Salt Lake City, UT
Census place 4967000 · pop 208,007
Capital of Utah, founded by Mormon pioneers in 1847 and host of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
43 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
45.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.50 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
99/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
54 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$539,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
12.3% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
13.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
91.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$75,090 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,620/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+5.2% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
29.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
20 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
51.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
18.4% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.51% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
7.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
Not measured for Salt Lake City: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Salt Lake City, UT a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Salt Lake City scores 48/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult smoking and its weakest is unhealthy air days. Utah overall ranks #10 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Salt Lake City, UT expensive to live in?
- Salt Lake City has a median home value of $539,500 and typical rent around $1,620/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Salt Lake City, UT?
- Its weakest measured area is unhealthy air days (43 days) — 7/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Salt Lake City, UT best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult smoking (7.9%) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Capital of Utah, founded by Mormon pioneers in 1847 and host of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.