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Compare towns

Draper vs Sandy

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: street grid (2.3× in Sandy) and trails (2.5× in Draper).

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Draper, UTA history townUtah · 50,278 people
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Sandy, UTA history townUtah · 94,291 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

DraperA history town
HistorySettled in 184917 places on the National Register Outdoors#4 most trails in UT135 miles of trails across 46 parks and preserves Work46,467 jobsbased in Draper, a regional job hub All about Draper →
SandyA history town
HistorySettled in 187155 places on the National Register Outdoors#8 most walkable in UT54 miles of trails across 40 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 91%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Sandy →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid2.3×
Sandy has the more walkable street grid
Sandy 119Draper 52.5
Trails2.5×
Draper has more miles of trail
Draper 134.8 miSandy 53.7 mi
Growth since 2010+9.9 pts
Draper has grown faster since 2010
Draper +20.7%Sandy +10.8%
Home values+28%
Homes cost more in Draper
Draper $784,800Sandy $614,100
Property tax bill+29%
Tax bills are bigger in Draper
Draper $3,858Sandy $2,983
Jobs per worker+88%
Draper is more of a job hub
Draper 2.01Sandy 1.07
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $860 more a month in Draper

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Draper$4,590/mo
Typical home $812K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.49% · or rent about $1,894/mo · Housing →
Sandy$3,720/mo
Typical home $659K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.49% · or rent about $1,777/mo · Housing →

The difference: $860 a month, about $10,400 a year, between Draper and Sandy.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Draper and Sandy share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

DraperSandyDraperSandy
Draper ↔ Sandy5.2 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
3,114 Sandy residents work in Draper (6.8% of its workers)
2,054 Draper residents work in Sandy (8.9% of its workers)
Work & commute in Sandy →
Report cards

Draper places higher on 10 of 22 UT lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Utah ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
B−DraperSafer than 52% of U.S. towns –SandyNot graded
Schools
A−DraperBetter than 76% of districts in the state A−SandyBetter than 76% of districts in the state
Health
ADraperHealthier than 92% of U.S. towns ASandyHealthier than 91% of U.S. towns
10Draper
7Sandy

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 120 towns #65#8 Most new homesHousing · 94 towns #49#93 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 120 towns #39#2 Fastest growingGrowth · 117 towns #48#78 Most activeHealth · 119 towns #24#53 Lowest property taxCost of living · 120 towns #114#92 Highest incomeIncome · 120 towns #24#45 Most trailsOutdoors · 113 towns #4#22

Left end = #1 in Utah. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Draper’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
DraperSandy
Snow a year74″82″
January low22°F23°F
July high90°F91°F
Growing season (days)159d174d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)40th49th
Outdoors & history
DraperSandy
Trails135 mi54 mi
Conserved land16.3%7.6%
Settled18491871
National Register places1755
Archive photos1818
Famous people born here1629
Community
DraperSandy
Library hours a week58 hrs58 hrs
Colleges in town1—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

DraperSandy
People
Population 50,278Lowest 94,291Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +20.7%Highest UT: +18.4% +10.8%Lowest UT: +18.4%
Median age 34.3±1.6Lowest 7% above UT 37.6±0.7Highest 18% above UT
Kids under 18 28.7%±2.1Highest UT: 27.8% 26.4%±1.3Lowest UT: 27.8%
Draper and Sandy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 10%±1.1Lowest UT: 11.9% 15.8%±0.9Highest UT: 11.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 51.9%Highest UT: 37.7% 46%Lowest UT: 37.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.2%±0.8Highest UT: 8.1% 4.9%±0.6Lowest UT: 8.1%
Draper and Sandy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $128,910±$7kHighest 35% above UT $112,176±$6kLowest 18% above UT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $784,800±$34kHighest 60% above UT $614,100±$10kLowest 25% above UT
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,894±$57Highest 27% above UT $1,777±$45Lowest 19% above UT
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,858Highest 53% above UT $2,983Lowest 18% above UT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.5%±6.7Highest UT: 47.2% 46.2%±6.9Lowest UT: 47.2%
Draper and Sandy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 6.1%Highest UT: 8.5% 5.5%Lowest UT: 8.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 68.6%Lowest UT: 70.2% 75.2%Highest UT: 70.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 2003Highest 11 yrs newer than UT 1985Lowest 7 yrs older than UT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minHighest 9% above UT 23 minLowest about the UT average
Work from home 25.3%±3Highest UT: 17.6% 22.8%±1.8Lowest UT: 17.6%
Draper and Sandy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 13.6%Highest 12.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miHighest 9.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.01Highest 1.07Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Salt Lake City (18%)Salt Lake City (23%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 9% work in Sandy7% work in Draper
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 16.3%Highest 7.6%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 134.8 miHighest 53.7 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 4.8 miHighest 2.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 46Highest 40Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 52.5Lowest 119Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #12 of 117 in UT#21 of 117 in UT
School district American Preparatory Academy · Channing HallBeehive Science & Technology Academy · Canyons District
High school in town Corner Canyon HighAlta High
Students per teacherat that high school 26.3Highest 24.5Lowest
Utah average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Draper neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Draper’s Town Square.

Sandy neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sandy’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Draper and Sandy

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Bordering Draper

R
+ Compare
Riverton45,457 people · $593K homes
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South Jordan82,686 people · $651K homes
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Bluffdale18,797 people · $686K homes
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Lehi85,173 people · $612K homes

Towns like Draper

B
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Bountiful45,023 people · $532K homes
M
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Millcreek63,648 people · $627K homes
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Cottonwood Heights32,828 people · $694K homes
M
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Murray50,188 people · $508K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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