Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Escalante’s average trip to work is 7 minutes, where Utah’s towns sit at 22 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Of the 120 Utah towns we compare, none has a higher median age than Escalante. Escalante Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Escalante has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Escalante beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 623 in 1880, a peak of 1,161 in 1940, 786 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1936 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Escalante, 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 Escalante.
Adults 18 to 34 are 9% of residents (26% statewide); people 65 and older are 28% of residents (12% statewide). Escalante has grown 3.4% since 2020, to 817 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 38% across Utah.
Somewhere between 19% and 54% women
The Census survey reached too few of Escalante’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±17.7 points. Across Utah, 49.3% of residents are women.
| Escalante | UT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.9% | 14.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.3% | 13.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 11.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.1% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.9% | 13.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 11% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 29.6% | 9.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.1% | 7.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.9% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.5% | 6.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 17.8% | 22.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 39.2% | 23.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.5% | 9.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.6% | 24.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.5% | 13% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
Its public schools are run by the Garfield District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escalante SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 105 | B− |
| Escalante HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 66 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 82% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Escalante has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Escalante’s July high is 90°F, below Utah’s towns (92°F) but above U.S. towns (85°F).
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Escalante’s median household income is $69,000. Since 2013, Escalante has lost 68 jobs, to 226 in 2023. The top destinations are Bryce Canyon City (20%), Tropic (7%) and Cannonville (6%).
| Escalante | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 28% | 6.2% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 8.4% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
38% of Escalante adults have high blood pressure. Among 119 Utah towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Escalante. 29% of Escalante adults have obesity.
| Escalante | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 28% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 8.4% | 12% |
| What stands out | Escalante | UT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.1% | 10.5% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8% | 10% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.4% | 4.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Escalante | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Escalante City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Escalante; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Escalante residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Utah.
City in Utah, United States
Escalante (locally ) is a city in central Garfield County, Utah, United States, located along Utah Scenic Byway 12 (SR-12) in the south-central part of the state. As of the 2020 census, 786 people were living in the city. The city is named after Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, a Franciscan missionary and a member of the first European expedition into what is now southern Utah. The nearest towns are Boulder which is 27 miles (43 km) to the northeast on SR-12, and Henrieville, which is 30 miles (48 km) to the southwest on SR-12. The Escalante Petrified Forest State Park is located west of the city. Sections of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument (GSENM) abut much of the city's limit…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Escalante has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.