Orem, UT vs Salt Lake City, UT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Salt Lake City, UT outspends Orem, UT by a wide margin per resident — $25,335 versus $7,841, a 223% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Orem, UT edges Salt Lake City, UT on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 55/100 (grade C) to 52/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Orem, UT reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Salt Lake City, UT carries $1,610 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Orem, UT at $752 per resident and in Salt Lake City, UT at $1,879.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 2101% of total revenue in Orem, UT and 5% in Salt Lake City, UT.
Summary
Salt Lake City spends 69.1% more per capita than Orem ($17,494/person difference). Orem, UT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 55/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $201 | $213 |
| Sales Tax | $351 | $1,451 |
| Income Tax | $509 | $737 |
| Intergovernmental | $137 | $4,455 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,690 | $4,537 |
| Other | $2,873 | $8,729 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $134 | $499 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $536 |
| Education | $56 | $90 |
| Public Welfare | $469 | $2,075 |
| Health | $376 | $1,244 |
| Hospitals | $148 | $470 |
| Parks & Recreation | $752 | $1,879 |
| Housing | $1,776 | $3,710 |
| Sewerage | $101 | $371 |
| Utilities | $1,081 | $3,955 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $43 |
| Other | $2,949 | $10,462 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.