Bison with saddle (Juvenile Instructor), 1923
Tropic’s story
135 years in pictures
Census counts: 379 in 1900, 486 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1923 and a map from 1980 on.
- 1891Tropic is settled
TropicUT
A town of 497, settled in 1891.
Bryce Canyon National Park Scenic Trails Historic District · Photo: Paxson Woelber · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
497
2025 Census estimate · +3.5% since 2020
Median home value
$256K
Census ACS
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
43.1
years
Jobs based here
154
Balanced
Is Tropic a good place to live?
Only 4 of the 120 Utah towns we compare have a higher median age than Tropic. 35% of the land in Tropic is conserved, where Utah’s towns sit at 3.4% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Tropic has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
497 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 23 attractions →Bryce Canyon National Park and 3 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Tropic. Close and well known come first.
Big drawin town National ParkBryce Canyon National Park2.0M visitors a year
33 mi Park & preserveGrand Staircase–Escalante National Monument
4 mi AttractionBryce Canyon Lodge
4 mi MuseumOld Administration BuildingSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Bryce Canyon National Park: Luca Galuzzi (Lucag), CC BY-SA 2.5 · Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument: John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Bryce Canyon Lodge: Unknown, Public domain · Old Administration Building: National Park Service, Public domain
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Tropic: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tropic, and how to reach them.
PowerGarkane Energy Coop11.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTropic Town Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Tropic’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 hereGarfield County Auditor/ClerkGarfield County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code8477684776 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 Tropic.
Outdoors
Nearly a third of Tropic is conserved land
11 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. At 1.4 miles per square mile, Tropic’s trail density is against 1.1 in Utah’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns.
34.8%conserved
34.8%
conserved · 1,756 of 5,049 acres
11 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Schools
The schools Tropic’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Garfield District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Valley SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 157 | C− |
| Bryce Valley HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 142 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Tropic
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 82% of U.S. communities.
18risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesAvalanches
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Tropic, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Tropic has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Tropic’s July high is 85°F.
87″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–41°
Spring30–59°
Summer49–82°
Fall32–63°
Sep 27
typical first frost
May 23
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
With 0.8 jobs for every working resident, most of Tropic’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Tropic for work: only 10% work in town. Jobs based in Tropic grew to 154 in 2023, 22 more than in 2013. The average trip to work in Tropic is 27 minutes.
10%work in town
| Tropic | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 6.2% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 8.4% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Tropic10%
Bryce Canyon City16%
Escalante14%
Panguitch8%
Cannonville5%
28 mi
median commute distance
154
jobs based in Tropic
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Tropic is
Tropic beats the Utah average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 11% of Tropic adults binge drink. Only 4 of the 119 Utah towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Tropic.
| Tropic | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 11% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 72% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Utah
4 better18 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Tropic | UT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8% | 10.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 73.8% | 65.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.2% | 4.7% |
Intermountain Health Garfield Memorial Hospital
22.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Tropic
18pages on Tropic
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Tropic; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Tropic residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Utah.
About Tropic
Town in Garfield County, Utah, United States
Tropic is a town in Garfield County, Utah, United States, along Utah State Route 12 (A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway / Scenic Byway 12). As of the 2020 census, the town had a population of 486. Tropic was founded in 1891.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1891
- Area
- 7.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,309 ft
- ZIP code
- 84776
- Area code
- 435
Questions about Tropic
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Tropic, UT a good place to live?
Tropic has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.