East along SR-141 in West Mountain, Utah, Jun 16, 2016
West Mountain’s story
West Mountain in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
Explore the history →West MountainUT
A town of 1,282.
Population
1,282
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$1.27M
+2.9% in a year
Household income
$112K
median
Median age
35.4
years
Jobs based here
202
A commuter town
Is West Mountain a good place to live?
The best of West Mountain’s subject grades are an A for incomes and an A− for health; the weakest is a D for walkability. West Mountain’s typical home value is $1,266,000, above both the Utah town median ($523,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($332,000). On walkability, just 6 of Utah’s 173 towns do worse. West Mountain's schools rank ahead of 68% of Utah towns. West Mountain’s trail density is 2.0 miles per square mile, where Utah’s towns sit at 1.1 and U.S. towns at 0.4. On the outdoors, just 1 of Utah’s 173 towns do worse. West Mountain has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes West Mountain stand out
Where West Mountain beats most towns.
Small town
1,282 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
PaysonSantaquinGenolaSpring LakeWest Mountain
How West Mountain grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Utah), ordered by how far West Mountain is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 5 of 20; 2.2% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & incomeAOpen →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listC−Open →HealthMountain View Hospital 3.6 miles awayA−Open →SchoolsB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $1.27M, 12.6 years of the Provo metro’s $101K median household incomeBOpen →
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 →
Getting set up
Moving to West Mountain: who provides what
West Mountain is unincorporated, so Utah County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerStrawberry Electric Serv Dist15.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPayson City Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers75% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesUtah CountyUtah 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 hereUtah County ClerkUtah County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code8465184651 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 West Mountain.
HousingCost of living grade B
For cost of living, West Mountain earns a B
90% of West Mountain households own their home. The typical West Mountain home is worth about $1,266,000, up 2.9% in a year, more than twice the Utah typical home.
$1.27MZillow home value
Typical home value
West Mountain$1.27M
Utah$533K
+2.9%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthA−
West Mountain stands out in Utah and nationally: a smaller share of its adults binge drink
7.9% of adults binge drink in West Mountain. West Mountain beats the Utah average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 17% of adults get no exercise outside work in West Mountain.
82%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| West Mountain | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 7.9% | 11% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 72% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.4% | 8% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Utah
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | West Mountain | UT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 7.9% | 12.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 5.8% | 4.6% |
Mountain View Hospital
3.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
A smaller share of residents live below the poverty line in West Mountain than in most of Utah or the rest of the country
West Mountain’s median household income is $112,000. Only 3 of the 120 Utah towns we compare have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than West Mountain. Since 2013, West Mountain has added 73 jobs, to 202 in 2023.
1%work in town
| West Mountain | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 1.2% | 6.2% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $112,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 8.4% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In West Mountain1%
Payson12%
Provo12%
Orem8%
Springville8%
18 mi
median commute distance
202
jobs based in West Mountain
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 7% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Utah overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 47% of residents (34% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (26% statewide). The median age in West Mountain is 35.4 years. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 38% across Utah.
35.4median age · UT 32
| West Mountain | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 32% | 30% | 22% |
| Median age | 35.4 years | 32.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 36% | 29% |
West MountainUtahUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school25%
Some college27%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.8 points. Across Utah, 49.3% of residents are women.
| West Mountain | UT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.7% | 14.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 18.1% | 13.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.8% | 11.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.1% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15% | 13.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 18.1% | 11% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.8% | 9.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 4.9% | 7.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 1.6% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.7% | 6.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.7% | 22.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 27% | 23.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.2% | 9.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.5% | 24.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.9% | 13% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in West Mountain, with earthquakes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities.
75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In West Mountain, expect snowy winters and hot summers
West Mountain has chilly, snowy winters and hot summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 93°, January nights drop to 19° and about 55 inches of snow falls in a winter.
55″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–40°
Spring37–64°
Summer57–90°
Fall38–66°
Oct 11
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC−
West Mountain has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
21 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 6,734 acres
21 mi
of trails · 2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 63 attractions →Lake Bonneville and 27 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around West Mountain. Close and well known come first.
40 mi LakeLake Bonneville
16 mi Stadium & arenaLaVell Edwards Stadium
12 mi LakeUtah Lake21 mi Theme parkEvermore Park
25 mi MountainMount Timpanogos
37 mi Stadium & arenaAmerica First FieldSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Bonneville: Wilson44691, Public domain · LaVell Edwards Stadium: The original uploader was Bobak at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.5 · Utah Lake: NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S, Public domain · Mount Timpanogos: Eric Ward from Provo, UT, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · America First Field: Scott Catron, CC BY-SA 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about West Mountain
17pages on West Mountain
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of West Mountain
Rocky Mountain University of Health ProfessionsUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Provo12.9 miProvo CollegeUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Provo14.4 mi$16,548 tuition
About 5 of every 100 West Mountain residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Utah.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave West Mountain for work
Where West Mountain’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
202jobs based in West Mountain
1%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About West Mountain
CDP in Utah, United States
West Mountain is a census-designated place (CDP) in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the CDP population was 1,250. The town is at the base of West Mountain (site of the West Mountain Observatory) and bears its name.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 9.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,547 ft
- Area code
- 385, 801
Questions about West Mountain
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is West Mountain, UT expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.