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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Salt Lake City, UT

Population: 201,269 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

C
52/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$5.1B
Per Capita
$25,335
Total Revenue
$36.6B
Total Debt
$324.0M

Spending Breakdown

Other
41.3%$2.1B
Utilities
15.6%$796.1M
Housing & Community Development
14.6%$746.7M
Public Welfare
8.2%$417.7M
Parks & Recreation
7.4%$378.2M
Health
4.9%$250.5M
Highways & Roads
2.1%$107.9M
Fire Protection
2.0%$100.4M
Hospitals
1.9%$94.6M
Sewerage
1.5%$74.8M
Education
0.4%$18.1M
Interest on Debt
0.2%$8.6M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.1%$42.9M
Sales Tax
0.8%$291.9M
Income Tax
0.4%$148.4M
Intergovernmental
2.4%$896.6M
Charges & Fees
2.5%$913.2M
Other
4.8%$1.8B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$499/person
Highways & Roads$536/person
Parks & Recreation$1,879/person
Education$90/person
Health$1,244/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)69/100
Debt Burden (20%)0/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)30/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$324.0M
Long-Term Debt$107.1M
Debt Per Capita$1,610
Cash & Securities$59.5M

Compare Cities

See how Salt Lake City stacks up against another city.

vs West Valley City, UTvs West Jordan, UTvs Provo, UT
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Utah

West Valley City, UT

Pop. 139K

A
Total Spending
$1.6B
Per Capita
$11,407

West Jordan, UT

Pop. 116K

C
Total Spending
$1.1B
Per Capita
$9,545

Provo, UT

Pop. 114K

A
Total Spending
$900.6M
Per Capita
$7,873

Orem, UT

Pop. 97K

C
Total Spending
$761.3M
Per Capita
$7,841

Compare Salt Lake City With

West Valley City, UT

Spending: $11,407/person · Grade: A

West Jordan, UT

Spending: $9,545/person · Grade: C

Provo, UT

Spending: $7,873/person · Grade: A

Orem, UT

Spending: $7,841/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Salt Lake City, UT spends $25,335 per resident, based on total expenditures of $5.1B for a population of 201,269. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (52/100).

Salt Lake City, UT has total expenditures of $5.1B and total revenue of $36.6B. The city carries $324.0M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Salt Lake City, UT employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Salt Lake City, UT has a Fiscal Health Score of C (52/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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