State Overview
Utah lies in the western United States, bordering Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona. The state is known for its sweeping mountains, The Sundance Film Festival and the Four Corners, a unique place in the U.S. where four states meet at right angles. Top places to visit include Zion National Park, Monument Valley and Park City’s popular ski resorts. Despite its vast size, Utah has a population of just over 3 million people, making it the 30th-largest state by population. Let's take a look at which of Utah’s cities are the safest to live in or visit.
How We Determined the Safest Cities in Utah
We narrowed down the safest cities in each state based on two primary categories. First, we evaluated public safety factors including violent, property and hate crimes in each area to help determine the safest areas to live. We then evaluated financial and socioeconomic factors including household income, average rent and health insurance. In addition, we evaluated each state for natural disaster safety and public health safety. You can find a detailed breakdown of our methodology and links to sources here.
Here are the public safety factors we counted for each city:
*Public safety data is based on a population of 10,000 (for example, a “2” means two incidents for every 10,000 people).
- Property crime – Number of property crimes reported in the city (FBI Crime Report)
- Violent crime – Number of violent crimes reported in the city (FBI Crime Report)
- Aggravated assaults – Number of aggravated assaults reported in the city (FBI Crime Report)
- Hate crime – Number of hate crimes reported in the city (FBI Hate Crime Report)
- Officer-related incidents – Number of officer-involved shootings reported in the city (Gun Violence Archive)
- Mass shootings – Incidents in which four or more people are shot/killed in the city (Gun Violence Archive)
Here are the financial safety factors we counted for each city:
- Annual rent – Annualized median rent
- Unemployment rate – The average rate of unemployed residents in each city
- Cost of living – The average annual rent and household income per city
- Poverty rate – Percentage of families that reported experiencing poverty in the last 12 months
- Uninsured employed – Percentage of employed residents that reported not having health insurance
- Uninsured unemployed – Percentage of unemployed residents that reported not having health insurance
17 Safest Cities in Utah
No. 1 Farmington
Also in the Ogden-Clearfield metro area, Farmington is home to over 25,000 people and has low incidents of violent crimes such as aggravated assault or property crime like burglary, and only a few past officer-involved incidents. Economically, Farmington is also a great place to live, with median household incomes over $100,000 and unemployment rates very lower than any other town on our list.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 2.799328 (1st) 3.199232 (3rd) 122.3706 (2nd) 0.399904 (11th) 0.399904 (11th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 13764 (4th) 102552 (2nd) 0.022 (17th) 0.012 (17th) 0.023 (8th) 0.207 (13th) No. 2 Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs is a mid-sized community of 33,000, situated in the Provo-Orem metropolitan area. Crime in Saratoga Springs is rare, with negligible reports of violent and property crime and officer-involved incidents. Cost of living is a little higher in Saratoga Springs than other towns on our list, but household incomes are high. Other standout stats for Saratoga Springs: Almost no one is uninsured, even if unemployed, and almost everyone has access to the internet.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 4.404455 (2nd) 5.66287 (4th) 71.10048 (1st) 0.314604 (8th) 0.314604 (8th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 17196 (1st) 96840 (4th) 0.04 (10th) 0.014 (16th) 0.016 (10th) 0.021 (17th) No. 3 Bountiful
Nestled at the base of the mountain and only 42 minutes from Grandview Peak, Bountiful is part of the Wasatch Front, a contiguous chain of cities stretched along the Wasatch Mountain Range. Violent crimes, theft and other property crime, and officer-related incidents are rarely reported in Bountiful, and the city is known for its easy access to natural beauty. For example, the Mueller Park Trailhead is only 4 miles from the center of town.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 7.446352 (7th) 2.25647 (1st) 144.8654 (3rd) 0.225647 (7th) 0.225647 (7th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 12348 (8th) 72796 (8th) 0.032 (16th) 0.043 (13th) 0.017 (9th) 0.317 (12th) No. 4 Woods Cross
Woods Cross borders West Bountiful on the south and is another Wasatch Front community with low crime rates both for violent crimes and property crimes. Per-capita officer incidents are slightly higher in Woods Cross than in its neighbor to the north, but they’re still rare. In the financial realm, although median income in Woods Cross is very good, it’s worth noting a high percentage of unemployed people without insurance.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 6.896552 (4th) 2.586207 (2nd) 151.7241 (5th) 0.862069 (14th) 0.862069 (14th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 13248 (5th) 77152 (5th) 0.035 (12th) 0.045 (12th) 0.049 (3rd) 0.853 (1st) No. 5 Draper
