Dinosaur Village RV Mobile Home Park, dinosaur statue and sign, Route 40, 1991
Jensen’s story
149 years in pictures
The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1991 and a map from 1965 on.
- 1877Jensen is settled
JensenUT
Photo: An Errant Knight · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
258
Census survey, 2020–24
Household income
$2K
median
Median age
48.1
years
Jobs based here
15
A commuter town
Is Jensen a good place to live?
Jensen’s typical household income is $2,499, against $101,000 in Utah’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Of the 120 Utah towns we compare, none has a higher share of residents below the poverty line than Jensen. Jensen has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Jensen stand out
Where Jensen beats most towns.
Small town
258 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Jensen: who provides what
Jensen is unincorporated, so Uintah County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMoon Lake Electric Assn9.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterJensen Wid water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesUintah CountyUintah County provides services here
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 hereUintah County Clerk/AuditorUintah County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code8403584035 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 Jensen.
Natural hazards
Jensen stands out in Utah and nationally, with the FEMA risk score lower than most
FEMA puts 49% of Jensen’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 12% to drought. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 96% of U.S. communities.
4risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Jensen’s workers commute out
Half the trips to work are shorter than 13 miles. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Jensen dropped by 21, to 15. The average trip to work here is 26 minutes. The top destinations are Vernal (30%), Naples (8%) and Roosevelt (5%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Jensen0%
Vernal30%
Naples8%
Roosevelt5%
Lehi3%
13 mi
median commute distance
15
jobs based in Jensen
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Jensen brings four seasons and hot summers
Jensen’s midsummer high stands at 93°F.
19″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–33°
Spring33–64°
Summer53–89°
Fall33–64°
Sep 25
typical first frost
May 20
typical last frost
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
More of Jensen’s adults have diabetes than in the typical Utah or U.S. town
Jensen: 72% of adults had a checkup this year. Only 2 of the 119 Utah towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Jensen.
| Jensen | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 28% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 11% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 8.4% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Utah
1 better17 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Jensen | UT |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 73.7% | 65.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.7% | 9.8% |
Ashley Regional Medical Center
11.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
1.5% of the land in Jensen is protected from building
Jensen’s concentration of trails comes in at 0.4 miles per square mile. Count the trails in 1 park or preserve and they come to 1.2 miles. It has one park or preserve, 7 acres in all.
1.5%conserved
| Jensen | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
1.5%
conserved · 31 of 2,055 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jensen Park | 0.4 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Jensen
15pages on Jensen
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Jensen; the nearest are
Colorado Northwestern Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rangely, CO35.9 mi$4,594 in-state tuitionColorado Mesa UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Grand Junction, CO98.7 mi$9,927 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Jensen residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Utah.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Jensen for work
Where Jensen’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
15jobs based in Jensen
0%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Jensen
CDP in Utah, United States
Jensen is a census-designated place in eastern Uintah County, Utah, United States. The population was 372 at the 2020 census. It lies along the Green River and U.S. Route 40, southeast of the city of Vernal, the county seat of Uintah County, and about 17 miles west of the Colorado border. Although Jensen is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 84035. Jensen was first settled in 1877 and named for Lars Jensen, an early prospector and ferryman. Today its main importance is as the Utah entrance to Dinosaur National Monument.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1877
- Area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,760 ft
- ZIP code
- 84035
Questions about Jensen
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Jensen, UT a good place to live?
Jensen has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.