Best Places to Live Near Hill AFB, Ranked by Commute, Price, and Schools

Choosing among the best areas to live near Hill AFB comes down to three trade-offs: how close you are to the gate, how much house your budget buys, and which school district you land in.

The Best Areas to Live Near Hill AFB: Quick Ranking

For most Hill AFB families, the top picks are Roy, Layton, and Clearfield for value and commute, then Kaysville and North Ogden for bigger budgets. Ogden, Farmington, and Bountiful fit specific needs.

Here is the short version before we dig in. I ranked eight cities using three things: how close they sit to the base, what homes cost compared to local incomes, and which school district serves them.

1. Roy – best value, right next to the base
2. Layton – best all-around balance of shopping, housing, and access
3. Clearfield – lowest entry price on the Davis County side
4. Kaysville – premium neighborhoods, higher price
5. North Ogden – mountain setting, solid value for the size of homes
6. Ogden – most affordable home values, city living, longer drive
7. Farmington – newest amenities, highest prices
8. Bountiful – established and pretty, but the farthest south

Your own order may differ. A dual-military couple, a family with teens, and a single airman renting for a year all weigh these factors differently. The rest of this post explains how to shuffle the list for your situation.

How This Ranking Works (and What It Leaves Out)

Home values, incomes, and rents come from the U.S. Census Bureau's ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates. Commute is ranked by location relative to the base, not by clocked minutes. Schools are compared by district.

All dollar figures below come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates. These are medians across the whole city, so they include older homes and small condos. Today's list prices on new construction will usually run higher.

I did not put minute-by-minute commute times in this post. Drive time to Hill depends heavily on which gate you use, your duty hours, and I-15 traffic that day. Instead, I grouped cities by how close they physically sit to the base.

For schools, I compare districts rather than quoting star ratings. Ratings sites change their methods often, and individual schools inside the same city can vary a lot. The Utah State Board of Education, reachable through Utah.gov, publishes official school report cards if you want to check a specific school.

Commute: Which Cities Are Closest to the Gates?

Roy, Clearfield, Layton, Riverdale, Sunset, and South Weber border Hill AFB directly. Kaysville, Clinton, Syracuse, and Ogden sit one step out. North Ogden, Farmington, and Bountiful are the longest drives.

Hill AFB sits on a bench between Davis and Weber counties, so it touches several cities at once. That is good news: you have real choices without a long drive. Check Hill AFB's official site for current gate hours, since not every gate is open around the clock.

• Tier 1 – Borders the base: Roy, Clearfield, Layton, Riverdale, Sunset, South Weber
• Tier 2 – One city over: Kaysville, Clinton, Syracuse, West Point, Ogden
• Tier 3 – Longer drive: North Ogden, Farmington, Bountiful

One local tip: match your home to your gate, not just to the base. If you work on the east side, a Layton or South Weber home may beat a Roy home even though both border the base. Ask your sponsor which gate your unit uses before you tour houses.

Also keep winter in mind. The east-bench neighborhoods near the mountains get more snow and steeper streets, so a slightly longer drive on flat roads can feel shorter in January.

Price: Home Values, Incomes, and Rents Compared

Among these eight cities, Ogden has the lowest median home value at $355,600, and Farmington has the highest at $650,700. Roy and North Ogden are essentially tied for the best price-to-income ratio, making them the easiest to afford relative to local incomes.

The table below uses U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year data. The price-to-income column is simple math: median home value divided by median household income. Lower means homes are easier to afford for people who already live there.

Notice the rent column. Ogden's median gross rent of $1,216 is well below Roy's $1,624. If you are renting for a short tour, that gap matters more than home values do.

Schools: How the Districts Break Down

Every Davis County city on this list is served by Davis School District. Roy and North Ogden are in Weber School District. The city of Ogden has its own separate district, Ogden School District.

This is the part many families get wrong. In Northern Utah, the school district follows the county line more than the city name, with one big exception.

• Davis School District: Layton, Clearfield, Kaysville, Farmington, Bountiful, plus Syracuse, Clinton, Sunset, and South Weber
• Weber School District: Roy, North Ogden, Riverdale, and most of the rest of Weber County
• Ogden School District: the city of Ogden itself

Within any district, schools vary. Two homes a mile apart can feed different elementary and junior high schools. Always confirm school boundaries by address through the district's own boundary lookup before you write an offer.

Utah also allows families to request a transfer to a school outside their boundary through open enrollment, subject to space. That flexibility helps, but it is never guaranteed, so buy with your boundary school in mind.

Roy and Layton: The Two Most Popular Picks

Roy is essentially tied with North Ogden for the lowest price relative to income, with a $383,000 median home value and $91,282 median income. Layton costs more at $477,700 but gives you the most shopping, dining, and housing variety near the base.

Roy is the classic Hill AFB town. It sits right against the base's west side, and according to the Census Bureau its median home value is $383,000 against a median household income of $91,282. That 4.2x ratio is essentially tied with North Ogden for the best of any city here. Expect lots of 1970s–1990s ramblers and split-levels with real yards.

Layton is bigger, with 83,286 residents per the Census Bureau, and it feels like the commercial center of the area. Median home value is $477,700. You get everything from starter townhomes to newer east-side homes near the foothills.

