Salt Lake City, UT vs Sandy, UT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Salt Lake City, UT outspends Sandy, UT by a wide margin per resident — $25,335 versus $8,787, a 188% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Sandy, UT holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 74/100 (grade B) against 52/100 (grade C) for Salt Lake City, UT — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Sandy, 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 Salt Lake City, UT at $1,879 per resident and in Sandy, UT at $1,294.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Salt Lake City, UT at 5% of total revenue, whereas Sandy, UT relies most on charges and fees at 27%.
Summary
Salt Lake City spends 188.3% more per capita than Sandy ($16,548/person difference). Sandy, UT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 74/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $213 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,451 | $661 |
| Income Tax | $737 | $666 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,455 | $554 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,537 | $2,424 |
| Other | $8,729 | $646 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $499 | $287 |
| Highways & Roads | $536 | $165 |
| Education | $90 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,075 | $287 |
| Health | $1,244 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $470 | $154 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,879 | $1,294 |
| Housing | $3,710 | $2,073 |
| Sewerage | $371 | $143 |
| Utilities | $3,955 | $1,806 |
| Interest on Debt | $43 | $0 |
| Other | $10,462 | $2,577 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.