One of the safest states in the U.S., Utah has a lot going for it. The weather gives you solid seasons, with warm summers and cold (ski-friendly) winters. Outdoor activities abound beyond the mountains, with plenty of rivers and lakes to explore. Low unemployment rates and a growing stake in the tech industry provide ample opportunities. There’s also a large population of young professionals seeking Utah out as their new home, so the community is energetic, educated and ready to go.
The list can go on, but already with so many traits recommending Utah, we bet we’ve piqued your interest. But, don’t pack your bags yet. Before you can call Utah home, you’ve got to make sure you can afford to live here. By looking at some key cost of living components, in a few central Utah cities, we can help you with figure out if your budget matches up.
Utah housing prices
Most Utah cities recommend themselves as some of the best places to live in the state. There’s not much that isn’t interesting and scenic. However, everything appealing about Utah has a price tag, and most cities have costs that exceed the national average. Thankfully, when it comes to the cost of living in Utah for housing, you’ll never go too far over, but on the whole, expect to have to pay to call this state home.
Cedar City
Combining a small-town feel with an urban setting, Cedar City changes things up with as many ranches and farms as there are college residences. It’s a great combination of the best parts of Utah and at an affordable price. Housing prices in Cedar City are 7.3 percent below the national average.
The average rent for a two-bedroom is affordable, at $775 per month, and home prices are even going down. The median home price in Cedar City is $322,00, down by 6.7 percent over last year.
Ogden
Known for its professional opportunities, Ogden is the place to go if you’re looking for a government job. The professional stability combined with the city’s proximity to ski resorts means it’s all about working hard and playing hard. This explains why housing prices in Ogden are 6 percent above the national average.
Rents in Ogden are rising pretty significantly year-over-year, keeping prices up. The average one-bedroom apartment saw a 26 percent increase over last year and is currently $1,305 a month. Two-bedroom apartments are rising at a slower rate, up only 14 percent over last year. The current average rent per month is $1,499.
Home prices are also rising, up 17.1 percent over last year. The median home price in Ogden is $410,000.
Provo
One of many college towns in Utah, Provo is home to Brigham Young University. Run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, both the student population and many of the city’s residents are members of the church. Provo has a heavy focus on family life and is full of many young people and new families.
This popular city has housing prices that average 15.8 percent above the national average. The average rent for a two-bedroom is $1,495, and home prices are up 17.6 percent. The median home price in Provo is $450,000.
Salt Lake City
Perhaps the best-known city in Utah, Salt Lake City has it all. It’s the perfect package of a place to live, with a strong city center, plenty of jobs, fun things to do and the great outdoors to enjoy. You’ll never be without something to do or see here, whether you’re going to a free summer concert, cheering on the Utah Jazz at a basketball game or simply exploring the city. For all its popularity, Salt Lake City housing prices aren’t too high, but they do hit above the national average by 26.3 percent.
Steady growth in the rental market has led to some pretty high prices in Salt Lake City. A one-bedroom apartment has an average monthly rent of $1,513, up 20 percent over last year. A two-bedroom will set you back an average of $1,831 per month, which is 16 percent higher than last year.
Home prices are rising even faster, up 36.2 percent over last year. The median home price in Salt Lake City is $613,000.
Utah food prices
Another cost of living in Utah is food. Utah residents spend an average of between $200 and $233 per month on groceries. Judging by the local favorite foods, a large portion of this could be on fresh produce. Yes, the state is famous for fry sauce and pastrami burgers, but it’s also well-known for honey, tomatoes, raspberries, corn and Green River melons. Yum.
Compared to the national average, most Utah cities hit very slightly above average.
- Ogden is 4.4 percent below the national average
- Provo is 0.1 percent above the national average
- Cedar City is 0.9 percent above the national average
- Salt Lake City is 6.3 percent above the national average
This could impact your overall grocery bill, but might not make everything you buy more expensive in one city over another. Lettuce, for example, costs 20 cents more in Cedar Lake than Salt Lake City. Peaches are 20 cents more in Ogden, the only city with food prices below the national average than in Cedar City.
Where food pricing gets predictable is when you look at the average cost for a romantic dinner for two. A three-course meal, for two, costs $72.50 in Salt Lake City, but only costs $35 in Ogden. That means you’re paying 52 percent more to eat the same meal in Salt Lake City.
Utah utility prices
Across the state of Utah, you’ll be happy to hear, utility prices are all below the national average. That’s good news for the cost of living in Utah.
- Provo is 10.9 percent below the national average
- Ogden is 7.5 percent below the national average
- Salt Lake City is 7 percent below the national average
- Cedar City is 2.7 percent below the national average
This means energy bills typically range between $140 and $165 per month, coming from both electricity and alternate energy sources.
Utah transportation prices
Although utility prices are on the lower side when compared to the national average, transportation prices in Utah do the exact opposite. They’re all slightly above.
