Rents are 13% below what Salt Lake City's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,571 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Salt Lake City usually run 1.3% below trend in January and 1% above it in July, about $36 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Salt Lake City is 0.5% below its high of $1,579 in April 2026, at $1,571 as of September 2026.
Rent in Salt Lake City changed +0.4% over the year to September 2026. Across the 44 Utah cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.8%.
Rent in Salt Lake City is 29.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has fallen 3 months in a row, and rose in 5 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($75,090) is $1,877 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,698); a 3-bedroom is $2,280.
The priciest of 9 ZIP codes in Salt Lake City, 84108 ($2,639/mo), costs 2.1 times the cheapest, 84116 ($1,250/mo).
Riverdale, 29 miles away, rents for 13% less ($1,361/mo), about $2,500 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Salt Lake City. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Salt Lake City, UT is roughly split between renters and owners, skews toward younger working-age adults, 51.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Salt Lake City, UT has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Salt Lake City, UT has shifted from $1,296 to $1,571, up 21.2% since 2021. On the earnings side, the typical household in Salt Lake City, UT now reports about $75,090, up from $65,880 in 2021. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Salt Lake City, UT adding about 8,854 residents over the five-year window, up 4.4% on net. The renter share has risen from 51.7% to 54.2%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Salt Lake City, UT reflects that arc in its own way.
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Can you afford rent in Salt Lake City on your salary?
At $1,571/mo, how Salt Lake City rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Salt Lake City rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Salt Lake City. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Salt Lake City
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Salt Lake City is $1,571/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,208/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,698/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,411/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,280/mo.
At 25% of local median household income ($75,090/yr), Salt Lake City ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.4% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Salt Lake City?
At $1,571/mo, rent takes ~25% of Salt Lake City's median household income ($75,090/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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