Entering the Great Salt Lake Valley by C.C.A. Christensen, 1850
Emigration Canyon’s story
Emigration Canyon in pictures
The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 4 maps from 1950 on.
Explore the history →
Emigration CanyonUT
A town of 1,417.
1 bordering townMap →
Mountain Dell Dam · Photo: Historic American Engineering Record. Survey number HAER UTAH,18-SALCI,22-17 · Public domain
Population
1,417
2025 Census estimate · −3.2% since 2020
Median home value
$1.07M
Census ACS
Household income
$191K
median
Median age
52.2
years
Jobs based here
102
A commuter town
Is Emigration Canyon a good place to live?
The best of Emigration Canyon’s subject grades are an A+ for health and incomes and an A− for the outdoors; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. 72% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Emigration Canyon, where Utah’s towns sit at 36% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 4 of Utah’s 172 towns score higher on health. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 93% of U.S. towns. 32% of the land in Emigration Canyon is conserved, above both the Utah town median (3.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, at 7,612 acres with 23 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Only 9 of Utah’s 137 towns score higher on civic life. Emigration Canyon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Emigration Canyon stand out
Where Emigration Canyon beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
32 measures vs. Utah
19 better8 too close to call5 worse
| Widest gap | Emigration Canyon | UT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.8% | 10.5% |
HealthA+
Healthier than 99% of U.S. towns
Beats UT on 19 of 32 CDC measures, trails it on 5
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Avalanches and wildfire at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
Small town
1,417 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Salt Lake CityEmigration Canyon
How Emigration Canyon grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Utah), ordered by how far Emigration Canyon is from typical.
HealthAmong the healthiest U.S. towns; Primary Children's Hospital 5.1 miles awayA+Open →Jobs & income$191K median household incomeA+Open →Hazard riskavalanches tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.5 of 20; 0.9% of households have no car; 0.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $1.07M, 10.9 years of the Salt Lake City metro’s $98K median household incomeC−Open →SchoolsBehind 80% of Utah districts on tests and graduationC−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 78 attractions →Delta Center and 70 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Emigration Canyon. Close and well known come first.
Big draw9 mi Stadium & arenaDelta Center
6 mi Stadium & arenaRice–Eccles Stadium
33 mi LakeLake Bonneville
14 mi Ski areaPark City Mountain Resort393 runs · 3,100 ft vertical
8 mi GardenTemple Square
16 mi Stadium & arenaAmerica First FieldSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Delta Center: Lomrjyo, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rice–Eccles Stadium: Brenton Walker, CC BY 2.0 · Lake Bonneville: Wilson44691, Public domain · Park City Mountain Resort: Rudi Riet from Washington, DC, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Temple Square: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · America First Field: Scott Catron, CC BY-SA 2.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Emigration Canyon: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Emigration Canyon, and how to reach them.
PowerRocky Mountain Power13.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEmigration Improvement DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Emigration Canyon’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Utah you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 11 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSalt Lake County ClerkSalt Lake County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code8410884108 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 13, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Emigration Canyon.
HealthA+
Emigration Canyon stands out in Utah and nationally: a smaller share of its adults report frequent mental distress
13% of Emigration Canyon adults report frequent mental distress. Among 119 Utah towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Emigration Canyon. 30% of Emigration Canyon adults feel lonely.
99%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Emigration Canyon | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 5.2% | 8% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 31% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Utah
19 better8 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Emigration Canyon | UT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.8% | 10.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.7% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 7.2% |
Primary Children's Hospital
5.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
The FEMA risk score in Emigration Canyon is higher than in most of Utah or the rest of the country
The FEMA risk score in Emigration Canyon is 89 of 100.
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsA−
Nearly a third of Emigration Canyon is conserved land
25 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Emigration Canyon’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile.
32%conserved
32%
conserved · 3,709 of 11,597 acres
25 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest | 23 mi | 7,612 |
| 2. Owl Meadow Nature Preserve | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
About half of Emigration Canyon’s working residents commute to Salt Lake City
Most working residents leave Emigration Canyon for work: only 1% work in town. No town among the 120 in Utah we compare has a higher median household income than Emigration Canyon. Since 2013, Emigration Canyon has lost 62 jobs, to 102 in 2023.
1%work in town
| Emigration Canyon | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $191,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 2.7% | 6.2% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 8.4% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Emigration Canyon1%
Salt Lake City45%
West Valley City5%
Murray5%
Millcreek4%
10 mi
median commute distance
102
jobs based in Emigration Canyon
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 7% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Emigration Canyon, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Emigration Canyon has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. Among 120 Utah towns, just 5 have a lower July high than Emigration Canyon.
56″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–38°
Spring35–58°
Summer55–83°
Fall38–61°
Oct 14
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C−
Homes in Emigration Canyon sell for about $798K
92% of households own their home in Emigration Canyon.
$798Kmedian sale price
| Emigration Canyon | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,944 a month | $1,538 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 92% | 79% | 73% |
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Emigration Canyon
18pages on Emigration Canyon
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of Emigration Canyon
University of UtahUniversity or college · Public · Salt Lake City5.8 mi$9,620 in-state tuitionWestminster UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Salt Lake City7.2 mi$43,528 tuitionSalt Lake Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Salt Lake City13.3 mi$4,426 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Emigration Canyon residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Utah.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Emigration Canyon for work
Where Emigration Canyon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
102jobs based in Emigration Canyon
1%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Emigration Canyon
City
Emigration Canyon is a city and canyon in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, located east of Salt Lake City in the Wasatch Range. Beginning at the southern end of the University of Utah, the canyon itself heads east and northeast between Salt Lake City and Morgan County. Its boundaries do not extend to the county line, nor do they encompass all of Emigration Canyon, as parts of it are within Salt Lake City. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,466. A portion of Emigration Canyon, located in This Is the Place Heritage Park, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961 for the canyon's significance in the Mormon migration of the 19th century.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Questions about Emigration Canyon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Emigration Canyon, UT expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.