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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while Utah trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Provo at index 105 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Utah.
| Rank | City | Healthcare Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Provo | 108 | 105 | $1,448 | Details |
| 2 | West Valley | 110 | 106 | $1,560 | Details |
| 3 | Salt Lake | 115 | 111 | $1,592 | Details |
| 4 | West Jordan | 115 | 112 | $1,651 | Details |
#1 Ranked: Provo — cost index 105, rent $1,448/mo, income $62,800
Provo rent up 3% over the past year
3 of 4 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Premium market, smart picks: while Utah trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Provo at index 105 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Utah.
Provo rent up 3% over the past year. 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.
What does daily life actually cost in Provo? Start with the 28% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. 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.
The healthcare sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 112 (the top-10 average here) means healthcare costs are about -12% below the national median. Provo leads at 108, followed by West Valley (110) and Salt Lake (115). Note: a low healthcare index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
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.
113,343 residents · Utah
Here's Provo by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And on balance, cost index: 105. Rent: $1,448/month. Income: $62,800/year. Home price: $478,858. Population: 113,343. The strongest category is Utilities at 97; the most expensive is Housing at 113. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,364 per year vs. the national median. That's a margin of safety most budgets don't have.
134,470 residents · Utah
In plain English: Here's West Valley by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 106. Rent: $1,560/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Income: $88,604/year. Home price: $466,390. Population: 134,470. The strongest category is Utilities at 98; the most expensive is Housing at 116. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $4,020 per year vs. the national median. For anyone relocating from a high-cost market, this will feel like a raise.
209,593 residents · Utah
Dive into Salt Lake's numbers: cost index 111 (1 points below national average), rent $1,592/month, income $74,925, and a home price of $565,484. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 102, while Housing runs 128. With 209,593 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
114,908 residents · Utah
Why West Jordan ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 112 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 0% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,651/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — while the median household pulls in $103,960/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 103, though Housing (130) lags behind. Home prices average $555,810 — $88,440 above the national median (that's pre-tax, of course).
Cities are ranked by their healthcare cost sub-index within Utah. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. 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.
Provo, UT has the lowest healthcare index at 108, compared to the national average of 100.
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.
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.