Two-thirds of Salt Lake City-area rentals offer deals as rent growth stalls
Salt Lake City's typical rent is $1,603 a month as of August 2026, according to RentDataNow data built on the Zillow Observed Rent Index. It's up just 0.4% from a year earlier and actually slipped 0.1% from July to August. That leaves it about 18% below the national typical rent of $1,948.
Landlords are working to fill units. In July, 66.5% of rental listings in the Salt Lake City metro offered a concession such as a free month, according to Zillow, the third-highest share among the country's 50 biggest metros, behind only Charlotte and Denver. Our guide to negotiating your rent covers how to turn that into a lower bill.
Our estimates for each apartment size:
Apartment size | Estimated monthly rent |
|---|---|
$1,208 | |
$1,411 | |
$1,698 | |
$2,280 | |
$2,593 |
The size figures are estimates based on HUD fair market rents for the area. Salt Lake City's studios are relatively cheap, about $200 less than a one-bedroom a month.
The median household earns $75,090, and a year of typical rent takes 25.6% of it. Keeping typical rent at 30% of gross pay takes about $64,120 a year. More than half of the city's households rent, 54.2%, according to the Census Bureau, and our Salt Lake City affordability page shows the math at other incomes.
Pay hasn't kept up with rent over five years. Typical rent went from $1,318 in 2021 to $1,603, up 21.6%, while median household income rose 14.0% between the Census Bureau's 2021 and 2024 surveys. Our Rent Reality Score still rates the city a 75 out of 100, with rent about 12.7% below its long-run trend of $1,836.
The cheapest zip is 84116 at $1,258, followed by 84104 at $1,426, where rent fell 5.3% over the year, and 84102 at $1,433. Among zips with a full year of data, 84105 is the priciest at $1,944, up 3.8%, and 84111 runs $1,834.
Sources
RentDataNow Salt Lake City rent data, anchored to the Zillow Observed Rent Index, August 2026, with apartment-size estimates based on HUD fair market rents
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, for median household income and the share of households that rent
Zillow Research, July 2026 rent report, for concession shares
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Salt Lake City?
Typical rent in Salt Lake City is $1,603 a month as of August 2026, up 0.4% from a year earlier and about 18% below the national typical rent of $1,948. A one-bedroom runs about $1,411 and a two-bedroom about $1,698.
How much do you need to make to live in Salt Lake City?
About $64,120 a year to keep the typical $1,603 rent at 30% of gross income. The median Salt Lake City household earns $75,090, so typical rent takes about 25.6% of its income.
Are rents going down in Salt Lake City?
They're roughly flat. Typical rent rose 0.4% over the year ending in August 2026 and slipped 0.1% from July to August. In July, 66.5% of metro listings offered a concession, according to Zillow.
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Jennifer Han is the editor in chief of RentDataNow, covering rent trends, housing costs, and more. She was a real-estate agent before she moved to writing about the market.
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