The economic engine behind the housing problem
Jobs are growing fifteen times faster than population, the biggest occupations pay the least, and the gap is filled by commuters. County-commissioned Lightcast data, read alongside the regional housing policy page.
Reading this page
Figures marked as estimates were read from the report's chart bars against its own gridlines because the PDF printed no table for them; everything else is transcribed from printed tables.
Jobs vs. people
24.6% job growth against 1.6% population growth
From 2020 to 2025 Summit County added jobs at more than double the national rate (10.6%), while population barely moved. Lightcast projects 40,794 jobs by 2030 — every job beyond local housing capacity is a commute.
Jobs (2025)
35,910from 28,824 in 2020
Population (2025)
43,178+1.6% since 2020
Median household income (2024)
$138,100
Unemployment
2.84%February 2026
Cost of living indexes at 136.5 against a national 100 — the highest in the state — while 65% of the county’s 3,714 businesses have fewer than ten employees, too small to build or subsidize employee housing themselves.
Where talent works vs. lives
84060 imports nearly 8,600 workers a day
Lightcast's ZIP-level 2025 data is the most direct evidence of the commute pattern: lower Park City holds far more jobs than resident workers, while the Snyderville Basin is nearly balanced and the Kamas Valley and Coalville export workers.
| ZIP | Area | Jobs | Resident workers | Net commuters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84060 | Lower Park City | 14,338 | 5,740 | +8,598 in |
| 84098 | Snyderville Basin / Kimball Junction | 15,391 | 14,382 | +1,009 in |
| 84036 | Kamas | 3,590 | 5,245 | 1,655 out |
| 84017 | Coalville | 1,360 | 2,826 | 1,466 out |
| 84055 | Oakley | 647 | 944 | 297 out |
Migration, 2023
Wasatch County is the release valve
Summit County lost 174 residents net in 2023. Wasatch County was both the #2 source of new residents and the #2 destination for leavers — a net loss of 155 people to the Heber Valley alone, the "priced out, moved over the hill" pattern in county-sourced numbers.
Top inbound counties
- Salt Lake County, UT515
- Wasatch County, UT278
- Utah County, UT113
- Los Angeles County, CA99
Top outbound counties
- Salt Lake County, UT672
- Wasatch County, UT433
- Utah County, UT123
- Washington County, UT78
Occupations & pay
The biggest jobs pay the least per hour
Chart-estimated occupation earnings run from about $16.50/hour in food preparation and personal care to about $51.50/hour in computer and mathematical roles — the same roughly threefold spread the QCEW industry tables show, from an independent source.
Largest occupations, estimated from report charts
Needs confirmation| Occupation | Est. jobs | Est. median hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Food preparation & serving | ≈5,050 | ≈$16.50 |
| Office & administrative support | ≈3,850 | ≈$22.00 |
| Sales & related | ≈3,500 | ≈$19.00 |
| Management | ≈3,200 | ≈$44.00 |
| Building & grounds cleaning | ≈2,850 | ≈$19.50 |
| Construction & extraction | ≈2,400 | ≈$26.00 |
| Personal care & service | ≈2,150 | ≈$16.50 |
| Business & financial operations | ≈1,650 | ≈$37.00 |
| Installation, maintenance & repair | ≈1,500 | ≈$27.00 |
| Transportation & material moving | ≈1,450 | ≈$23.00 |
Employers
Resorts dominate both payrolls and hiring demand
Deer Valley leads both lists; hospitality brands fill most of the rest of the posting demand, mirroring the occupation mix above.
Top employers (online worker profiles)
- Deer Valley Resort434
- Intermountain Health295
- Park City School District278
- University of Utah188
- Vail Resorts180
Top job posters (unique postings, 12 months)
- Deer Valley Resort718
- Marriott International284
- Montage Hotels & Resorts237
- Intermountain Health236
- Hyatt209
Education mismatch
The residents and the jobs are two different economies
The flip side of the high-income-yet-priced-out story: the local job mix asks far less education than the resident population holds, so degree-holders commute out while service jobs import workers.
Jobs needing a high-school diploma or less
~64%
Only ~17.5% of residents stop at that education level.
Residents holding a bachelor's or higher
~60%
Local jobs requiring that credential: only ~30%. The report also notes no local school produced postsecondary graduates in five years.
Source
One report, two levels of confidence
Everything on this page comes from a single county-commissioned Lightcast report; the badge on each block separates its printed tables from values read off its charts.
Summit County Economic Development & Housing Department / Lightcast, Q2 2026 data set (32-page report).
Cross-checks with the independent BLS QCEW tables on the regional housing policy page agree where they overlap — accommodation and food services within about 2% on jobs and under 1% on wages. Park City’s own goal and pipeline live on the municipal housing dashboard, and the county programs on the Summit County and Wasatch County pages.