Tropic, Utah Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 582, Tropic's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Tropic is a small community located in Utah, within Garfield County. The total population is 582. It ranks as the 218th most populous out of 326 Census-designated places in Utah.

Age Demographics

The median age in Tropic is 43.1 years. This is 35% higher than the state median of 32.0 years. 10.1% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Tropic is $72,031. This is 24% lower than the state median of $95,166. It is also 11% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 3.3%. This is 62% lower than the state poverty rate of 8.5%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The unemployment rate is 4.3%. This is 21% higher than the state rate of 3.6%. The median home value is $256,400. Housing costs are 48% lower than the state median of $489,400. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.6x. 83.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 19% higher than the state average of 70.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Tropic has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 97.9% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.1%) is well below the state average of 15.9%.

Education

15.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 58% lower than the state rate of 37.7%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Tropic, Utah is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Utah state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 326 Census-designated places in Utah. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.