What it's like to live in Layton
Layton is a smaller city in Utah with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Layton deals with home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, larger class sizes than the national average, and cold winters.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
The not so good
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Layton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Layton
Based on Layton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,076
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $61,520 a year
- 43% of Layton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$95,540
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $47,770
- Homes cost 4.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,538/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,538 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are steep, with a median around $477,700. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $477,700 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 26% below US
3.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.2%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 57% below US
141 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1352/100k · Layton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 12% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 5.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
37% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 37% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
23 public schools inside the boundary
There are 23 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Timpanogos Cave National Monument (46 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Layton's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,538/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Layton
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