Affluence abounds in Utah

Utahns are blessed. But some are blessed more than others.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that nearly every Utah household has a car, a phone, a refrigerator, indoor hot-and-cold plumbing, a stove, a toilet, a tub or shower, plenty of education, decent income and a nice home — which most of the world does not enjoy.

But some places in Utah still enjoy a bit more than others. Following is a Thanksgiving-season look at how the 35 Utah communities with at least 20,000 residents each rate in some socioeconomic categories, according to recently released 2006-08 data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

HOUSEHOLD INCOME: South Jordan residents should be the most thankful when it comes to household income. The median there was a whopping $94,248 a year in the 2006-08 period. That's two-thirds higher than the statewide median.

Other cities with top median household incomes are Draper, $89,144; Riverton, $80,726; Kaysville, $78,540; and Sandy, $77,601.

At the other end of the spectrum was South Salt Lake, which had the lowest at $35,264, about a third lower than the state median.

Others with humble median incomes included several cities with large universities (where student populations may keep medians low). They are Logan, $36,945; Provo, $39,606; Ogden, $41,175; and Cedar City, $41,318.

PER CAPITA INCOME: Income can also be figured on a per-person basis. Homes with many children but few wage earners tend to rank low, but places where wage earners have few dependents tend to rank higher.

The current Utah per capita income champion is Cottonwood Heights at $35,621. It is followed by Holladay, $34,634; Bountiful, $31,401; Sandy, $30,343; and Draper, $30,272.

Per capita income statewide was $23,020.

At the low end are Eagle Mountain, $15,557; Provo, $16,070; South Salt Lake, $16,541; Cedar City, $17,070; and Clearfield, $17,102

HOME VALUE: Draper, especially with its large upscale homes on Traverse Ridge, enjoyed the highest average value of owner-occupied home during 2006-08 at $418,500 (almost double the statewide median).

Following it are South Jordan, $367,300; Holladay, $346,800; Cottonwood Heights, $307,400; and Riverton, $295,400. Of course, that was for 2006-08, before many home values dived during the recession.

On the other end of the spectrum — where owners may at least be thankful for more affordable housing — are Ogden, $128,800; Clearfield, $147,500; Roy, $150,300; Magna, $151,000 and Logan, $154,000.