What it's like to live in Tooele
Tooele is a small city in Utah with rent below the national average, 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. Tooele deals with commute times longer than most cities, college degree attainment below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 75" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Tooele compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Tooele
Based on Tooele's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,428
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $48,560 a year
- 41% of Tooele renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$76,280
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $38,140
- Homes cost 4.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 14% below US
$1,214/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,214 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $381,400. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $381,400 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 16% above US
384 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1539/100k · Tooele Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 18% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 30.8 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 48% below US
19% 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
14 public schools inside the boundary
There are 14 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, slightly 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
Tooele's strongest points are rent below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,214/mo) equals 15% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Tooele
All Utah guides →Moving to Grantsville →
10 mi away · pop. 14,341
Rent $1,166/mo · Income $101,349
Compare with Tooele →Moving to South Jordan →
17 mi away · pop. 82,686
Rent $1,991/mo · Income $134,047
Compare with Tooele →Not sure Tooele is the one?
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