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Living in Utah · 2026

Is $48,000 enough to live in Utah?

Single adult · UT · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Comfortable

Monthly take-home

$3,196

Avg monthly expenses

$2,443

Avg monthly surplus

$753

Savings potential

~24%

After-tax take-home in Utah

Gross salary$48,000
Federal income tax− $3,654
State income tax− $2,328
Social Security− $2,976
Medicare− $696
Annual take-home$38,346
Effective tax rate20.11%

How $48,000 feels in Utah cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Salt Lake City

COL index: 1.18× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,550
Food
$475
Transport
$207
Utilities
$195
Healthcare
$236
Total: $2,663/mo
Surplus: $533/mo
Rent burden: 48.5% — High (35–50%)
Full Salt Lake City analysis →

West Valley City

COL index: 1.10× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,450
Food
$449
Transport
$193
Utilities
$182
Healthcare
$220
Total: $2,494/mo
Surplus: $702/mo
Rent burden: 45.4% — High (35–50%)
Full West Valley City analysis →

Provo

COL index: 1.08× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,400
Food
$440
Transport
$189
Utilities
$178
Healthcare
$216
Total: $2,423/mo
Surplus: $773/mo
Rent burden: 43.8% — High (35–50%)
Full Provo analysis →

West Jordan

COL index: 1.10× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,450
Food
$449
Transport
$193
Utilities
$182
Healthcare
$220
Total: $2,494/mo
Surplus: $702/mo
Rent burden: 45.4% — High (35–50%)
Full West Jordan analysis →

Orem

COL index: 1.08× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,400
Food
$440
Transport
$189
Utilities
$178
Healthcare
$216
Total: $2,423/mo
Surplus: $773/mo
Rent burden: 43.8% — High (35–50%)
Full Orem analysis →

Ogden

COL index: 0.98× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,200
Food
$431
Transport
$172
Utilities
$162
Healthcare
$196
Total: $2,161/mo
Surplus: $1,035/mo
Rent burden: 37.6% — High (35–50%)
Full Ogden analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $3,196 ($38,352/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$1,598

per month

  • ›Rent / mortgage
  • ›Groceries
  • ›Utilities
  • ›Insurance
  • ›Minimum debt payments
  • ›Transportation
Wants30%

$959

per month

  • ›Dining out
  • ›Streaming services
  • ›Gym
  • ›Hobbies
  • ›Travel
  • ›Shopping
Savings20%

$639

per month

  • ›Emergency fund
  • ›401(k) / IRA
  • ›Investments
  • ›Down payment fund
  • ›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$19,176

Wants / year

$11,506

Savings / year

$7,670

Salary Intelligence

Below comfortable level in Salt Lake City

Rent would consume 49% of take-home income — above the 35% stress threshold. A higher salary or lower-cost housing is needed for financial stability in this city.

Lifestyle score: 4.1/10 (Fair)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $48,000 salary supports a fair single lifestyle in Salt Lake City, Utah. After essential expenses, approximately $533/month (~17% of take-home) is available for savings or discretionary spending.

Purchasing Power

Salt Lake City's above-average cost of living (index: 1.18) means $48,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $40,678 in an average-cost US city, or $48,000 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$48,000 is slightly above the Utah individual median of $47,600 (+1%). The state household median is $86,833.

State individual median

$47,600

+1%

State household median

$86,833

-45%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)
Contribute to a Traditional IRA — Up to $1,540 in federal tax (22% bracket)

$48,000 vs. Utah income benchmarks

Individual median (Utah)

$47,600

+1% vs. this salary

Household median (Utah)

$86,833

-45% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Utah

$40,000$60,000$100,000$150,000$200,000$300,000
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Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

Data updated monthly using government datasets.