The trade-off is simple. Roy stretches your budget further. Layton gives you more options and conveniences. Families who want a newer home with a bonus room often end up in Layton; families who want a paid-down mortgage and a big garage often land in Roy.

Clearfield, Kaysville, and North Ogden: Value, Upscale, and Mountain Views

Clearfield is the budget entry point on the Davis County side at $373,900. Kaysville is the upscale option at $623,700. North Ogden trades a longer drive for mountain scenery at $476,600.

Clearfield borders the base and has a median home value of $373,900, per the Census Bureau. Its median income of $75,495 is lower than Roy's, which is why its price-to-income ratio lands at 5.0x even though the homes cost about the same. It is a practical choice for junior enlisted families who want Davis School District on a tighter budget.

Kaysville is where many senior NCOs and officers look. The Census Bureau puts its median home value at $623,700 and median income at $133,026. Expect larger lots, established trees, and a small-town main street feel.

North Ogden sits up against the Wasatch at the north end of Weber County. With a $476,600 median home value and $113,722 median income, its 4.2x ratio is essentially tied with Roy for the best on this list. The catch is the drive, which is the longest of any Weber County option here.

Ogden, Farmington, and Bountiful: When They Make Sense

Ogden fits buyers who want the lowest home values and walkable city life. Farmington fits buyers who want new amenities and can pay top dollar. Bountiful fits families whose spouse works in Salt Lake City.

Ogden is the largest city here at 87,413 people, with the lowest median home value at $355,600 per the Census Bureau. You get character homes, Historic 25th Street, and fast access to the mountains. Neighborhoods vary block by block, so local guidance matters more here than anywhere else.

Farmington has the highest median home value on the list at $650,700 and a 5.1x price-to-income ratio. People pay for Station Park shopping, FrontRunner access, and newer subdivisions.

Bountiful, at a $532,200 median, is a strong pick for split-commute households. If one spouse works at Hill and the other works downtown Salt Lake, Bountiful puts you roughly in the middle.

Who Should Live Close to Base, and Who Should Not

Living in a Tier 1 city is right if you work shifts, get recalled often, or want easy base access.

Buy close to the base if:

• You work early shifts, flight-line hours, or get recalled at odd times
• You plan to rent the home out after you PCS, since Hill-adjacent homes rent easily to the next wave of military families
• You want to use base amenities often, like the commissary, BX, and gym

Look farther out if:

• Your spouse works in Salt Lake City, where Bountiful or Farmington split the difference
• You want newer construction, which is more common in Syracuse, West Point, and parts of Layton and Kaysville
• You are here for a single short tour and the numbers favor renting over buying

I will also say this plainly: if you expect to be here under two years, buying may not pay off after closing and selling costs. Renting in Ogden or Clearfield can be the smarter move. I would rather tell you that now than sell you a house that works against you.

Does a VA Loan Change Which Area You Can Afford?

A VA loan can widen your options, since borrowers with full entitlement have no VA loan limit. You still must qualify on income and debts, so your budget, not the VA, decides between Roy and Kaysville.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a borrower with full entitlement has no VA loan limit, as long as you can afford the loan and the appraisal supports the price. Your lender still approves you on credit, income, debts, and assets.

Active-duty members meet the VA's minimum service requirement after 90 continuous days of service, per the VA's eligibility page. Guard and Reserve members qualify through 90 days of non-training active duty or six creditable years.

VA loan details and entitlement math have their own posts on this site. For ranking cities, the key point is that the ratio chart above shows where your income goes furthest.

Best Places to Eat and Spend Weekends Near Hill AFB

The best places to eat near Hill AFB cluster in three hubs: Historic 25th Street in Ogden, the shopping corridors in Layton, and Station Park in Farmington. Each gives a different feel.

Food and weekend life are a fair tiebreaker between two similar houses. Historic 25th Street in Ogden has the most local, independent restaurants and a real downtown feel. Layton has the widest spread of chains and family spots close to the base. Station Park in Farmington is the go-to for an outdoor mall, movies, and dinner in one trip.

Outdoors, you are never far from trails. Ogden and North Ogden put you closest to the canyon and ski resorts up in the Ogden Valley, while Kaysville and Farmington have quick access to foothill trails. Weber County's parks and recreation info is a good starting point, as is the Weber County community guide and the Davis County community guide.

How to Narrow Your List Before You Arrive

Confirm your gate, set a budget with a lender, check school boundaries by address, then tour two or three cities at the hours you will actually commute. Most families settle on one or two finalists quickly.

1. Ask your sponsor which gate you will use and what your duty hours look like.
2. Get pre-approved so you know whether Kaysville is realistic or Roy is the sweet spot.
3. Look up school boundaries by address, not by city name.
4. Drive it at rush hour, or have your agent video-tour it if you are buying from overseas.
5. Browse real inventory on the live MLS listing search to see what your budget buys today.

For the full move, the Hill AFB PCS relocation guide covers timelines and base logistics, and the free 208-page PCS and relocation guide goes city by city in far more detail than one blog post can.

Donald I. Gomez

Broker · The DIG Team at Elevation RE · Weber & Davis County

Donald helps buyers, sellers, and PCSing military families move across Northern Utah — from Ogden to the Wasatch. A longtime Hill AFB-area local, he tours new builds and resale homes every week on his YouTube channel.

Full bio → YouTube Call (801) 603-5213