Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
West Valley City is a city of 137,491, and it grades C− overall, 113th among Utah's 118 graded towns. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 85% of U.S. towns. The trade-offs: it reports more crime per resident than 80% of U.S. towns, including 529 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, and its public schools trail 80% of Utah towns on state tests and graduation. Only 10 of Utah’s 172 towns score lower on health. West Valley City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 95% of U.S. towns. West Valley City has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Westwood Village Historic District.
Where West Valley City beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Utah), ordered by how far West Valley City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 72,299 in 1980, 140,230 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2010.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around West Valley City. Close and well known come first.
Big draw8 mi Stadium & arenaDelta Center
10 mi Stadium & arenaRice–Eccles Stadium
18 mi LakeLake Bonneville
in town Stadium & arenaMaverik Center
10 mi Stadium & arenaAmerica First Field
8 mi GardenTemple SquareDelta Center: Lomrjyo, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rice–Eccles Stadium: Brenton Walker, CC BY 2.0 · Lake Bonneville: Wilson44691, Public domain · Maverik Center: Dave O, CC BY-SA 2.0 · America First Field: Scott Catron, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Temple Square: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in West Valley City, 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 West Valley City.
West Valley City trades workers with Salt Lake City and other neighbors, has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Utah.
Reported crimes fell from 3,467 to 2,784 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
In West Valley City, the violent crime rate is 3.8 per 1,000 residents, above both Utah’s towns (1.4) and U.S. towns (1.6). The rate of thefts and burglaries for West Valley City comes to 16.4 per 1,000 residents.
| West Valley City | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.4 per 1,000 residents | 8.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Granite District runs its public schools. Three of its 44 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. The 6 public schools in West Valley City teach 4,198 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| John F. Kennedy Jr HighLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 772 | D |
| Granger HighLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 3,267 | D− |
| Vanguard AcademyTop results in townGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 623 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within UT on state tests and graduation
Expected losses in West Valley City break down as 87% from earthquakes and 9% from inland flooding. Compared with 69% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is higher. Paid flood insurance claims here since 2011: 2.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
West Valley City’s typical July afternoon high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The trail network density in West Valley City is 0.8 miles per square mile. 27 miles of trail wind through 39 parks and preserves. Centennial Park, at 77 acres with 1.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| West Valley City | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.8% | 3.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lodestone Park | 1.6 mi | 53 |
| 2. Centennial Park | 1.1 mi | 77 |
| 3. West Valley City Park | 0.8 mi | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
West Valley City has about as many jobs (66,182) as working residents, but only 8,995 people both live and work here.
The median commute is under 7 miles. Among working residents in West Valley City, 14% work locally, above both the Utah town median (8.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Jobs based in West Valley City grew to 66,182 in 2023, 5,986 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Salt Lake City (32%), South Salt Lake (5%) and West Jordan (5%).
| West Valley City | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 8.2% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.9% | 6.2% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 12% | 16% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Homes sold in West Valley City spent a median 33 days on the market. In West Valley City, the midpoint rent is $1,504 a month. 72% of households are owner-occupiers here.
| West Valley City | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,504 a month | $1,542 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 79% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 49% | 45% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Within Utah it is less healthy than 97% of the 118 graded towns: Utah sets a high bar. Against the 9,687 U.S. towns with household incomes like West Valley City’s, it is less healthy than 66%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
No town among the 118 in Utah we compare has a higher share of adults who worry about having enough food than West Valley City. West Valley City: 27% of adults have been diagnosed with depression. Only 2 of the 118 Utah towns we compare have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than West Valley City.
| West Valley City | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 9.5% | 8.1% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 33% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | West Valley City | UT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.7% | 7.2% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 23.9% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
8 within 15 miles of the center of West Valley City
About 5 of every 100 West Valley City residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Utah.
3 notable people were born in West Valley City.
City in Utah, United States
West Valley City is a city in Salt Lake County and an inner suburb of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The population was 140,230 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in Utah after Salt Lake City. The city incorporated in 1980 from a large, quickly growing unincorporated area, combining the four communities of Granger, Hunter, Chesterfield, and Redwood. It is home to the Maverik Center and Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with West Valley City.
| Town | UT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Valley City | #113 | C− | C+ | C− | C− | B− |
| South Salt Lake | #117 | D | C | D− | C− | B |
| Kearns | #108 | C | C+ | — | C− | B |
| Salt Lake City | #114 | C− | C | D− | C− | A− |
| Magna | #107 | C | C+ | — | C− | B |
| Taylorsville | #109 | C | C+ | C | C− | B+ |
| West Jordan | #87 | B | C | C | B | A− |
Kearns and Magna report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare West Valley City with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
West Valley City grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #113 of 118 in Utah. It grades B− for health, C− for safety and C− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
West Valley City reports more crime per resident than 80% of U.S. towns, a C− Safety Grade: 529 violent and 2,255 property crimes in 2025.
That is 4.7 years of the area's median household income ($98,083 across the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
3 notable people were born here, including Khyiris Tonga and Aimee Winder Newton.
