Provo, UT vs Salt Lake City, UT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Salt Lake City, UT outspends Provo, UT by a wide margin per resident — $25,335 versus $7,873, a 222% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Provo, UT holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 52/100 (grade C) for Salt Lake City, UT — a 33-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Provo, UT carries the lighter load at $632 per resident versus $1,610 for Salt Lake City, UT. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Provo, UT at $964 per resident and in Salt Lake City, UT at $1,879.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Provo, UT at 18% of total revenue, whereas Salt Lake City, UT relies most on other revenue at 5%.
Summary
Salt Lake City spends 68.9% more per capita than Provo ($17,463/person difference). Provo, UT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $213 |
| Sales Tax | $716 | $1,451 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $737 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,902 | $4,455 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,503 | $4,537 |
| Other | $1,669 | $8,729 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $149 | $499 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $536 |
| Education | $49 | $90 |
| Public Welfare | $209 | $2,075 |
| Health | $295 | $1,244 |
| Hospitals | $193 | $470 |
| Parks & Recreation | $964 | $1,879 |
| Housing | $1,450 | $3,710 |
| Sewerage | $275 | $371 |
| Utilities | $550 | $3,955 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $43 |
| Other | $3,738 | $10,462 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.