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Moab compares to similar-size Utah cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.