Skip to main content
RentIndex
Home / Utah / Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City, UT

The Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Salt Lake City, UT is $1,747 per month, ranking #123 out of 693 areas nationwide. The area median household income is $95,045, meaning a household spending Fair Market Rent on a 2-bedroom would pay 22.1% of income on housing. Rent in Salt Lake City has increased 8.8% year over year. The area has a population of 1.3M, with 32.2% of households renting.

22.1%
Moderately Affordable
of income → rent
$1,747
2BR Fair Market Rent
vs $1,250 national median
$95,045
Median Income
vs $71,049 national
$1,486
Actual Median Rent
Census ACS estimate
+8.8%
Year-over-Year
2BR FMR change
1.3M
Population
Census ACS
32.2%
Renters
of occupied housing
$478,200
Median Home Value
5.3%
Vacancy Rate
of housing units
8.1%
Poverty Rate
below poverty line

Fair Market Rent by Bedroom Size

$1,259
Studio
$1,456
1 Bedroom
$1,747
2 Bedroom
$2,333
3 Bedroom
$2,666
4 Bedroom

Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are set annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality units in an area. FMRs are used to determine payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher program and other federal housing assistance.

Housing Affordability

In Salt Lake City, UT, a household earning the area median income of $95,045 would spend 22.1% of their gross income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. This falls below HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold, meaning housing is relatively affordable for median-income households in this area.

Income Needed for 2BR
$69,880
annual (30% threshold)
Hourly Wage Needed
$34
full-time (2,080 hrs/yr)
Actual Median Rent
$1,486
$261 below FMR

5-Year Rent Trend

+45.1% since 2021
$1,2042021$1,3272022$1,5042023$1,6062024$1,7482025$1,7472026

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent by fiscal year. Source: HUD FMR API.

Minimum Wage Affordability

The minimum wage in Utah is $7.25/hr. A minimum-wage worker would need to work 185.4 hours per week to afford a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding 30% of income on housing. This means a single minimum-wage earner cannot afford a 2-bedroom working a standard 40-hour week. The poverty rate in Salt Lake City is 8.1%, below the national average of approximately 12.4%.

State Min Wage
$7.25/hr
Hours/Week Needed
185.4 hrs
Poverty Rate
8.1%

Housing Market Context

The median home value in Salt Lake City is $478,200. At a median income of $95,045, this represents a price-to-income ratio of 5.0x. 5.3% of housing units in the area are vacant, which is below the national average and suggests a tight housing market.

Rent vs. Buy
$3,347 est. mortgage
vs $1,747 FMR rent
Vacancy Rate
5.3%
of housing units

Other Areas in Utah

Ogden
$1,614/mo
2BR FMR · 19.7% burden
St. George
$1,575/mo
2BR FMR · 24.7% burden
Provo-Orem-Lehi
$1,460/mo
2BR FMR · 18.1% burden
Logan
$1,241/mo
2BR FMR · 19.2% burden
Tooele County
$1,241/mo
2BR FMR · 14.6% burden

Compare Salt Lake City

vs Ogden, UTvs St. George, UTvs Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT

Areas With Similar Rent to Salt Lake City

Frequently Asked Questions

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Salt Lake City, UT is $1,747 per month. A studio is $1,259/mo, a 1-bedroom is $1,456/mo, and a 3-bedroom is $2,333/mo. The actual median gross rent from Census data is $1,486/mo.

Salt Lake City has a rent burden of 22.1%, meaning a household earning the median income of $95,045 would spend 22.1% of income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. This is below HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold, indicating relatively affordable housing. To afford a 2-bedroom without being cost-burdened, a household would need an annual income of at least $69,880.

Salt Lake City's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,747/mo is $497 above the national median of $1,250/mo. Salt Lake City ranks #123 out of 693 areas for highest rent in the United States.

To afford a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Salt Lake City without spending more than 30% of income on housing, you would need an annual household income of at least $69,880, or a full-time hourly wage of $34/hour. The area median income is $95,045.

The 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Salt Lake City increased by 8.8% compared to the prior year. This is a significant increase, suggesting growing demand in the local housing market.

Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality rental units. Rent burden is calculated as annual 2BR FMR divided by area median household income. Census data (income, home value, population, vacancy) is from the ACS 5-Year estimates. Unemployment rates are from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics.