Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Cedar City grades B− overall, 97th among Utah's 118 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 79% of U.S. towns. On the other side, the median household income is $64K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. 51% of working residents work locally in Cedar City, against 8.2% in Utah’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Cedar City is home to Southern Utah University. On civic life, just 8 of Utah’s 137 towns do better.
Where Cedar City beats most towns.
28,857 counted in 2010 and 35,235 in 2020; an estimated 41,871 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 18.8% since 2020, after 22.1% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Utah), ordered by how far Cedar City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 301 in 1860, 35,235 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1872 and 2 maps from 1950 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cedar City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 13, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Cedar City.
Cedar City has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has poverty well above the Utah rate.
Against the 9,658 U.S. towns with household incomes like Cedar City’s, it is healthier than 94%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income. Within Utah it is less healthy than 75% of the 118 graded towns: Utah sets a high bar.
Cedar City beats the Utah average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 70% of adults had a checkup this year in Cedar City.
| Cedar City | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 72% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 28% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 11% | 16% |
| What stands out | Cedar City | UT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.5% | 7.2% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 9.3% | 6.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Iron District. Three of its 17 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,139 | B+ |
| Southwest Educational AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 4,239 | B− |
| Success SUUTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 224 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within UT on state tests and graduation
30 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Field at the Hills, at 50 acres. Cedar City’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Cedar City | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 14% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ann J. Gardner Canyon Park | 0.5 mi | 9 |
| 2. Frontier Homestead State Park | 0.4 mi | 9 |
| 3. Bicentennial Park | 0.3 mi | 45 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Cedar City home is worth about $404,000, up 1.4% in a year, 24% below the Utah typical home. 57% of Cedar City households own their home.
| Cedar City | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,054 a month | $1,542 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
18.9% of residents live below the poverty line, against 8.5% across Utah, which weighs on its C− for jobs and income.
Adults 18 to 34 are 36% of residents (26% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 26% of residents (34% statewide). The median age in Cedar City is 26.8 years. Cedar City has grown 19% since 2020, to 41,871 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Cedar City | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 26.8 years | 32.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 26% | 30% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 11% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 36% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.1 points. Across Utah, 49.3% of residents are women. Median age: women 26.8, men 26.8.
| Cedar City | UT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.6% | 14.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.1% | 13.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 20.6% | 11.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.3% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.2% | 13.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.7% | 11% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.1% | 9.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.7% | 7.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.6% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.1% | 6.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.1% | 22.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 23% | 23.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.1% | 9.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.7% | 24.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13% | 13% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The Cedar City weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 159 days, shorter than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Cedar City has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 18° and about 60 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 15,862 working residents takes 13.4 minutes, against 22.1 across Utah. Jobs based here grew from 11,444 in 2013 to 17,679.
Since 2013, Cedar City has added 6,235 jobs, to 17,679 in 2023. Only 2 of the 119 Utah towns we compare have a lower average trip to work than Cedar City. The top destinations are St.
| Cedar City | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 11% | 16% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 1992, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cedar City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 674 to 271 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cedar City. Close and well known come first.
Big draw13 mi National ParkZion National Park5.0M visitors a year
30 mi MountainAngels Landing
13 mi National MonumentCedar Breaks National Monument718K visitors a year
27 mi Canyon & gorgeThe Narrows
14 mi Ski areaBrian Head Resort69 runs · 1,300 ft vertical
36 mi Canyon & gorgeZion CanyonZion National Park: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Angels Landing: Óðinn, CC BY-SA 2.5 ca · Cedar Breaks National Monument: Original uploader was Averette at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · The Narrows: Jon Sullivan, Public domain · Brian Head Resort: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Zion Canyon: No machine-readable author provided. Antilived assumed (based on copyright claim, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cedar City
College town 16 of every 100 Cedar City residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Utah.
4 places in Cedar City on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Cedar City.
City in the United States
Cedar City is the largest city in Iron County, Utah, United States. Located 250 miles (400 km) south of Salt Lake City, it is 170 miles (270 km) north of Las Vegas on Interstate 15. Southern Utah University is located in Cedar City. It is the home of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Utah Summer Games, and other events. As of the 2020 census the city had a population of 35,235, up from 28,857 in the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Cedar City.
| Town | UT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar City | #97 | B− | C | B | B | B+ |
| Enoch | #66 | B+ | C+ | A | B | B+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cedar City grades B− overall, better than 47% of U.S. towns and #97 of 118 in Utah. It grades B+ for health, B for safety and B for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
That is 6.1 years of the area's median household income ($66,247 across the Cedar City, UT area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
12 notable people were born here, including Mike Leavitt and Ally Condie.
