City profile · Utah · Census ACS 2023

Salt Lake City, UT

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Salt Lake City — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

203,888
Residents
$74,925
Median income
$495,700
Median home
$1,313
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Salt Lake City, UT

Salt Lake City is a city in Utah with a population of 203,888 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $74,925 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 6.5%. Typical homes in Salt Lake City are valued around $495,700, and the median resident age is 33.0 years. About 50.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 70.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 1,283 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 63% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 6064.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 54.7°F with 15.5 inches of precipitation per year and 51.9 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Utah registers 98.9 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,313 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $178 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Salt Lake City report an average commute of 16.0 minutes, with 60.2% driving alone and 18.5% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 36.2 out of 100 (Very Low).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

203,888 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Utah

Median Household Income

$74,925 /yr

Poverty 6.5%

Cost of Living Index

98.9 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Salt Lake City compare to other US cities?

Where Salt Lake City sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 56% higher than other cities
Home value 85% pricier than other cities
Median rent 60% pricier than other cities
Safety 2% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Salt Lake City against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Salt Lake City, UT Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Salt Lake City, UT. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Salt Lake City, UT — median $74,925/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Salt Lake City, UT — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 50.9%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.5%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 70.1%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
203,888
Median Income
$74,925
Median Home Value
$495,700
Median Age
33.0
Poverty Rate
6.5%
Labor force participation
70.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
50.9%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
6064.2
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
864.2
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
5200.0
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
54.7°F
Annual Precipitation
15.5"
Annual Snowfall
51.9"

Schools

Total Schools
96
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1,283
housing units authorized
Single-Family
397
detached homes
Multifamily
886
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
6.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 3,486
2020 2,667
2021 3,691
2022 3,633
2023 3,172
2024 1,283

Permit volume decreased 63% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
16.0 minutes
Drive Alone
60.2%
Carpool
8.1%
Public Transit
5.2%
Walk
4.8%
Work from Home
18.5%
Other
3.2%

Based on 118,747 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Utah — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$85
avg/month
Natural Gas
$48
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$178
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Utah state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Utah state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
98.9
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,313/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
36.2 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Salt Lake City, UT Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Salt Lake City, UT — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Salt Lake City compares to nearby Utah cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Salt Lake City) plus the nearest peer cities in Utah, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

UT

Salt Lake City

74.92% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$74,925
Brackets
204
Selected

UT

West Valley City

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$13,800
Brackets
138
Selected

UT

West Jordan

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$11,630
Brackets
116
Selected

UT

Provo

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$11,430
Brackets
114
Census ACS 5-year FIPS UT FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Salt Lake City, UT?

What is the population of Salt Lake City, UT? +

Salt Lake City, UT has a population of 203,888 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Salt Lake City, UT? +

The median household income in Salt Lake City is $74,925 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Salt Lake City? +

Salt Lake City has a cost of living index of 98.9 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Salt Lake City, UT safe? +

Salt Lake City has a total crime rate of 6064.2 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Salt Lake City, UT? +

The median home value in Salt Lake City is $495,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Salt Lake City? +

Salt Lake City has an average annual temperature of 54.7°F, 15.5 inches of precipitation, and 51.9 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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