How much rent can you afford in Salt Lake City, UT?
Run your salary against Salt Lake City's current rent, or find the income you'd need for a target rent. Powered by live RentDataNow medians.
The 30% rent rule, in Salt Lake City
At a median rent of $1,629/mo, Salt Lake City is affordable when measured against Salt Lake City median household income of $75,090/yr. Rent would consume roughly 26% of pre-tax income, and a salary of about $65,160 keeps rent at the recommended 30% threshold.
How Salt Lake City compares nearby
Median rent for the closest cities with data.
Frequently asked
How much rent can I afford in Salt Lake City?
On a $75,090 salary (the Salt Lake City median household income), the recommended ceiling is 30% of pre-tax income, or about $1,877/mo. Salt Lake City's median rent is $1,629/mo. Use the calculator on this page to run your own salary.
What salary do I need to live in Salt Lake City?
To keep Salt Lake City's $1,629/mo median rent under 30% of income, you'd need about $65,160/yr. Lower your target share (e.g. 25%) to need more, or raise it (e.g. 40%) to need less.
Is Salt Lake City affordable on the median Utah income?
Salt Lake City is affordable on a $75,090 income. Rent would take 26% of pre-tax pay, inside the recommended 30% threshold.
What's the 30% rent rule?
The 30% rule is a long-standing budgeting guideline that keeps rent at or below 30% of gross (pre-tax) income. It leaves enough room for utilities, transit, savings, and debt service. In high-cost markets, many renters exceed 30%, and the Census Bureau classifies households paying more than 30% of income on rent as "cost-burdened".