Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety42#533/924
Economy60#375/925
Housing86#126/925
Health51#457/925
Healthcare15#785/923
Environment49#469/917
Education21#729/925
Infrastructure71#271/925
Community30#651/925
Leisure & amenities23#715/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Vernal, UT micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Rent as share of income · low21.7%
99/100Utah 28.9%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Rent-burdened households · low31.4%
99/100Utah 47.2%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low5.2 µg/m³
93/100Utah 7.3 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Distance to an emergency room · low4.3 mi
87/100Utah 5.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Adult smoking · low12.5%
86/100Utah 10.4%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.49%
86/100Utah 0.48%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Weaknesses

Drought exposure · high100%
1/100Utah 98%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Social associations · low2.9 /10k
1/100Utah 3.6 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Job growth · low-4.8%
2/100Utah 0.9%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Income adjusted for local prices · low$48,176
2/100Utah $68,107United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisEstimated from related areas or data (see the source notes)Aggregated from counties
Pharmacies · low0.5 /10k
3/100Utah 1.1 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · low33.0%
4/100Utah 45.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
35,676 (2020) → 38,278 (2025)
+7.3%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
High ozone daysImproving
7 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Drug overdose deathsImproving
41.4 /100k (2021) → 12.6 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−70%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
55.2% (2010 & 2021) → 67.9% (2022 & 2024)
+13 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
New business applicationsImproving
8.8 /1k (2020) → 14.1 /1k (2025)
+60%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
46.0% (2019) → 35.0% (2023)
−11 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Vernal, UT micropolitan area improved on 13 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 9 moved within the margin of error and 2 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Weekly wage+41%$844 → $1,192
Grocery stores+40%0.6 /10k → 0.8 /10k
Unemployment−4.9 points8.6% → 3.7%
Arts & recreation+27%3.1 /10k → 3.9 /10k
Gyms+24%0.8 /10k → 1.0 /10k

Declined6

Restaurants−22%7.0 /10k → 5.5 /10k
Traffic deaths+49%11.6 /100k → 17.3 /100k
Price / income+1.0×3.0× → 4.0×
Firearm deaths+24%16.9 /100k → 21.0 /100k
Libraries−6.2%0.6 /10k → 0.5 /10k

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Vernal, UT micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.1 /10k2020	3.9 /10k2025	+27%	Improved	84%
Average commute time	19.5 min2015-2019	20.6 min2020-2024	+1.1 min	Within the margin of error	28%
Average weekly wage	$8442020	$1,1922025	+41%	Improved	100%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.8%2015-2019	16.8%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	17%
Broadband subscriptions	83.4%2015-2019	91.1%2020-2024	+7.7 points	Improved	34%
Child poverty rate	15.3%2015-2019	13.4%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Distance to an airport	128 mi2020	113 mi2025	−14 mi	Improved	98%
Drug overdose deaths	17.6 /100k2020	12.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−28%	Improved	55%
Effective property tax rate	0.58%2015-2019	0.49%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	36%
Firearm deaths	16.9 /100k2020	21.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+24%	Declined	21%
Grocery stores	0.6 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	+40%	Improved	96%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.8 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	+24%	Improved	74%
High school diploma or higher	85.7%2015-2019	89.8%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Home price to income ratio	3.0×2015-2019	4.0×2020-2024	+1.0×	Declined	11%
Homicide rate	5.0 /100k2020	3.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−26%	Improved	50%
Income adjusted for local prices	$35,7962019	$48,1762024	+35%	Improved	69%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4312015-2019	0.4372020-2024	+0.006	Within the margin of error	38%
Median household income	$65,2642015-2019	$73,7462020-2024	+13%	Improved	3%
New business applications	8.8 /1k2020	14.1 /1k2025	+60%	Improved	71%
Pharmacies	0.6 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	−6.8%	Declined	53%
Poverty rate	12.6%2015-2019	11.8%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Property crime rate	1,494 /100k2020	868 /100k2025	−42%	Improved	69%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	−6.2%	Declined	20%
Rent as share of income	23.8%2015-2019	21.7%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Within the margin of error	88%
Rent-burdened households	36.5%2015-2019	31.4%2020-2024	−5.1 points	Within the margin of error	89%
Restaurants and bars	7.0 /10k2020	5.5 /10k2025	−22%	Declined	2%
Traffic deaths	11.6 /100k2015-2019	17.3 /100k2020-2024	+49%	Declined	7%
Unemployment rate	8.6%2020	3.7%2025	−4.9 points	Improved	91%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	16.8%2015-2019	14.8%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Violent crime rate	258 /100k2020	259 /100k2025	+0.5%	Little change	26%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Vernal, UT micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Vernal, UT micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Vernal, UT micropolitan area itself moved +0.4 points in standing on average over the same 29 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

37,056 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

12,145 households (±296)

Vernal, UT micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k15%1,806
$25k–50k16%1,993
$50k–75k20%2,446

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

12,145 households (±296)

