The 10 Worst Small Towns In Utah For 2022


Using science and data, we can tell you which teeny specks in Utah are the pits.

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Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don’t freak out we updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the worst small places to live in Utah.

Most Americans have never been to Utah. However, as the people who live there know, Utah is an awesome state.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Utah has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Beehive State. Don't shoot the messenger, this is all using data.

After analyzing more than 72 of Utah's smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Utah where you'd never want to live:

These are the worst small towns in Utah for 2022:

  1. East Carbon
  2. Wellington
  3. Wendover
  4. Ballard
  5. La Verkin
  6. Salina
  7. Fillmore
  8. Hildale
  9. Blanding
  10. Delta

So what is the worst small town to call home in Utah for 2022? According to the most recent census data, East Carbon is the worst small town to live in Utah.

Of course, many of these cities would rank highly if they were in other states, since Utah has its stuff figured out.

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Utah or the worst places to live in Utah.

If you're looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Utah For 2022

1. East Carbon

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,589
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $60,700 (worst)
Unemployment Rate: 8.0% (8th worst)
More on East Carbon:

2. Wellington

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,501
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $117,200 (3rd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 7.9% (9th worst)
More on Wellington:  Data

3. Wendover

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,258
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $1,000 (1000th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 1.2% (56th worst)
More on Wendover:  Data

4. Ballard

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,508
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $170,300 (16th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 12.7% (4th worst)
More on Ballard:

5. La Verkin

La Verkin, UT

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 4,383
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $224,800 (33rd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 5.6% (19th worst)
More on La Verkin:  Data | Photos

6. Salina

Salina, UT

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,603
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $148,000 (8th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 12.4% (5th worst)
More on Salina:  Data | Photos

7. Fillmore

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 2,585
Rank Last Year: 18 (Up 11)
Median Home Value: $169,500 (15th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (2worst)
More on Fillmore:  Data

8. Hildale

Hildale, UT

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,921
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $253,800 (4worst)
Unemployment Rate: 9.6% (7th worst)
More on Hildale:  Data | Photos

9. Blanding

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 3,594
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $174,400 (18th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (37th worst)
More on Blanding:  Data

10. Delta

Delta, UT

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 3,604
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $157,100 (10th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (36th worst)
More on Delta:  Data | Photos

How do you decide if a place is lousy or not?

In order to rank the worst small towns to live in Utah, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. It isn't a stretch to assume that people like low crime, solid education, things to do and a stable economy.

So we scraped the internet for those criteria, and it spit out the answer. Like magic.

How we determined the worst small towns to live in Utah for 2022

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using FBI crime data and the Census's 2016-2020 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

  • Population Density (The lower the worse)
  • Highest Unemployment Rates
  • Low housing costs (meaning there's no demand)
  • Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
  • Education (Number of high school dropouts)
  • High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which, there were a lot - 72 to be exact.

Additional note: We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets its crime numbers from the cities themselves. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased.

There You Have It - The Worst Small Towns In Utah

If you're analyzing teeny places in the Beehive State with the worst economic situations, where there's high crime and there's not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

If you're curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Utah, according to science:

  1. Mendon (Pop. 1,342)
  2. Mountain Green (Pop. 3,694)
  3. Woodland Hills (Pop. 1,422)

For more Utah reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In Utah

Rank Town Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 East Carbon 1,589 8.0% $60,700
2 Wellington 1,501 7.9% $117,200
3 Wendover 1,258 1.2% $1,000
4 Ballard 1,508 12.7% $170,300
5 La Verkin 4,383 5.6% $224,800
6 Salina 2,603 12.4% $148,000
7 Fillmore 2,585 4.6% $169,500
8 Hildale 2,921 9.6% $253,800
9 Blanding 3,594 3.2% $174,400
10 Delta 3,604 3.2% $157,100
11 Mount Pleasant 3,471 6.7% $187,900
12 Milford 1,827 6.3% $112,100
13 Duchesne 2,019 2.4% $161,700
14 Rocky Ridge 1,069 0.5% $254,500
15 Kanab 4,767 1.8% $272,000
16 Panguitch 1,718 3.1% $144,800
17 Spring City 1,027 6.9% $199,100
18 Castle Dale 1,380 5.6% $135,000
19 Garland 2,554 3.7% $182,900
20 Fountain Green 1,140 5.3% $181,500
21 Parowan 3,104 7.7% $187,100
22 Manti 3,671 3.4% $174,700
23 Huntington 2,131 4.4% $136,300
24 Spring Glen 1,126 0.0% $172,300
25 Gunnison 3,511 0.0% $210,100
26 Benson 1,793 9.8% $239,200
27 Moroni 1,405 3.8% $162,300
28 Monticello 2,570 4.1% $182,900
29 Maeser 4,064 6.6% $250,500
30 Carbonville 1,170 4.4% $161,500
31 Monroe 2,322 2.0% $180,300
32 Lewiston 2,091 0.7% $219,900
33 Ferron 1,475 12.9% $160,000
34 Helper 2,346 3.5% $144,400
35 Fairview 1,438 4.3% $184,800
36 Enterprise 1,602 3.3% $217,800
37 Stockton 1,072 6.3% $238,400
38 Coalville 2,066 2.1% $277,500
39 South Willard 1,519 2.4% $296,300
40 Kamas 2,591 1.0% $335,900
41 Genola 1,601 3.0% $392,400
42 Centerfield 1,531 4.0% $216,800
43 Naples 3,512 3.3% $220,100
44 Beaver 3,115 1.0% $245,400
45 Elwood 1,354 5.7% $301,800
46 Richmond 2,733 2.6% $230,800
47 Willard 1,688 1.1% $261,500
48 Honeyville 1,651 1.7% $279,700
49 Marriott-Slaterville 1,862 0.3% $323,900
50 Hyde Park 4,703 3.7% $293,900
51 Oakley 1,600 1.6% $365,400
52 Millville 1,895 0.2% $258,800
53 Lake Shore 1,020 17.1% $504,800
54 West Mountain 1,370 3.6% $397,800
55 Toquerville 1,689 6.2% $331,500
56 Orangeville 1,253 0.0% $151,100
57 Wellsville 3,847 0.8% $277,800
58 Riverside 1,010 0.0% $246,700
59 Elk Ridge 3,994 4.1% $398,800
60 Erda 3,071 17.2% $361,300
61 Mantua 1,017 1.7% $327,500
62 River Heights 1,980 1.3% $252,600
63 Morgan 4,259 1.8% $323,800
64 Daniel 1,147 0.9% $493,400
65 Mona 1,699 1.7% $269,600
66 Uintah 1,562 2.6% $302,900
67 Wolf Creek 2,027 0.0% $492,500
68 Francis 1,364 0.0% $395,100
69 Silver Summit 1,256 1.8% $1,159,300
70 Mendon 1,342 0.0% $332,600
71 Mountain Green 3,694 1.2% $486,800
72 Woodland Hills 1,422 1.6% $534,500

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