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Salt Lake City, UT

Population: 191,446
livability score shield 64

Key findings

  • Salt Lake City has a Livability Score of 64/100, which is considered below average
  • Salt Lake City crime rates are 204% higher than the Utah average
  • Cost of living in Salt Lake City is 3% higher than the Utah average
  • Salt Lake City real estate prices are 11% higher than the Utah average
  • Rental prices in Salt Lake City are 7% lower than the Utah average

Best Places to Live in and Around Salt Lake City

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Compare Salt Lake City, UT Livability

      vs

      What do the locals think about Salt Lake City?

      67%Family friendly 56%Public transit is accessible 50%Walkable to grocery stores 56%Yards are well-kept 72%Lots of parks 44%Walkable to restaurants 61%Friendly neighbors 44%Safe at night 72%Pet friendly 89%Streets have sidewalks 50%A quiet area 50%Sense of community
      Based on 18 votes from AreaVibes users. See all Salt Lake City poll results.

      Salt Lake City Real estate & Rental prices

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      Salt Lake City Demographics

      Population191,446 Median Age31.8 Have Kids (under 18)47%
      See more Salt Lake City demographic data

      Salt Lake City, UT

      Salt Lake City is the capital city of the Beehive State. It is also a dynamic mid-sized city that is seeing a large number of transplants enter the state thanks to its strong economy and affordable housing. With a population of just over 200,000, the city offers amenities that you would expect to find in much larger cities. Salt Lake has a great network of roads and public transit that connect it with other cities along the Wasatch Front. I-15 and I-215 will be able to get you to the most frequently traveled thru streets in the city. I-80 cuts the city in half going east to west. The Legacy Highway and Bangerter Highway are other transportation options that help cut down on commute time and congestion.

      Sugar House, Downtown, and Millcreek are some of the most desirable neighborhoods for those who are looking to move to Salt Lake, and they all offer easy access to nature and the greatest snow on earth. One of the perks about living in Salt Lake City is the fact that ski resorts are only 15 minutes up the canyon and they are even accessible by public transit. Speaking of public transit, the Utah Transit Authority's system of busses, trolleys and train is the envy of cities of similar size. For a few dollars, you can travel across the entire valley on a system that is extremely prompt and efficient.

      Salt Lake City is home to the Pac-12's University of Utah Utes, and the school is also the only medical school in the entire state. The red and white of the Utes can be seen throughout the city, but there are also plenty of BYU fans in blue and white that make the Holy War one of the top rivalries in college sports.

      Other attractions in the city include Temple Square where members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints perform religious ceremonies and hold important meetings. The City Creek Mall is a popular shopping area that has been a great addition to the downtown scene. Vivint Smarthome Arena is where the Utah Jazz play their games, and it is a popular concert venue for many bands and performers.

      Salt Lake City's cost of living is affordable by most standards. While housing prices have been rising recently due to an influx of Californians, there are enough free outdoor activities that are available to help keep costs low. Taking a hike in a canyon or enjoying an evening at a Salt Lake Bees game are free or low cost entertainment options. Salt Lake City also has a growing culinary scene that regularly sees new tastes popping up around the city.

      Top Rated Schools in Salt Lake City

      Name Grades Students Proficiency
      Cottonwood SchoolKG - 650782%
      Bonneville SchoolKG - 652980%
      Eastwood SchoolKG - 530880%
      Oakridge SchoolKG - 543577%
      Uintah SchoolKG - 653477%
      Beacon Heights SchoolKG - 650277%
      Canyon View SchoolKG - 540976%
      Howard R. Driggs SchoolKG - 664774%
      See all Salt Lake City schools

      The best places in Utah

      Here are the best places to live in UtahTop 10 best public schools in Salt Lake City10 best cities to buy a new house in UtahTop 10 cities in Utah with the best education system

      Salt Lake City Reviews

      Write a review about Salt Lake City Tell people what you like or don't like about Salt Lake City…
      Terrible City, Very Unsavory
      Attractions1/10
      Community1/10
      Nightlife1/10
      Dining1/10
      Shopping1/10
      This is probably overall the worst city in Utah. It is very expensive and corrupt. Security guards are worse than police in dealing with people. Avoid the University of Utah. The community College is very good.
      • Anonymous (Former resident)
      • Oct 19, 2020
      3 -4
      Ideal for Californians---turning into a liberal city. GREAT job market, however.
      Attractions10/10
      Community3/10
      Nightlife3/10
      Dining1/10
      Shopping10/10
      If you love snow and long winters, this place is for you!
      If you're liberal, pro-LGBT and pro-refugee or from California like everyone moving here, you will LOVE it here. If you love busy cities, need a job that pays well, again, you will thrive. I left SLC and moved to Oregon because the congestion is horrible. Oh---before you think of moving your 5 kids and brood here from Utah, jobs are hard to get here, require a degree, written and spoken english and a background check. I have all of these and have not been able to find a well paying job in a month. Cars are more expensive and food is a lot of more expensive. The hardships were worth it for me, I have no kids and can rent a one bedroom. A $15 an hour job in SLC will be paid at $11-12 in Oregon at best. If you love a busy place, traffic and people who love boats, trucks and toys, Utah is waiting for you!...otherwise please don't follow me. We don't want Oregon turning into Utah.
      • Anonymous (Former resident)
      • Jun 15, 2019
      12 -13
      Can't wait to move
      Attractions7/10
      Community5/10
      Nightlife5/10
      Dining8/10
      Shopping8/10
      Getting too crowded. It will take you 3 or more traffic lights to get through an intersection - even on a regular excursion in any town from North Ogden to south of Provo. Tons of high density housing is popping up everywhere, and we have an inferior infrastructure and public transit system that isn't efficient or cost-effective, and it simply cannot accommodate the crazy growth. And now because there's basically a "wildfire season", we basically have an inversion-type problem for over 60% of the year. It's horrible on the respiratory system. Oh, and if you are coming here for "solitude" in nature, guess what? so is the entire Salt Lake Valley. The canyons are beyond crowded and there isn't solitude or peace on most trails within a 30 minute drive of the valley. If you do want to live somewhere quiet, it's gonna cost you $$$. Buuuuut... downtown is a pretty good time - for a conservative state. That's the place to go to have a bit of fun in a city.
      • Anonymous (Current resident)
      • Jan 05, 2019
      8 -3
      Slowly turning into California, accepting too many refugees
      Attractions1/10
      Community1/10
      Nightlife1/10
      Dining1/10
      Shopping2/10
      We are moving because the amount of refugees here is scary, it's in the hundreds of thousands to the point where you forget where you are and don't even recognize the neighborhoods. Most of the refugees are African and middle eastern men and not children, as it should be. We are going to surpass the amount of refugees Portland has by the end of this year. Meanwhile our city is flooded with our own homeless that go ignored, our disabled are told to get on "waiting lists" for housing while refugees get all available apartment housing immediately. Again these are healthy grown men, not women and children. I took a drive today and felt like I was in Detroit, not Utah. Diversity is great but this is overkill and will completely change the foundation and culture and charm that was once Salt Lake City. The mayor is a far-left nutjob obsessed with accepting all refugees while our locals go hungry. If you aren't worried about what's happening to SLC you should be. unfortunately Utah is known for a very passive type of response to everything, allowing itself to be overtaken by people who are slowly turning it into what's happening to France and Germany. Please open your eyes and contact your representatives. Refugee relocating is a huge business for the international rescue committee who does it to get tax breaks and kickbacks from major corporations and they are bringing them here faster than our city can keep up while our locals are denied housing. I have talked to several homeless who ended up on the streets because of this. Stop embracing change to the point where we lose control of our peace and community!!
      • Anonymous (Current resident)
      • Aug 17, 2018
      19 -28
      MANY changes---full of crime, severe pollution, overcrowding and refugees
      Attractions6/10
      Community1/10
      Nightlife4/10
      Dining6/10
      Shopping6/10
      If youre in any way conservative, have common sense or want a quality way of life for your family or somewhere good to retire, AVOID Salt Lake City. Utah has some beautiful nature but its really not worth what's around it. We regret moving here every day. What were once nice parts of town and cute cities are now overflowing with crime and a very "ghetto" feel. We have a serious homeless problem because the far-left mayor is giving most of the affordable housing to refugees when we can't even provide enough services for our locals. Our shelters are filled with elderly people while young men from "Africa" get a nice new apartment, as well as M**uslims. Shame on you SLC and for bringing 60,000 migrants here to some of our best neighborhoods where people worked their ENTIRE LIFE TO NOT live next to a section 8 building full of refugees blasting rap music, partying and of course not working. LOTS of us are fed up. Housing crisis, dangerous air quality, horrible local politics and an EXTREMELY expensive cost of living...unless, of course, you wear a hijab. Move while you can...
      • Anonymous (Current resident)
      • Aug 13, 2018
      13 -24
      Salt Lake City - Members Only!
      Attractions9/10
      Community8/10
      Nightlife7/10
      Dining7/10
      Shopping8/10
      Salt Lake City is one of my favorite cities in the west. I was born in Salt Lake, and still visit it often. I often meet people who have no interest in Salt Lake, because they associate it only with the Mormon Church. There's a lot more to Salt Lake than that! One of my favorite things to do in Salt Lake is to walk down South Main Street, in downtown just south of Temple Square, to look at its historic buildings and unusual stores. Lamb's Grill, Utah's oldest restaurant, is there, as well as the must-see Sam Weller's, a huge bookstore with both used and new books.

      Salt Lake City also has a surprising number of good drinking and restaurant options located throughout the city. There are many brewpubs in downtown Salt Lake and near the University of Utah that offer unusual but delicious beers and good food. However, depending on where you go, you may have to pay a small "membership" fee to get in the door, due to Utah's unusual liquor laws.
      • Anonymous
      • May 05, 2010
      9 -1
      Source: The Salt Lake City, UT data and statistics displayed above are derived from the 2016 United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
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