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Compare towns

Sandy vs Draper

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

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Sandy, UTA history townUtah · 94,291 people
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Draper, UTA history townUtah · 50,278 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.

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 →
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 →
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.

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

Sandy and Draper share a border

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

SandyDraperSandyDraper
Sandy ↔ Draper5.2 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
–SandyNot graded B−DraperSafer than 52% of U.S. towns
Schools
A−SandyBetter than 76% of districts in the state A−DraperBetter than 76% of districts in the state
Health
ASandyHealthier than 91% of U.S. towns ADraperHealthier than 92% of U.S. towns
7Sandy
10Draper

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

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

Left end = #1 in Utah. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Sandy’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
SandyDraper
Snow a year82″74″
January low23°F22°F
July high91°F90°F
Growing season (days)174d159d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)49th40th
Outdoors & history
SandyDraper
Trails54 mi135 mi
Conserved land7.6%16.3%
Settled18711849
National Register places5517
Archive photos1818
Famous people born here2916
Community
SandyDraper
Library hours a week58 hrs58 hrs
Colleges in town—1
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.

SandyDraper
People
Population 94,291Highest 50,278Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +10.8%Lowest UT: +18.4% +20.7%Highest UT: +18.4%
Median age 37.6±0.7Highest 18% above UT 34.3±1.6Lowest 7% above UT
Kids under 18 26.4%±1.3Lowest UT: 27.8% 28.7%±2.1Highest 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+ 15.8%±0.9Highest UT: 11.9% 10%±1.1Lowest UT: 11.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 46%Lowest UT: 37.7% 51.9%Highest UT: 37.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.9%±0.6Lowest UT: 8.1% 6.2%±0.8Highest 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 $112,176±$6kLowest 18% above UT $128,910±$7kHighest 35% above UT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $614,100±$10kLowest 25% above UT $784,800±$34kHighest 60% above UT
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,777±$45Lowest 19% above UT $1,894±$57Highest 27% above UT
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,983Lowest 18% above UT $3,858Highest 53% above UT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.2%±6.9Lowest UT: 47.2% 47.5%±6.7Highest 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 5.5%Lowest UT: 8.5% 6.1%Highest UT: 8.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 75.2%Highest UT: 70.2% 68.6%Lowest UT: 70.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1985Lowest 7 yrs older than UT 2003Highest 11 yrs newer than UT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minLowest about the UT average 24 minHighest 9% above UT
Work from home 22.8%±1.8Lowest UT: 17.6% 25.3%±3Highest 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 12.9%Lowest 13.6%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.3 miLowest 10.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.07Lowest 2.01Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Salt Lake City (23%)Salt Lake City (18%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 7% work in Draper9% work in Sandy
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.6%Lowest 16.3%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 53.7 miLowest 134.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.2 miLowest 4.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 40Lowest 46Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 119Highest 52.5Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #21 of 117 in UT#12 of 117 in UT
School district Beehive Science & Technology Academy · Canyons DistrictAmerican Preparatory Academy · Channing Hall
High school in town Alta HighCorner Canyon High
Students per teacherat that high school 24.5Lowest 26.3Highest
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.

Sandy neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sandy’s Town Square.

Draper neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Draper’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sandy and Draper

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Sandy

G
+ Compare
Granite908 people · $1.03M homes
M
+ Compare
Midvale35,989 people · $437K homes
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Cottonwood Heights32,828 people · $694K homes
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South Jordan82,686 people · $651K homes

Towns like Sandy

+ Compare
St. George101,995 people · $496K homes
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Layton83,286 people · $478K homes
B
+ Compare
Bountiful45,023 people · $532K homes
M
+ Compare
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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