Draper is a small town of just over 48,000, located about 20 miles south of Salt Lake City. Crime rates in Draper are very low, with violent crime and property incidents nearly non-existent. Financial security is high in Draper as well, with a median household income of $115,000 and a low unemployment rate. In addition to being a great place to live, Draper is a destination for hang gliders and paragliders and is home to the one of the largest hang gliding schools in the country.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 8.450472 (11th) 8.86269 (8th) 201.1625 (10th) 0.216183 (6th) 0.216183 (6th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 16632 (2nd) 115618 (1st) 0.034 (14th) 0.042 (14th) 0.015 (12th) 0.154 (15th) No. 6 West Bountiful
West Bountiful is a small community of just 5,800 residents, part of the larger Bountiful area, and a member of the Ogden-Clearfield metropolitan statistical area. Few property crimes are reported in West Bountiful each year, and even fewer violent crimes. West Bountiful’s per capita hate crime rate is noticeably higher than other cities on the list, but that’s partially due to its small size.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 24.53988 (14th) 7.011394 (5th) 257.6687 (12th) 3.505697 (16th) 3.505697 (16th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 12288 (9th) 99444 (3rd) 0.034 (14th) 0.027 (15th) 0.01 (16th) 0.708 (3rd) No. 7 Layton
Layton is another community situated along the Wasatch Front and is home to around 78,000 people. With low rates of violent crime and property crime and few officer incidents, Layton proves to be another peaceful Utah town. Besides outdoor beauty, Layton also offers attractions like the Layton Heritage Museum and SeaQuest Utah.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 9.737098 (12th) 7.430943 (6th) 199.9949 (9th) 0.512479 (12th) 0.512479 (12th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 11856 (11th) 74888 (7th) 0.035 (12th) 0.06 (10th) 0.014 (13th) 0.406 (7th) No. 8 Clearfield
Neighboring Hill Air Force Base, Clearfield is a city of 32,000 located midway between the Wasatch Mountain Range and Farmington Bay, which is part of the Great Salt Lake. Clearfield is another Utah city that’s great for families, since there’s almost no crime to speak of. Not surprising given its proximity to Hill AFB, the United States government is Clearfield’s biggest employer.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 7.288168 (5th) 11.40757 (10th) 146.3971 (4th) 0.316877 (9th) 0.316877 (9th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 12660 (7th) 56213 (11th) 0.041 (8th) 0.08 (8th) 0.035 (6th) 0.081 (16th) No. 9 West Jordan
West Jordan is a fast-growing suburb of Salt Lake City and is now home to well over 100,000 people. It isn’t the safest city of its size in the country, but reports of violent crime, property crime and officer incidents are still manageable, and hate crime is virtually nonexistent. West Jordan features a number of hidden cultural attractions like the Schorr Art Gallery.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 7.799501 (8th) 18.02551 (12th) 263.1032 (13th) 0 (1st) 0 (1st) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 14292 (3rd) 75481 (6th) 0.038 (11th) 0.053 (11th) 0.013 (14th) 0.318 (11th) No. 10 Provo
Sitting on the eastern shore of Utah Lake, Provo is perhaps most famous for being home to Brigham Young University. Crime rates in Provo are decently low for a town of its size (116,000), but there are a fair amount of incidents such as burglary and aggravated assault.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 7.967047 (9th) 9.577407 (9th) 177.1397 (8th) 0 (1st) 0 (1st) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 10128 (15th) 46532 (16th) 0.047 (4th) 0.155 (3th) 0.012 (15th) 0.199 (14th) No. 11 St. George
St George is in southwest Utah and borders both the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and Snow Canyon State Park. With a population just shy of 90,000, St. George has quite a low per-capita crime rate, with very few violent crimes, property crimes and officer incidents. Because of its proximity to state parks and national reserves, St. George is a great place for families who love the outdoors.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 8.120461 (10th) 14.61683 (11th) 161.0171 (7th) 0.116007 (4th) 0.116007 (4th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 11652 (12th) 55061 (12th) 0.043 (7th) 0.114 (6th) 0.024 (7th) 0.319 (10th) No. 12 Hurricane
Part of the St. George metro area, Hurricane is home to about 20,000 people. Violent crime, property crimes such as larceny-theft, officer incidents and hate crimes are all negligible in Hurricane, which is home to a number of outdoor attractions such as Sand Hollow State Park and Quail Creek State Park.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 4.525911 (3rd) 7.920344 (7th) 160.1041 (6th) 0.565739 (13th) 0.565739 (13th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 12228 (10th) 52023 (13th) 0.065 (3rd) 0.078 (9th) 0.08 (1st) 0.5 (5th) No. 13 Price
