The Town FilesPayson, Utah
City in Utah County · population 21,101 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $429,600
- Household income
- $89,905
- Jan low / Jul high
- 20° / 90°
- Snow a year
- 55 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 29.5
Payson is a city of 21,101 people in Utah County, Utah. The median home is worth $429,600, below the typical Utah town ($457,300). It ranks more of a college town than 96% of Utah towns, more walkable than 90% of Utah towns, more vibrant than 83% of Utah towns.
How Payson ranks
Percentile among Utah towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Utah towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Payson is worth $429,600, below the typical Utah town ($457,300). Homes cost about 4.8 times the median household income of $89,905, which is more affordable than 50% of Utah towns. Median rent is $1,549 a month. 82.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Payson | Typical Utah town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $429,600 | $457,300 |
| Median rent | $1,549 | $1,395 |
| Median household income | $89,905 | $93,194 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.8× | 4.8× |
| Homeownership | 82.1% | 81.7% |
| Median year built | 1997 | 1991 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.5% | — |
Who lives in Payson
| People | Payson | Typical Utah town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 29.5 | 34.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 10.3% | 13.0% |
| Under 18 | 30.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.9% | 31.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 6.5% |
| Veterans | 5.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 7.2% | — |
| Work from home | 14.5% | 14.9% |
| Average commute | 23.1 min | 22.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.6% | 94.3% |
Weather in Payson
July highs average 90.0°F and January lows 19.8°F. About 18.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 55.1 inches of snow (typical Utah town: 45.4 in). Expect about 50 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 145 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Payson since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Utah town. The strongest, an F0, struck on August 13, 1984 about 10.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 13, 1984.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 6 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 31, 1983.
Severe weather in Utah County since 1996
Utah County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, biological.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 21, 2026 | Fire | FM-5639: Iron Fire |
| December 23, 2023 | Flood | DR-4752: Flooding |
| September 7, 2020 | Fire | FM-5353: Ether Hollow Fire |
| June 28, 2020 | Fire | FM-5318: Knolls Fire |
| April 4, 2020 | Biological | DR-4525: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Utah County
Utah County had 295,152 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,648 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Payson itself the ACS puts it at 5.8%.
Public schools in Payson
8 public schools with 6,037 students, about 22.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payson High | 6-12 | 1,601 | 23.5 |
| Payson Jr High | 7-9 | 1,111 | 22.2 |
| Mt. Nebo Middle | 6-7 | 1,104 | 23.0 |
| Spring Lake School | PK-6 | 567 | 25.8 |
| Barnett School | PK-6 | 511 | 22.2 |
| Taylor School | PK-6 | 419 | 21.0 |
| Wilson School | PK-6 | 367 | 22.9 |
| Park View School | PK-6 | 357 | 21.0 |
Towns near Payson
- Elk Ridge, UT3.7 mi · 4,687 people · home $614,800
- Salem, UT4.0 mi · 9,298 people · home $605,700
- Santaquin, UT5.4 mi · 13,725 people · home $465,100
- Spanish Fork, UT7.4 mi · 42,602 people · home $481,500
- Mapleton, UT10.4 mi · 11,365 people · home $745,200
- Springville, UT10.9 mi · 35,268 people · home $454,400
- Provo, UT15.3 mi · 115,162 people · home $467,200
- Orem, UT18.2 mi · 98,129 people · home $472,300
Payson questions
Is Payson, Utah a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Payson scores better for retirees than 13% of Utah towns and quieter than 21%. 10.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 29.5).
How much does a house cost in Payson?
The median owner-occupied home in Payson is valued at $429,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $89,905, so homes cost about 4.8 times income. Median rent is $1,549 a month.
What is the weather like in Payson?
July highs average 90.0°F and January lows 19.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 18.4 inches of precipitation a year and 55.1 inches of snow.
Does Payson get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Payson since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on August 13, 1984. The typical Utah town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)