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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 4 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 4 cities in Utah using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Provo com…
#1 Ranked: Provo — cost index 105, rent $1,448/mo, income $62,800
4 of 4 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K
4 of 4 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Provo | 4.55% | 7.21% | 0.52% | $102,658 |
2West Valley | 4.55% | 7.21% | 0.52% | $102,658 |
3Salt Lake | 4.55% | 7.21% | 0.52% | $102,658 |
4West Jordan | 4.55% | 7.21% | 0.52% | $102,658 |
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 4 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 4 cities in Utah using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Provo comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis.
The #1 spot goes to Provo, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,448/month — saving renters $5,364 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 97, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 113. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
Bottom line: Provo leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Provo | $1,448 | 12% | 105 | Details |
| 2 | West Valley | $1,560 | 12% | 106 | Details |
| 3 | Salt Lake | $1,592 | 13% | 111 | Details |
| 4 | West Jordan | $1,651 | 13% | 112 | Details |
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 4 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices.
Rent in #1-ranked Provo has increased from $1,407 to $1,448/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
113,343 residents · Utah
What does daily life actually cost in Provo? Start with the 28% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. And for the typical household, on the category level, Utilities (index 97) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 113) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $62,800 and homes at $478,858 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
134,470 residents · Utah
What does daily life actually cost in West Valley? Start with the 21% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 98) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 116) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $88,604 and homes at $466,390 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
209,593 residents · Utah
Here's Salt Lake by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 111. Rent: $1,592/month. Income: $74,925/year. Home price: $565,484. Population: 209,593. The strongest category is Utilities at 102; the most expensive is Housing at 128. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $3,636 per year vs. the national median. That's a strong position by any measure.
114,908 residents · Utah
The #4 spot goes to West Jordan, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,651/month — saving renters $2,928 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 103, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 130. At a 19% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
We calculate what percentage of a $150K gross salary goes to median rent. Cities where rent consumes less of your paycheck rank higher. We also factor in estimated take-home pay after federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Provo ranks #1 in Utah for this analysis with a cost index of 105 and median income of $62,800.
Yes. On a $150K salary in Provo, rent would consume about 12% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Provo (ranked #1) has a cost index of 105 and rent of $1,448/mo, while West Jordan (ranked #4) has a cost index of 112 and rent of $1,651/mo — a 7-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Provo is $1,448/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $447 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 4.55% state income tax, estimated take-home on $150K in Provo is approximately $102,658/year ($8,555/month). After median rent of $1,448/month, you'd have roughly $85,282/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Provo is $478,858, which is 7.6× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Utah has a 4.55% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.21%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.52%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.