The Town FilesSalt Lake City, Utah
City in Salt Lake County · population 199,723 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $539,500
- Household income
- $75,090
- Jan low / Jul high
- 28° / 91°
- Snow a year
- 49 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 10
- Median age
- 32.9
Salt Lake City is a city of 199,723 people in Salt Lake County, Utah. The median home is worth $539,500, above the typical Utah town ($457,300). It ranks more walkable than 100% of Utah towns, hipper than 100% of Utah towns, better transit than 100% of Utah towns.
How Salt Lake City ranks
Percentile among Utah towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Utah towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Salt Lake City is worth $539,500, above the typical Utah town ($457,300). Homes cost about 7.2 times the median household income of $75,090, which is more affordable than 8% of Utah towns. Median rent is $1,414 a month. 45.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Salt Lake City | Typical Utah town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $539,500 | $457,300 |
| Median rent | $1,414 | $1,395 |
| Median household income | $75,090 | $93,194 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.2× | 4.8× |
| Homeownership | 45.8% | 81.7% |
| Median year built | 1965 | 1991 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.4% | — |
Who lives in Salt Lake City
| People | Salt Lake City | Typical Utah town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.9 | 34.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.5% | 13.0% |
| Under 18 | 16.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.5% | 31.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.6% | 6.5% |
| Veterans | 3.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 14.9% | — |
| Work from home | 20.8% | 14.9% |
| Average commute | 19.5 min | 22.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.0% | 94.3% |
Weather in Salt Lake City
July highs average 91.4°F and January lows 27.6°F. About 17.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 49.0 inches of snow (typical Utah town: 45.4 in). Expect about 45 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 81 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Salt Lake City since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Utah town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on August 11, 1999 about 4.5 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 80 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on September 2, 2021.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 32 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 25, 2026.
Severe weather in Salt Lake County since 1996
Salt Lake County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 14, 2021 | Fire | FM-5408: Parleys Canyon Fire |
| January 12, 2021 | Severe Storm | DR-4578: Straight-Line Winds |
| July 9, 2020 | Earthquake | DR-4548: Earthquake And Aftershocks |
| April 4, 2020 | Biological | DR-4525: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3478: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Salt Lake County
Salt Lake County had 796,203 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $77,495 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Salt Lake City itself the ACS puts it at 4.2%.
Public schools in Salt Lake City
94 public schools with 49,556 students, about 20.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High | 7-12 | 2,505 | 22.4 |
| Brighton High | 8-12 | 2,393 | 26.0 |
| Olympus High | 9-12 | 2,167 | 26.1 |
| Skyline High | 7-12 | 2,125 | 27.6 |
| Highland High | 9-12 | 2,009 | 23.6 |
| East High | 9-12 | 1,863 | 22.2 |
| Cottonwood High | 9-12 | 1,495 | 23.0 |
| Butler Middle | 6-8 | 904 | 23.2 |
| Wasatch Jr High | 6-8 | 813 | 24.6 |
| Granite Park Jr High | 6-8 | 800 | 20.0 |
| Olympus Jr High | 5-9 | 790 | 27.2 |
| Olene Walker Elementary | PK-6 | 674 | 29.3 |
Towns near Salt Lake City
- North Salt Lake, UT4.9 mi · 21,907 people · home $497,700
- South Salt Lake, UT5.2 mi · 26,777 people · home $410,200
- Woods Cross, UT6.7 mi · 11,410 people · home $497,400
- West Valley City, UT7.4 mi · 140,230 people · home $419,100
- Bountiful, UT7.5 mi · 45,762 people · home $532,200
- Millcreek, UT8.1 mi · 63,380 people · home $627,200
- Taylorsville, UT8.3 mi · 60,448 people · home $433,800
- West Bountiful, UT8.7 mi · 5,917 people · home $579,400
Salt Lake City questions
Is Salt Lake City, Utah a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Salt Lake City scores better for retirees than 15% of Utah towns and quieter than 4%. 12.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.9).
How much does a house cost in Salt Lake City?
The median owner-occupied home in Salt Lake City is valued at $539,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $75,090, so homes cost about 7.2 times income. Median rent is $1,414 a month.
What is the weather like in Salt Lake City?
July highs average 91.4°F and January lows 27.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 17.7 inches of precipitation a year and 49.0 inches of snow.
Does Salt Lake City get tornadoes?
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Salt Lake City since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on August 11, 1999. The typical Utah town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)