Vernal, UT micropolitan area
United States share

Own74%8,928
Rent26%3,217

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

15,210 workers (±658)

Vernal, UT micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone73%11,070
Carpool12%1,836
Public transit0.5%†69

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Vernal, UT micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Vernal, UT has 1,149 employer establishments, 304 for every 10,000 residents (1.22× the US rate of 248), with 10,669 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,173. The Census Bureau also counts 2,645 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,149; 2,645 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 304; US 248
Paid employees: 10,669
Average annual pay: $57,173; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Vernal, UT by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Truck transportation	107	28.3	5.59×More than typical	633	$76,280	84
Specialty trade contractors	86	22.7	1.47×More than typical	1,104	$80,438	139
Ambulatory health care services	65	17.2	0.82×About typical	418	$46,837	82
Lessors of real estate	57	15.1	1.22×About typical	101	$24,911	264
Restaurants and other eating places	57	15.1	0.82×About typical	1,208	$17,378	14
Construction of buildings	51	13.5	1.78×More than typical	150	$37,520	66
Automotive repair and maintenance	35	9.2	1.84×More than typical	207	$45,928	40
Management, scientific and technical consulting	30	7.9	1.18×About typical	45	$52,400	67
Real estate agents and brokers	29	7.7	1.57×More than typical	32	$21,313	57
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	26	6.9	2.18×More than typical	65	$54,262	28
Limited-service restaurants	25	6.6	0.82×About typical	562	$17,190	6
Accounting, tax preparation and payroll services	22	5.8	1.43×More than typical	98	$40,010	25

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 37,851 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $5.7M on contracts performed in Vernal, UT micropolitan area: $150 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $5.7M; +30% vs FY2025
Per resident: $150; US $1,994
Sole-source: 3.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 11%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Forest Service$2.5M44%
Indian Health Service$1.9M33%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$608.7K11%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$391.9K6.8%
Bureau of Land Management$154.3K2.7%
National Park Service$71.7K1.3%
Federal Acquisition Service$51.6K0.9%
U.S. Geological Survey$35.8K0.6%

Top recipients

ADVANCED SOLUTIONS GROUP, LLC$2M35%
RJS CONSTRUCTION INC$1.2M21%
ETP PROCUREMENT LLC$337K5.9%
PRAIRIE BAND HEALTH SERVICES INC$275.5K4.8%
SPROUT FORESTRY INCORPORATED$267.5K4.7%

Spending by fiscal year

9.9MFY2017
20.5MFY2018
9MFY2019
5.8MFY2020
10MFY2021
38MFY2022
8MFY2023
12.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$1.8M32%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$1.2M21%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$631.6K11%
Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing · 3331$337K5.9%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$255.2K4.5%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$228.9K

Largest awards

NON-PERSONAL MULTI SERVICES AT U&O$14.2M
PRAIRIE BAND HEALTH SERVICES INC· Uintah County, UT· Health & medical· Mar 15, 2024 – Aug 13, 2026· 75H71224C00005
0401 LUCERNE CAMPGROUND CONSTRUCTION PHASE 5$2M
ADVANCED SOLUTIONS GROUP, LLC· Uintah County, UT· Construction & real property· May 20, 2026 – May 20, 2026· 1240LT26P0013
U&O PAVEMENT (PROJECT PH23UO01C6)$1.2M
RJS CONSTRUCTION INC· Uintah County, UT· Construction & real property· Dec 4, 2025 – Dec 4, 2025· 75H70126C00004
U&O MOLD REMEDIATION (PH25UO01C6)$844.9K

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $173.2M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Vernal, UT micropolitan area: $4,526 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $173.2M; −8.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $4,526; US $12,955
Loan face value: $14.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$98.1M57%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$13.5M7.8%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$12.2M7.0%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$12M6.9%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$5.2M3.0%
20.901 · Payments for Essential Air Services$5M2.9%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$4.6M2.6%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$3.8M2.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

UTAH DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$12.4M7.2%
WEST VALLEY CITY, UT
CITY OF VERNAL$5M2.9%
VERNAL, UT
UINTAH INDIAN IRRIGATION PROJECT OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE COMPANY$3M1.7%
FORT DUCHESNE, UT
UTE INDIAN TRIBALLY DESIGNATED HOUSING ENTITY$2.2M1.3%
FORT DUCHESNE, UT
UTE INDIAN TRIBE

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$127.3M74%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$13.2M7.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$12.4M7.2%
Department of Transportation
Immediate Office of the Secretary of Transportation$5M2.9%
Department of Transportation
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education

Assistance by fiscal year

145.4MFY2021
173.1MFY2022
163.8MFY2023
192.7MFY2024
189.4MFY2025
173.2MFY2026

County aggregates

82%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Vernal, UT

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Uintah CountyCentral county5338,278

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

VernalPrincipal city10,392

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Utah

Areas based in Utah, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M46860

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Vernal, UT micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Vernal, UT

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Utah

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought