Salt Lake County · City comparison
Herriman vs Taylorsville, Utah
Both of these cities sit in Salt Lake County, but at opposite ends of it: Herriman is up on the southwest Oquirrh bench, and Taylorsville is on the mid-valley floor closer to the center of everything. My own base is Southern Utah, so for Herriman and Taylorsville I connect you with a trusted local partner agent who knows the market and stay on the file for the homework and the financing. Here is the honest side-by-side.
Herriman and Taylorsville are both Salt Lake County cities of roughly the same size, around 55,000 and 60,000 people, and buyers often weigh them against each other when they want valley access without a downtown price. That is about where the similarity ends. Taylorsville is an established, fully built mid-valley city at about 4,300 feet, wrapped by freeways and transit and a short hop from the airport. Herriman is a newer, still-growing community that climbs the Oquirrh bench to about 5,000 feet on the far southwest edge of the valley, trading a longer trip into town for foothills and open space at the doorstep.
The core trade is location versus newness, and it shows up in what each city has built for itself, not just where each sits on the map. Taylorsville has spent decades filling in: I-215 runs straight through town, the State of Utah anchored its transportation and public-safety headquarters on 2700 West, and Salt Lake Community College's flagship campus sits on Redwood Road. Herriman is still filling in: a joint SLCC and University of Utah campus opened on the bench in 2023, a Target-anchored retail district broke ground in 2025, and the city has offered incentives just to get more employers to show up. Neither is better. They answer different questions, and below I lay them out the same way for both so you can see the trade for yourself.
Side by side
Herriman vs Taylorsville at a glance.
| Category | Herriman | Taylorsville |
|---|---|---|
| County | Salt Lake County | Salt Lake County |
| Population (city) | ~55,000 | ~60,000 |
| Elevation | ~5,000 ft, climbing the Oquirrh bench | ~4,300 ft, mid-valley floor |
| Climate | Four seasons, snowier on the bench | Four seasons, mountain snow |
| Typical summer high | ~94 to 100 °F | ~94 °F |
| Annual sunshine | ~230 days | ~230 days |
| Median home price | ~$600,000 | ~$500,000 |
| Property tax (primary home) | ~1% effective, fire and police service areas | ~0.6% effective |
| Median household income | ~$123,000 | ~$86,000 |
| University | None in city; SLCC and University of Utah nearby | Salt Lake Community College flagship campus; University of Utah nearby |
| School district | Jordan School District | Granite School District |
| Getting there | Salt Lake City International (SLC) ~27 to 30 mi; no rail, nearest TRAX at Daybreak | Salt Lake City International (SLC) ~12 mi; MVX bus rapid transit; TRAX & FrontRunner at Murray Central nearby |
| National parks nearby | Blackridge Reservoir; Oquirrh foothills trails; Wasatch ski canyons ~45 to 60 min | Jordan River Parkway along the east edge; Millrace Park; Utah Olympic Oval nearby in Kearns |
Sources: U.S. Census (population, income), USGS (elevation), National Weather Service (climate), county assessors (property tax), and the local MLS (median home price). Figures are approximate and were last reviewed in June 2026. Home prices and tax rates move, so confirm current numbers before you plan.
Cost of living
What a budget buys in each town.
The clearest gap between these two is the price of a home. Taylorsville's median sits around $500,000 against roughly $600,000 in Herriman, so the same budget reaches further in Taylorsville. A big part of that is age and inventory: Taylorsville is largely built out with established homes on mature lots, while much of Herriman is newer construction on the growing southwest edge, and newer stock on the bench carries a premium.
Property tax is the other real difference. Effective property tax runs near 0.6% in Taylorsville and closer to 1% in Herriman, where parts of the city sit inside fire and police service areas that add to the rate, so it is worth pricing the exact parcel rather than assuming a flat number. Median household income is higher in Herriman, about $123,000 versus roughly $86,000 in Taylorsville, which tracks with its newer, higher-priced housing. Everyday costs like groceries, utilities, and fuel are broadly similar across the valley; housing and tax are where the two genuinely part ways.
If you are weighing what either price means for a monthly housing scenario, the affordability calculator lets you explore the range a budget might support, and the cost-of-living guide breaks the categories down further.
Climate & elevation
The real difference.
Both cities get the same four-season Wasatch Front pattern, hot dry summers, snowy winters, and around 230 sunny days a year, but the elevation tilts it. Taylorsville sits on the valley floor near 4,300 feet, with summer highs around 94 degrees and the milder, slightly drier winters typical of the lower valley. Herriman sits roughly 700 feet higher on the Oquirrh bench near 5,000 feet, where summer highs run a touch warmer in the afternoon, around 94 to 100 degrees, and winters tend to be snowier, since the bench catches more of the storms that roll across the valley.
In practice the difference is modest but real. Taylorsville's lower, central position means a bit less snow to clear and a quicker thaw. Herriman's bench position means more snow on the ground in winter and cooler evenings up against the foothills, which some buyers like and others would rather avoid for the extra shoveling. Both share the dry air, big sky, and steady sunshine that the whole Salt Lake Valley is known for.
Size & amenities
Big-town options vs small-town ease.
Taylorsville's biggest advantage is a location nobody else in the county quite has. I-215 runs directly through the city rather than around it, with interchanges at Redwood Road and 4700 South, and the MVX bus rapid transit line began running through town in April 2026, tying the college campus to TRAX and FrontRunner at Murray Central. Salt Lake County parked its $45 million Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center here for the same reason so much else has landed on this address: nothing else in the valley sits this close to everything. Downtown, the airport, and the rest of the valley all sit within an easy, short reach.
Herriman trades that centrality for space and newness. Its most established in-city anchors are recent: the Zions Bank Real Academy soccer complex tied to Real Salt Lake, and the joint Salt Lake Community College and University of Utah campus that opened on Sentinel Ridge Boulevard in 2023, with a Target-anchored retail district now filling in nearby. For hospital care, a deeper restaurant scene, and the rest of the county's amenities, residents typically drive east into neighboring Riverton and the built-up mid-valley, a trip the Mountain View Corridor makes straightforward, if longer.
Lifestyle & outdoors
Two very good backyards.
Herriman is the stronger pick for outdoor recreation at your doorstep. Blackridge Reservoir sits right in town for swimming and paddling in summer, the Oquirrh foothills above the city are laced with trails for hiking and biking, and the Wasatch ski canyons are roughly 45 to 60 minutes away when winter rolls in. The bench location means you are starting your hike or ride from higher ground with the mountains close at hand.
Taylorsville leans more toward valley-floor parks and indoor recreation. The Jordan River Parkway runs along its east edge for walking, running, and cycling, Millrace Park anchors the in-town green space, and the Utah Olympic Oval, the 2002 Olympic speed-skating venue, sits just over in neighboring Kearns. The same central position that shortens the commute also keeps the rest of the valley's restaurants, theaters, and events close, so day-to-day there is plenty to do without a long drive.
Schools & higher ed
Districts and universities.
Herriman schools fall under the Jordan School District; Taylorsville schools fall under the Granite School District, one of the larger districts in the state. Rather than rate schools here, I keep it factual: check current attendance boundaries and school ratings directly with the district and the independent rating sites before you settle on a neighborhood, since both can change. For more on each city's schools, see the Herriman and Taylorsville guides.
For higher education, the two differ in what sits inside the city. Taylorsville is home to the flagship campus of Salt Lake Community College, with the University of Utah a short drive away across the valley. Herriman has no college in the city itself, but SLCC and the University of Utah are both within a reasonable commute. Either way, valley residents have a community college and a major research university within reach.
The verdict
Which one fits you?
The decisive trade cuts both ways. Herriman asks for a longer commute, a single hourly bus line, and roughly $100,000 more for a home in exchange for newer construction, higher ground, and trailheads at the edge of the subdivision. Taylorsville asks you to settle into an already-built streetscape in exchange for the valley's shortest commute, an employment base of state offices and a college campus that will not chase a cheaper lease, and a major hospital across the river instead of a freeway drive away.
Lean Herriman if
- Newer construction and a still-growing community appeal to you.
- Trails, foothills, and Blackridge Reservoir a few minutes away matter.
- You want higher-elevation bench living with more open space.
- A longer drive into the valley core is a fair trade for room to grow.
Lean Taylorsville if
- A lower entry price on a home and a lower property tax rate matter to your plan.
- The shortest commute and the most transit options are a priority.
- Being close to the airport and the center of the valley is worth it.
- An established, fully built neighborhood with mature lots suits you.
Plenty of buyers tour both before deciding, and I can connect you with a local partner agent who will walk you through each one.
Financing your move
Numbers for either town.
Because I am licensed in both real estate and mortgage lending, I can help you pressure-test what each city means for your budget before you ever tour a home. The getting pre-approved guide walks the first step, and the cost-of-living guide breaks down how prices move across the state. For numbers specific to your situation, let's talk.
Go deeper
The full guide to each city.
Moving to Herriman
Neighborhoods, cost of living, schools, recreation, and everything worth knowing about the growing Oquirrh bench community on the valley's southwest edge.
Open the Herriman hub Browse Herriman homes for saleMoving to Taylorsville
Neighborhoods, cost of living, schools, recreation, and the full picture of life in this established, transit-connected mid-valley city.
Open the Taylorsville hub Browse Taylorsville homes for saleThinking of selling in Herriman or Taylorsville instead? I can connect you with a trusted local partner agent and get your home featured where buyers are already researching the move.
Weighing the two
Deciding between Herriman and Taylorsville.
The table above shows the deltas; these five questions unpack what a bench address and a mid-valley address actually change about your week.
What does the same home budget actually buy in Herriman versus Taylorsville?
Line up the price ladders instead of just the medians and the gap gets easier to picture. Herriman's brackets run six tiers, from under $600,000 up through over $1,000,000, with the median sitting near that first rung, so a buyer shopping the lower end is competing for newer construction still going up on the bench. Taylorsville's ladder runs four tiers and tops out at over $700,000, with the median landing near its own entry tier, so the same dollar figure there reaches an established, fully built neighborhood with more room to negotiate. A $650,000 budget sits mid-ladder in Herriman and near the ceiling of what Taylorsville typically asks.
Which city has the longer commute to work, not just the trip to the airport?
The Census Bureau's American Community Survey puts Herriman's mean commute at 27.1 minutes, the longest among the southwest valley cities covered on this site, against 22.2 minutes for Taylorsville, one of the shorter reads in the county. The gap is geography, not traffic. Herriman sits out past Riverton on the Mountain View Corridor, so Bangerter Highway and I-15 are already a surface-street drive away before the freeway starts. Taylorsville sits at the valley's geographic center with I-215 running directly through the city rather than around it, so the interstate functions as a local on-ramp instead of a destination.
How does the roughly 700-foot elevation gap actually show up day to day?
More in wind and timing than in raw temperature. Herriman's bench catches more of the wind that rolls across the valley, and its higher ground pushes back the start of the frost-free growing season compared with Taylorsville's more sheltered mid-valley position. Taylorsville's spot on the valley floor also sits deeper in the winter inversion layer that settles over Salt Lake County, so on inversion days the air at 4,300 feet can read worse than the air on Herriman's bench above it, even though Herriman gets the harder snow load.
How do the local job markets differ between a still-growing suburb and an established one?
Herriman's employment base is still catching up to its rooftops. The city has offered tax incentives to draw employers to its new commercial center, and beyond the school district and city government, its newest anchors are the Real Academy soccer complex and the joint college campus that opened in 2023. Taylorsville's base runs the other way: the State of Utah's Rampton Complex headquarters the Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety on 2700 West, the state bought and renovated a 31-acre former American Express campus there in 2019 for roughly 1,500 more employees, and Granite School District and SLCC's flagship campus round out a job base built on institutions that do not chase a cheaper lease.
Which city puts you closer to a full-service hospital?
Neither city has a hospital inside its own limits. Taylorsville sits roughly three to five miles, under 15 minutes, from Intermountain Medical Center in Murray across the Jordan River, the valley's major tertiary and trauma hospital. Herriman's nearest hospital, Intermountain Riverton Hospital, is a smaller community facility that opened in 2009, about 10 to 15 minutes east. The drive times land in a similar range for both cities, but Taylorsville's short hop is to the valley's biggest trauma center, while Herriman's is to a community-scale hospital.
Common questions
Herriman vs Taylorsville FAQ.
Is Herriman or Taylorsville cheaper to buy a home in?
Taylorsville generally has the lower median home price, around $500,000 versus about $600,000 in Herriman, and a lower property tax rate too, though both move with the market, so check current numbers before you plan.
Which has the shorter commute, Herriman or Taylorsville?
Taylorsville. It sits about 12 miles from the Salt Lake City airport with MVX bus rapid transit and TRAX and FrontRunner rail nearby at Murray Central, while Herriman is farther out at about 27 to 30 miles from the airport with no rail in the city.
Which is snowier, Herriman or Taylorsville?
Herriman tends to be snowier. It sits higher on the Oquirrh bench near 5,000 feet and catches more storms, while Taylorsville is on the valley floor near 4,300 feet with a bit less snow and a quicker thaw. Both get four real seasons.
Which has more to do, Herriman or Taylorsville?
It depends on what you want. Herriman offers more outdoor recreation at the doorstep, with Blackridge Reservoir, foothills trails, and the ski canyons within an hour. Taylorsville offers a more central, transit-connected location with the Jordan River Parkway, Millrace Park, the Utah Olympic Oval nearby in Kearns, and the rest of the valley close at hand.
Still deciding? I can help.
Tell me what matters most in your move, budget, commute, newer build, or recreation, and I will connect you with a trusted local partner agent for whichever city fits, and stay on the file for the homework and the financing. No pressure either way.
If you buy or sell outside Southern Utah, I connect you with a trusted local partner agent and stay involved through your move. If you work with that agent, their brokerage pays my brokerage (Real Broker, LLC) a referral fee. It comes out of the agent's compensation, not as an added cost to you, and you are always free to choose your own agent.