Carbon County, Utah Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Carbon County, UT Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Utah
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 79% of counties in Utah
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Carbon County | Utah Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,514 | 3,390,702 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 13.8 | 40.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.13% | 1.76% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.9 | 33.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,122 | 1,124,267 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Carbon County grew by 5.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,514 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Carbon County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.3% of residents. That is 4.4 points below Utah as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,573 22.3% -4.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,826 18.6% -3.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,919 19.1% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,629 17.7% +6.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Utah, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.9% of the people living in Carbon County and men 50.1%.
- Women 49.9% Utah 49.5%
- Men 50.1% Utah 50.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Carbon County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Carbon County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Carbon County | Utah Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,644 | $95,466 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.54% | 5.37% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 3.5% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Carbon County is about 39% lower than in Utah.
Housing
| Metric | Carbon County | Utah Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $277,379 | $498,552 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $869 | $1,495 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.9% | 70.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Carbon County is about 26.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $869 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Carbon County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 106 hours, about 4.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Carbon County | Utah Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.8 | 18.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.5 | 37.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 106 | 158 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,298 | $4,885 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.3% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,340 | 7,410 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 505 | 1,192 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Utah:
Garfield County (7.3 min), Daggett County (8.6 min), Beaver County (8.7 min).
Slowest:
Tooele County (30.8 min), Morgan County (23.8 min), Piute County (22.9 min).
The average commute time in Carbon County is 13 minutes, shorter than the 19 minutes in Utah.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Carbon County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Carbon County | Utah Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.2% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 2.97 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Utah:
Summit County (0.4), Morgan County (0.3), Wasatch County (0.3).
Lowest:
Daggett County (0.2), Uintah County (0.2), Duchesne County (0.2).
Health
Carbon County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Carbon County | Utah Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.6 | 80.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.8% | 13.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.3% | 11.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Utah:
Summit County (0.8), Utah County (0.8), Cache County (0.8).
Lowest:
San Juan County (0.8), Piute County (0.8), Uintah County (0.8).
Carbon County, UT Compared With Nearby Counties
Carbon County, UT is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 20,514 residents against a local median of 33,184. The measure that sets Carbon County, UT apart most is median home price: $277,379, 41% below the local median of $467,055.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $58,644 against a local median of $76,664, 24% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 24% below the local median it puts Carbon County, UT at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $479,060 on median home price, so Carbon County, UT sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Carbon County, UT has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon County, UT | 20,514 | $58,644 #5/5 | $277,379 #4/5 | 12.8 min #1/5 |
| Duchesne County, UT | 20,181 | $80,013 | $225,000 | 13.6 min |
| Wasatch County, UT | 36,658 | $117,131 | $704,059 | 20.5 min |
| Sanpete County, UT | 29,709 | $69,839 | $624,944 | 13.0 min |
| Uintah County, UT | 37,051 | $73,315 | $309,167 | 13.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Carbon County, Utah.
How big is Carbon County, Utah by population?
About 20,514 people live in Carbon County, Utah, in 8,122 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 36.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Carbon County, Utah?
Averaged over its land area, Carbon County, Utah has 14 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 16% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Carbon County, Utah?
The median home costs 4.7 times the median household income ($277,379 against $58,644), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $869 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Carbon County, Utah?
15.2% of adults in Carbon County, Utah hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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