Salt Lake County · Salt Lake City · population 217,783
Where Salt Lake City stands
Population growing 2.2% per year.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.
Rent trajectory · last 5 years
Zillow ZORI · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 29.6 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Salt Lake City for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Salt Lake City has held up across the cycle: home values at $580,126 with +3.6% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.
Salt Lake City's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.
About Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, with an estimated population of 217,783. The population has grown 2.2% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Salt Lake City is $580,126 as of 2026-04, up 1.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.6% annual growth (-2.9% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Salt Lake City average $1,632 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.3%). The composite momentum score is 65 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.
▲ Bull case
▼ Bear case
About Salt Lake City (Wikipedia)
Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The population was 199,723 at the 2020 census, while the Salt Lake City metropolitan area has an estimated 1.3 million residents and is the 46th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. It is also part of the larger Salt Lake City–Ogden–Provo combined statistical area, an urban corridor along a 120-mile (190 km) segment of the Wasatch Front with a population of approximately 2.8 million. It is one of the principal urban centers within the Great Basin, along with Reno, Nevada.
Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.
City facts
Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.
Things to see in Salt Lake City(Main sights)
- Salt Lake Temple
- Temple Square
- Salt Lake Tabernacle
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- LDS Conference Center
- Family History Library
- Eagle Gate
- American Institute of Architects
- Thomas Kearns
- Governor's Mansion
- City and County Building
- Cathedral of the Madeleine
+18 more on Wikipedia.
Extracted from the Wikipedia article. Names linked in the source — open the city’s Wikipedia page for details.
Playbook
You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.
Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.
Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.
Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for Salt Lake County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Salt Lake County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Neighborhoods of Salt Lake City
20 tracked · ranked by median home valueCities like Salt Lake City
Run the numbers for Salt Lake City
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the Salt Lake City area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current Salt Lake City listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local news & community
Latest news
- This Utah celebrity’s home — with a 1,000-square-foot closet — is for sale for $7.5MThe Salt Lake Tribune · 1d ago
- A decade on the rails: Stadler's journey in UtahKSL.com · 2h ago
- 10 cars crash in chain reaction on I-80 in Salt Lake CityABC4 Utah · 10h ago
- Sprinklers run outside recommended hours at Salt Lake County-owned propertyKUTV · 1d ago
- Large fire burns through Salt Lake City commercial areaFOX 13 News Utah · 1d ago
- From Coachella to Salt Lake City: How a Utah block party became one of indie music’s biggest festivalsDeseret News · 2d ago
Local chatter (Reddit)
Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.
Local economy & environment
Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.
Cities similar to Salt Lake City
Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.