Salt Lake City, UT vs West Valley City, UT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Salt Lake City, UT outspends West Valley City, UT by a wide margin per resident — $25,335 versus $11,407, a 122% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
West Valley City, UT holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 52/100 (grade C) for Salt Lake City, UT — a 38-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
West Valley City, 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 West Valley City, UT at $1,231.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 5% of total revenue in Salt Lake City, UT and 5% in West Valley City, UT.
Summary
Salt Lake City spends 122.1% more per capita than West Valley City ($13,928/person difference). West Valley City, UT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $213 | $132 |
| Sales Tax | $1,451 | $583 |
| Income Tax | $737 | $458 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,455 | $82 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,537 | $0 |
| Other | $8,729 | $911 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $499 | $186 |
| Highways & Roads | $536 | $136 |
| Education | $90 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,075 | $1,589 |
| Health | $1,244 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $470 | $1,425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,879 | $1,231 |
| Housing | $3,710 | $2,638 |
| Sewerage | $371 | $82 |
| Utilities | $3,955 | $454 |
| Interest on Debt | $43 | $0 |
| Other | $10,462 | $3,666 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.