- Cedar City is 1.4 percent above the national average
- Provo is 3.3 percent above the national average
- Ogden is 4.5 percent above the national average
- Salt Lake City is 5.9 percent above the national average
Even though Salt Lake City tops the list in cost, it also gets the highest scores when it comes to walkability (67) and bike friendliness (73).
Although it’s easy to get around Salt Lake, and Provo is often considered somewhat walkable itself, living in Utah most likely means you’ll need to either own a car or rely on public transportation (or both.)
The Utah Transit Authority
Stretching well beyond a single city, this network of vehicles really goes the distance. Yes, there are solid transportation networks throughout Utah that cover smaller areas, but the UTA takes the cake. It encompasses Salt Lake City, Ogden and Provo through its commuter rail service.
In Ogden, specifically, UTA buses cover the downtown area, Weber State University and routes to major employment centers. There’s also a ski bus that gets you to Snowbasin and Powder Mountain.
In Salt Lake City, a bevy of buses come regularly, with special routes during rush hour. There are also buses heading up to Snowbird Alta and Solitude Brighton for skiing.
Fares vary based on transportation type. For the local bus or streetcar, a one-way fare is $2.50, and a monthly pass is $85. If you want a premium pass, to have access to all types of transportation UTA offers, except the PC-SLC Connect, you can get a monthly pass for $170.
Utah healthcare prices
Shifting gears to look at healthcare, a tricky area for anyone’s cost of living total, all of our Utah cities fall below the national average.
- Cedar City is 10.5 percent below the national average
- Ogden is 9.9 percent below the national average
- Provo is 8.5 percent below the national average
- Salt Lake City is 5.7 percent below the national average
Healthcare costs include doctor’s visits, medications, getting your eyes checked and those two annual visits to the dentist each year. Individual prices won’t always align with how overall rank, though. The least expensive city, on average, for a doctor’s visit isn’t Cedar City, but Provo, the only city with a doctor’s visit bill under $100.
Utah goods and services prices
Goods and services are a wide category when it comes to the cost of living in Utah total. All the extras, that maybe don’t feel so extra, fit here. These are things you want but don’t necessarily need, and in Utah, they’re all slightly above what you pay on average.
- Cedar City is 2.8 percent above the national average
- Ogden is 4.8 percent above the national average
- Salt Lake City is 6 percent above the national average
- Provo is 9.9 percent above the national average
To better understand how these averages impact specific goods and services you might partake in, this chart breaks things down.
Provo may have the highest combined prices, but that isn’t the case for every individual service. A vet visit, for example, will be more in Salt Lake City on average, and a movie ticket is more in Cedar City.
Another key service in this category, with a high price tag, is childcare. Even if you don’t need to use this service now, prices can vary greatly, making it something you might want to think about. For a full-day, private preschool, you’ll pay $362.50 in Cedar City, but $783.33 in Salt Lake City. That’s a 54 percent difference that could easily stretch your budget.
Taxes in Utah
When it comes to taxes, Utah residents pay both individual income tax and sales tax. The income tax rate is 4.85 percent, and the state sales tax rate is 4.85 percent. Localities can then add up to 3.35 percent more onto the sales tax, which means the most you’d pay in any Utah city is 8.2 percent. That means for every $1,000 you spend shopping, $82 goes right to taxes.
None of the cities on our list max out the sales tax.
- Cedar City has a 6.2 percent sales tax rate
- Provo has a 7.25 percent sales tax rate
- Ogden has a 7.25 percent sales tax rate
- Salt Lake City has a 7.75 percent sales tax rate
At 7.75 percent, when you shop in Salt Lake City and spend $1,000, $77.50 is what you’ll pay solely in taxes.
How much do I need to earn to live in Utah?
To effectively calculate how much you need to earn to afford the cost of living in Utah, and if it will work with your ideal budget, plug in specific numbers to our rent calculator.
For some quick estimating, you can look at how much you need to earn to afford the average rent in the state. Rent should only take 30 percent of your annual income. So, with the average rent in Utah at $1,571, you’d need to make $62,840 per year.
This is highly likely to work out since the average salary in Utah is much higher, at $89,300. That means you’ll not only be fine looking at average-priced places to live but have wiggle room to get something with more amenities (or square footage).
Living in Utah
Utah is growing in population, so there are a lot of people out there, like you, who’re discovering this beautiful place full of activity and opportunity. To really get the ball rolling on deciding if Utah fits your budget, it’s best to look at the cost of living across the state.
Could you afford to live, eat and play in any specific city? If the numbers align, it might be time to start packing those boxes and preparing for a new adventure.
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The Cost of Living Index comes from coli.org.
The rent information included in this summary is based on a calculation of multifamily rental property inventory on Rent. as of June 2022.
Rent prices are for illustrative purposes only. This information does not constitute a pricing guarantee or financial advice related to the rental market.
Source: rent.com