What it's like to live in Magna
Magna is a small city in Utah with household incomes running above the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Magna deals with rent well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, college degree attainment below the national average, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
How Magna compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Magna
Based on Magna's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,250
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $65,000 a year
- 58% of Magna renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$75,240
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $37,620
- Homes cost 4.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 15% above US
$1,625/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,625 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $376,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $376,200 · 58% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety
179 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Magna doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Unified Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1405/100k · Policed by Unified Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 64% below US
13% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 25:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Timpanogos Cave National Monument (32 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Magna's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,625/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Magna
All Utah guides →Moving to West Valley City →
9 mi away · pop. 138,437
Rent $1,504/mo · Income $92,209
Compare with Magna →Moving to Kearns metro township →
11 mi away · pop. 37,696
Rent $1,744/mo · Income $86,968
Compare with Magna →Not sure Magna is the one?
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