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25 of 50
25. Draper, UT
Draper, UT
25
Top 50 rank: 25
Population: 43,974

Draper, about 30 minutes from Salt Lake City, is a nature lover's dream. Residents can get outdoors at the Jordan River Parkway, a trail system that runs from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake, and Corner Canyon, a protected area threaded with hiking, biking, and equestrian trails.

There's also an array of community events, such as the annual Arts and Crafts Festival.

Big employers include the 1-800 Contacts headquarters and an eBay campus. --S.M.

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Draper, UT
Town stats
Median family income (per year)
$98,847
Job growth % (2010-2012)
7.44%
Median home price (2012)
$292,552
Reading test scores (% above/below average)
14.9%
Math test scores (% above/below average)
19.0%
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000)
1
Property crime incidents (per 1,000)
20
Financials
Town stats
Median family income (per year)
$98,847
Family purchasing power (annual, cost-of-living adjusted)
$103,765
Sales tax
6.85%
State income tax rate (highest bracket)
5.00%I
State income tax rate (lowest bracket)
5.00%I
Auto insurance premiums (Average price quotes, for the state)
$1,475
Job growth % (2010-2012)
7.44%
Housing
Median home price (2012)
$292,552
Average property taxes
(2010)
$2,858
Education
Reading test scores (% above/below state average)
14.9%
Test scores math (% above/below average)
19.0%
% students attending public/private schools (located within town limits)
73.7/26.3
Quality of life
Air quality index* (% of days AQI ranked as good)
61.8%
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000)
1
Property crime incidents (per 1,000)
20
Median commute time (in minutes)
21.1
% population with commute 45 mins. or longer
7.6%
% population walk or bike to work
2.7%
Leisure and culture
Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts)
0.5
Weather
Annual rainfall (inches)
16.5
% clear days in the area
62%
High temp in July ° F
95.3°
Low temp in Jan ° F
22°
Meet the neighbors
Median age
30.4
Completed at least some college (% of residents)
73.3%
Married %
56.0%
Divorced %
10.6%
Racial diversity index (100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity)
46.2
From the September 2013 issue

Source: Onboard Informatics. Details


(I) Income tax notes:
Utah provides a tax credit equal to 6% of the federal personal exemption amounts (an applicable standard deduction).
Is Draper a great town, or what?
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Money picked the top 100. Now it's your turn: Which town will be our fan favorite? 'Like' your town and it might just make it to No. 1.

Town # of Likes
1. Sharon, MA 11,968
2. Apex, NC 10,738
3. Westford, MA 6,023
4. Peachtree City, GA 5,632
5. Hillsborough, NJ 5,329
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Using statistics from data services company Onboard Informatics and other sources, we crunched the numbers in order to zero in on America's best small towns for families. (Last year, we looked at small cities, with populations between 50,000 and 300,000.) More

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