Cost of Living in Utah
What it costs to live in Utah, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 3,503,613
- Median household income
- $96,658
- State income tax
- Flat 4.5%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 98.9
What a typical paycheck keeps in Utah
The typical Utah worker earns $50,110 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $9,097 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $50,110
- Federal income tax
- −$3,833
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,833
- State income tax
- −$1,704
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$14,772
- Everyday costs
- −$16,871
a year, or $758 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Utah.
Cost of living in Utah
Prices across Utah run 1% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing8% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities21% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% below the US average
- All items1% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,231 | $14,772 |
| Food | $476 | $5,712 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $348 | $4,176 |
| Utilities | $205 | $2,460 |
| Total before taxes | $2,636 | $31,632 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Utah taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 4.5% |
Credit phase-out threshold is the 2025 amount.
Taxes on the median household income
$96,658 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$12,435 |
| Payroll taxes | −$7,394 |
| State income tax | −$4,350 |
| Effective tax rate | 25% |
Cities in Utah
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Utah city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Utah
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist | $144,240 | $71,720 |
| Physician assistant | $134,740 | $65,654 |
| Dentist | $133,320 | $64,748 |
| Lawyer | $132,830 | $64,436 |
| Nurse practitioner | $130,920 | $63,216 |
| Software engineer | $128,810 | $61,869 |
| Veterinarian | $123,990 | $58,790 |
| Data scientist | $108,090 | $48,364 |
| Mechanical engineer | $102,500 | $44,683 |
| Lineman | $101,220 | $43,841 |
| Physical therapist | $99,880 | $42,957 |
| Occupational therapist | $97,150 | $41,160 |
| Civil engineer | $96,830 | $40,950 |
| Project manager | $96,720 | $40,878 |
| Speech-language pathologist | $91,560 | $37,492 |
Salary pages in Utah, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Utah
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $228,060 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $174,590 |
| Chief Executives | $171,880 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $168,060 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $163,610 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $161,120 |
| Financial Managers | $150,450 |
| Pharmacists | $144,240 |
| Marketing Managers | $139,830 |
| Sales Managers | $136,520 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $135,840 |
| Database Administrators | $135,750 |
| Managers, All Other | $134,890 |
| Physician Assistants | $134,740 |
| Dentists, General | $133,320 |
Living in Utah
Utah against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Utah | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $545,200 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,593 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 8.3% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 39.1% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 23.2 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 15.7% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Utah with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Utah?
Prices in Utah are 1% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,231 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,406 a month.
Does Utah have a state income tax?
Yes. Utah's income tax rate is flat 4.5%. On a typical wage of $50,110, a single filer pays about $1,704 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Utah?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $38,000 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Utah earns $50,110 and keeps $9,097 after those costs.
Where in Utah does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Utah cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Salt Lake City ($11,413 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Provo ($7,979).
What jobs pay the most in Utah?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Utah goes to Physicians, All Other ($228,060); Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($174,590); Chief Executives ($171,880) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate