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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
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. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
| Rank | City | Transportation Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Provo | 100 | 105 | $1,448 | Details |
| 2 | West Valley | 101 | 106 | $1,560 | Details |
| 3 | Salt Lake | 106 | 111 | $1,592 | Details |
| 4 | West Jordan | 106 | 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
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. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in Utah — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Provo (index 105, rent $1,448/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 4 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Provo is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,448/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 105. Income sits at $62,800. That alone makes it worth considering (that's pre-tax, of course).
Keep reading — the next section adds critical context. That's more or less in line with the region. State context matters: Utah's 4 cities average a 109 cost index with $1,563/month median rent and $82,572 household income. Fastest-growing state economy with rising costs to match. Look at the property tax column — one city blows the rest away.
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. I'll say what the data can't: this city punches above its weight in ways that don't show up in a spreadsheet. There's a reason people who move here tend to stay. You can call it quality of life, you can call it vibes, whatever — the point is, the cost structure gives people room to actually enjoy where they live, and that's increasingly rare in this country.
113,343 residents · Utah
Provo earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 105 cost index sits 7 points below the national baseline, and the $62,800 — make of that what you will — median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $478,858 — $11,488 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 97, while Housing trails at 113.
134,470 residents · Utah
A closer look at West Valley: the cost index of 106 breaks down to a Utilities index of 98 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 116 (weakest). Median rent is $1,560/month — 18% below the national median — while household income sits at $88,604, meaning locals spend about 21% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
209,593 residents · Utah
A closer look at Salt Lake: the cost index of 111 breaks down to a Utilities index of 102 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 128 (weakest). And roughly speaking, median rent is $1,592/month — 16% below the national median — while household income sits at $74,925, meaning locals spend about 25% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
114,908 residents · Utah
What does daily life actually cost in West Jordan? Start with the 19% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 103) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 130) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $103,960 — for better or worse — and homes at $555,810 round out a profile that ranks #4 for clear reasons.
Cities are ranked by their transportation 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 transportation index at 100, 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.