CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.65° N · 111.89° W · GEOID 4953230

Murray

Salt Lake County, Utah · part of the Salt Lake City, UT metro

UtahMurray, UTMurrayMurray

The short answer

Murray is home to 50,188 people. Median household income is $90,746 a year and median rent is $1,500 a month, 19.8% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $507,500, about 5.6x annual median household income.

Murray is defined by its growth. Population growth since 2020 is 5%, against 0.1% in its closest peers. Also notable: Population change slowed in the latest estimate: -0.1% from 2024 to 2025, against +1.3% a year before that.

62OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

Murray scores better than 62% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 68th of 94 in Utah.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%36
Economy 20%67
Safety 20%33
Amenities 15%54
Education 10%68
Commute 10%77
Growth 5%88
Median gross rent
$1,500
10% above the median place
Median household income
$90,746
13% above the median place
Median home value
$507,500
59% above the median place
Unemployment
3.8%
22% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Murray

  • Affordability42% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 90% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.
  • How it is changingHousehold income rose 7.1% a year while rent rose 6.2% between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, pay gained on rent more than in 81% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Murray

Salt Lake County loses about 10.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in44,237
Moved out54,328
Net−10,091

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Utah County, UT7,87311,292−3,419
Davis County, UT3,8345,243−1,409
Tooele County, UT1,3582,932−1,574
Weber County, UT1,3111,746−435
Maricopa County, AZ9481,187−239
Clark County, NV885961−76

Within Utah, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within UtahOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$71K
Leavers$77K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Salt Lake County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.9% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Salt Lake County report $70,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $77,200, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$60,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,500 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,012 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $507,500.
Getting to work
21 minutes each way on average; 20.5% work from home; 2.5% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Gahanna, OH matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
5.0%
13% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.9%
3% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-10.2
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureMurrayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year15.0%13% below
Moved from another state11.9%3% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-10.2below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$70,5800% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$77,19110% above
02

What it costs to live here

Homeowners pay a median of about 0.5% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 95% of the 502 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Murray19.8%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$60,000
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
19.8%
3% below the median place
Home price to income
5.6x
47% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
20%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$75,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Murray, $1,500 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.3 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Murray, but easier on the budget

Places that match Murray on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Gahanna, OH9216.1% vs 19.8%$18,700Compare
North Attleborough Town, MA9216.1% vs 19.8%$17,700Compare
Stow, OH9115.5% vs 19.8%$6,300Compare
Beavercreek, OH9115.9% vs 19.8%$20,100Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Murray.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Murray? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
0.5%
47% below the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
42.4%
16% below the median place
Median home value1
$507,500
59% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureMurrayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,50010% above
Rent to income119.8%3% below
Property tax rate10.5%47% below
Home price to income15.6x47% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure100.90% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,6150% above
Property tax paid (median)1$2,42226% below
Median home value1$507,50059% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure2.6%19% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure51.1%1% below
Homeownership164.7%3% below
Renters paying 30%+142.4%16% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,0127% above
Vacant homes15.0%30% below
Median year built119780% above
03

Work and pay

Poverty rate is 6.0%, 44% below the median place.

Poverty rate1
6.0%
44% below the median place
Works from home1
20.5%
65% above the median place
Mean commute1
21 min
17% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Unemployment3.8% −22%
Commutes by transit2.5% 2.9×
Income per person$47,071 +17%
Median household income$90,746 +13%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureMurrayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$90,74613% above
Income per person1$47,07117% above
Unemployment13.8%22% below
Average annual pay5County figure$80,22522% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure3.5%5% below
Jobs5County figure808,479above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate16.0%44% below
Mean commute121 min17% below
Works from home120.5%65% above
Commutes by transit12.5%189% above
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 95.5%, 3% above the median place.

High school or higher1
95.5%
3% above the median place
Population change since 20206
5.0%
339% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
41.9%
31% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad13.3% +51%
Homes with broadband93.9% +2%
Household size2.4 −2%
No health insurance7.1% +11%
Median age38.7 −1%
All 9 people measures
MeasureMurrayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population150,188873rd largest
Population change since 202065.0%339% above
Median age138.71% below
Bachelor's or higher141.9%31% above
High school or higher195.5%3% above
Household size12.42% below
Born abroad113.3%51% above
No health insurance17.1%11% above
Homes with broadband193.9%2% above
05

Life in Murray

The nearest National Park Service site is Timpanogos Cave National Monument, about 17 miles away.

Founded or incorporated in 1848. 20 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 6 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Wheeler, Henry J., Farm listed 1976
  • Cahoon, John P., House listed 1983
  • Walton, Wesley and Frances, House listed 1995
  • Warenski-Duvall Commercial Building and Apartments listed 2000
  • Iris Theater, Apartments and Commercial Building listed 2001
  • Murray LDS Second Ward Meetinghouse listed 2001

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents7.0 −31%
Playgrounds per 10k13.9 +48%
Grocery stores per 10k1.4 −34%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k18.7 +68%
Libraries per 10k0.4 −54%
Named paths and bike trails12 km 6.0×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi17.2 82.1×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Timpanogos Cave National Monument 17 miles
  • Golden Spike National Historical Park 75 miles
  • Fossil Butte National Monument 102 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.9 +0%
Shops29.2 −4%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.6 +12%
Doctors' offices and clinics24.2 +20%
Child care centers2.8 +22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Students per teacher13
21.1
37% above the median place
Nearest National Park Service site10
17.2
44% below the median place
Public school students13
7,568
55% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureMurrayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools131344% above
Public school students137,56855% above
Students per teacher1321.137% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure20.90% above
Shops per 10k8County figure29.24% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.612% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure24.220% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.822% above
Parks per 10k97.031% below
Playgrounds per 10k913.948% above
Grocery stores per 10k91.434% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k918.768% above
Libraries per 10k90.454% below
Named paths and bike trails912.0above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi917.2above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1017.244% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10150% below
National Register listings112054% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 165, 14% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
165
14% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
2,778
129% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Median air quality index16
57
33% above the median place
Wildfire risk15
98.3
61% above the median place
Good air days16
33.2%
52% below the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureMurrayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure87°F0% above
January average low14County figure21°F16% below
Average temperature14County figure50°F10% below
Annual precipitation14County figure22.3 in49% below
Natural hazard risk15County figure98.67% above
Tornado risk15County figure71.013% below
Wildfire risk15County figure98.361% above
Heat wave risk15County figure92.93% above
Median air quality index16County figure5733% above
Good air days16County figure33.2%52% below
08

Murray in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 20% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 20% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Murray does better than 36% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 89%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,500/mo (2024)$1,930/mo$1,590 to $2,360/mo+4.3%
Median household income$90,746 (2024)$116,500$98,500 to $138,000+4.3%
Median home value$507,500 (2024)$755,000$548,000 to $1,040,000+6.8%
Population53,297 (2025)55,50053,240 to 57,860+0.8%

The median home would be worth 6.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.6 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Murray

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Wallington, NJ$1,625$85,862Compare
Boise City, ID$1,446$83,904Compare
Juneau, AK$1,444$101,661Compare
Bayonne, NJ$1,682$83,887Compare
Bayonne, NJJuneau, AKBoise City, IDWallington, NJMurray, UTMurrayWallingtonBoise CityJuneauBayonneMurrayWallingtonBoise CityJuneauBayonne

Places built like Murray

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Murray performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Murray, UT19.8%7.1%/yr5.0%
Millcreek, UT18.3%6.3%/yr0.1%Compare
Westminster, CO22.5%5.7%/yr-0.4%Compare
Casas Adobes, AZ23.7%5.4%/yrn/aCompare
Longmont, CO24.0%4.1%/yr1.2%Compare
Cottonwood Heights, UT17.4%5.0%/yr-4.0%Compare
Littleton, CO22.1%5.4%/yr1.3%Compare

Common questions

Is Murray a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 62 out of 100, better than 62% of the places we rate and 68th of 94 in Utah. 42% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 90% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track. Household income rose 7.1% a year while rent rose 6.2% between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, pay gained on rent more than in 81% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 33 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Murray expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.8% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $507,500.

What salary do you need to live in Murray?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $60,000 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Murray safe?

There were 165 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Murray?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Wallington, NJ, Boise City, ID, Juneau, AK and Bayonne, NJ.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Murray with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Murray itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/murray-utah

Citytistics. “Murray, Utah.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/murray-utah/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.