Salt Lake City, UT vs South Jordan, UT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Salt Lake City, UT outspends South Jordan, UT by a wide margin per resident — $25,335 versus $10,392, a 144% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
South Jordan, UT holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 52/100 (grade C) for Salt Lake City, UT — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, South Jordan, UT carries the lighter load at $864 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 Salt Lake City, UT at $1,879 per resident and in South Jordan, UT at $607.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Salt Lake City, UT at 5% of total revenue, whereas South Jordan, UT relies most on charges and fees at 27%.
Summary
Salt Lake City spends 143.8% more per capita than South Jordan ($14,943/person difference). South Jordan, UT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $213 | $57 |
| Sales Tax | $1,451 | $243 |
| Income Tax | $737 | $675 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,455 | $126 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,537 | $2,895 |
| Other | $8,729 | $1,297 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $499 | $330 |
| Highways & Roads | $536 | $154 |
| Education | $90 | $35 |
| Public Welfare | $2,075 | $492 |
| Health | $1,244 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $470 | $1,190 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,879 | $607 |
| Housing | $3,710 | $1,101 |
| Sewerage | $371 | $191 |
| Utilities | $3,955 | $1,767 |
| Interest on Debt | $43 | $0 |
| Other | $10,462 | $4,524 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.