Price is a small town with a little more than 8,000 residents. A college town, Price is home to Utah State University Eastern. Crime rates are low in Price, although you may notice it has the highest per-capita rate of hate crime in our top 17 list, partially due to its small population. When you visit Price, check out USU Eastern’s Prehistoric Museum.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 7.316181 (6th) 34.14218 (14th) 592.6107 (15th) 6.096817 (17th) 6.096817 (17th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 7464 (17th) 47896 (15th) 0.067 (2nd) 0.155 (3rd) 0.04 (5th) 0.343 (9th) No. 14 West Valley
Another Salt Lake City suburb, West Valley has a growing population of around 135,000. Crime in West Valley is a bit higher than most cities around the country of comparable size. The town is home to the Utah Grizzlies, a professional hockey team playing in ECHL.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 24.72071 (15th) 44.191 (16th) 358.4138 (14th) 0 (1st) 0 (1st) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 12948 (6th) 63200 (9th) 0.046 (5th) 0.111 (7th) 0.016 (10th) 0.492 (6th) No. 15 Vernal
With about 10,000 residents, Vernal is a small town in the northeast corner of Utah, only 20 miles from the Colorado border. With a small smattering of crimes reported each year, Vernal is one of many safe Utah towns. For a taste of local history, visit the Uintah County Heritage Museum.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 10.49218 (13th) 20.03052 (13th) 248.9508 (11th) 1.907669 (15th) 1.907669 (15th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 9348 (16th) 51301 (14th) 0.088 (1st) 0.172 (2nd) 0.064 (2nd) 0.768 (2nd) No. 16 Salt Lake City
Rounding out Utah’s top 17 is Salt Lake City itself. Over 200,000 people call Salt Lake home, and it’s the biggest city in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. Crime in Salt Lake City is relatively high — the city is only safer than 1% of U.S. cities, according to Neighborhood Scout. Nevertheless, Salt Lake City has a rich history and culture and is probably most famous for being home to the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the world famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 33.01535 (16th) 40.0231 (15th) 617.6684 (16th) 0.197401 (5th) 0.197401 (5th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 11256 (13th) 56370 (10th) 0.041 (8th) 0.127 (5th) 0.01 (16th) 0.378 (8th) No. 17 South Salt Lake
South Salt Lake is right in the middle of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. With a population of nearly 26,000 people, this metro area city is low on crime across the board. Situated in the Southeast corner of South Salt Lake is Salt Lake Chinatown.
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Total Violent Crime Society Crimes Property Crime Hate Crime Officer Incident Mass Shootings 44.91256 (17th) 51.27186 (17th) 713.8315 (17th) 0.397456 (10th) 0.397456 (10th) 0 (1st) Financial Safety
Annual Rent Household Income Unemployment Rate Poverty Uninsured Employed Uninsured Unemployed 10332 (14th) 42749 (17th) 0.044 (6th) 0.2 (1st) 0.041 (4th) 0.574 (4th)
Utah State Safety
Natural Disaster Safety
Utah scores low on the risk of natural disaster rankings from the Insurance Journal, sitting in 32nd place. Despite being relatively safer than most states, Utah has experienced natural disasters such as flash floods, avalanches, landslides and tornadoes. In fact, Utah is at very high risk compared to other states when it comes to landslide disasters. Some of the worst natural disasters in Utah include the EF4-rated tornado that hit Salt Lake City in 2019. This tornado reached speeds of 175 miles per hour, leading to 32 fatalities and estimated $2.34 billion in damages. Utah’s landslide in 2013 was also likely the largest landslide in modern U.S. history.
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Health Safety
The leading cause of death in the state of Utah is heart disease, followed by cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Utah’s rate of drug-related deaths puts the state in 35th place in the country. Availability of primary care physicians in Utah is very low compared to other states. Utah is listed as 49th place in the country for having just 102 primary care workers per 100,000 people. However, Utah does much better with mental health care and is ranked as 14th in the country. Another important statistic to consider is the rate of air pollution in the state. According to America’s Health Rankings, Utah has a high rate of air pollution and is ranked as 43rd in the country.
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Top 17 Safest Cities in Utah
| Farmington | 25,006 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Saratoga Springs | 31,786 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Bountiful | 44,317 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Woods Cross | 11,600 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Draper | 46,257 | 10 | 3 | 5 |
| West Bountiful | 5,705 | 12 | 2 | 6 |
| Layton | 78,052 | 9 | 6 | 7 |
| Clearfield | 31,558 | 5 | 9 | 8 |
| West Jordan | 115,392 | 11 | 8 | 9 |
| Provo | 117,986 | 7 | 14 | 10 |
| St. George | 86,202 | 8 | 12 | 11 |
| Hurricane | 17,676 | 6 | 15 | 12 |
| Price | 8,201 | 13 | 11 | 13 |
| West Valley | 137,132 | 15 | 13 | 14 |
| Vernal | 10,484 | 14 | 16 | 15 |
| Salt Lake City | 202,633 | 17 | 10 | 16 |
| South Salt Lake | 25,160 | 16 | 17 | 17 |