City profile · Utah · Census ACS 2023

Payson, UT

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Payson - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

22,205
Residents
$84,286
Median income
$388,200
Median home
$1,460
Median rent (state)

Payson - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Payson lands in the 66th percentile for household income and the 71st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

66th
percentile, household income
76th
percentile, home value
57th
percentile, median rent
71st
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: Payson, UT

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 22,205 residents in Payson, a small city within Utah. The typical household in Payson brings in $84,286 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.0%. Payson's housing stock carries a median value of $388,200, and the median resident age is 29.3 years. About 26.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 66.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 120 residential building permits were authorized in Payson (Construction Slowdown), down 61% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Payson reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 826.3 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Utah tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Utah at 98.9 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,460 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Utah run around $178, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Payson report an average commute of 19.2 minutes, with 73.8% driving alone and 12.2% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 95.3 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

22,205 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Utah

Median Household Income

$84,286 /yr

Poverty 4.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

98.9 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Utah average

How does Payson compare to other US cities?

Payson measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 66% higher than other cities
Home value 76% pricier than other cities
Median rent 57% pricier than other cities
Safety 71% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Utah, Payson ranks #20 of 67 Utah cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Payson's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Utah, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

66thIncome percentile
71stSafety percentile

66th percentile nationally for median household income · 71st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Payson's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Payson'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 57 Avg. percentile National median
Payson'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 Payson's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$388,200 24th percentile more affordable than 24% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Payson $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Payson, UT Payson, UT's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Payson, UT-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Payson, UT median $84,286/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Payson, UT's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Payson, UT. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 26.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 66.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
22,205
Median Income
$84,286
Median Home Value
$388,200
Median Age
29.3
Poverty Rate
4.0%
Labor force participation
66.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
26.6%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
826.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
127.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
698.6
per 100,000 residents

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.

Schools

Total Schools
8
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
21,000 residents22,000 residents23,000 residents24,000 residents25,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 21,345 residents 24,630 residents ▲ +15.4%
Payson's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
120
housing units authorized
Single-Family
120
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 304
2020 310
2021 332
2022 607
2023 108
2024 120

Permit volume decreased 61% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
19.2 minutes
Drive Alone
73.8%
Carpool
11.2%
Public Transit
1.1%
Walk
0.6%
Work from Home
12.2%
Other
1.1%

Based on 10,518 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Utah - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$85
avg/month
Natural Gas
$48
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$178
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Utah state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Utah state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Payson sits in

Cost of Living Index
98.9
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,460/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
95.3 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Utah

Hurricane
21,677 people
North Ogden
21,473 people
North Salt Lake
23,239 people
Clinton
23,492 people
West Haven
19,977 people
Brigham City
19,796 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Payson's 22,205 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

West Puente Valley, CA
22,198 people
Ruston, LA
22,224 people
Middleton, WI
22,235 people
Camp Springs, MD
22,174 people
Perry, GA
22,243 people
Mountain Brook, AL
22,160 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Payson's $84,286 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Grand Mound, IA
$84,286 median income
West Bend, IA
$84,286 median income
Lakin, KS
$84,286 median income
Churchville, NY
$84,279 median income
Guerneville, CA
$84,294 median income
Brooklyn Park, MD
$84,276 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Payson, UT Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Payson, UT - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 82.9% 9.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 17.9% White 82.9% Black or African American 0.3% Asian 0.6% American Indian 0.9% Native Hawaiian 0.8% Some other race 5.4% Two or more races 9.2% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Payson compares to nearby Utah cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Payson (this city) 22,205 $84,286
Hurricane 21,677 $67,424
North Ogden 21,473 $107,425
North Salt Lake 23,239 $106,885
Census ACS 5-year FIPS UT FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Payson, UT?

What is the population of Payson, UT? +

Payson, UT has a population of 22,205 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Payson, UT? +

Payson households earn a median of $84,286 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Payson? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Payson; the closest available measure is the Utah state average, a cost of living index of 98.9 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Utah vary by metro area.

Is Payson, UT safe? +

Payson has a total crime rate of 826.3 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Payson, UT? +

The median home value in Payson is $388,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.