Head to head
Boise, ID vs Salt Lake City, UT
Boise is cheaper — estimated essentials for a single person run about $128/mo less, and living comfortably there takes roughly $3,000 less in annual salary (taxes included).
It flips for a family. For two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child, Salt Lake City is the cheaper of the two — rent scales to household size using each city's own bedroom spread, and childcare varies even more sharply between cities than rent does.
| Metric | Boise74 | Salt Lake City56 |
|---|---|---|
| Est. monthly cost (single) | $3,970 | $4,098 |
| Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare) | $9,850 | $9,707 |
| Salary for comfort | $73,500/yr | $76,500/yr |
| Typical rent | $1,655 | $1,747 |
| Median home value | $456,000 | $495,700 |
| Median household income | $81,308 | $74,925 |
| Unemployment | 3.3% | 3.5% |
| Housing score | 46 | 27 |
| Jobs score | 76 | 82 |
| Safety score | 78 | 10 |
| Climate score | 100 | 78 |
| Amenities score | 39 | 50 |
| Population | 235.7K | 203.9K |
| Summer high / winter low | 91° / 25° | 93° / 22° |
Fit scores use the reference profile (single, $6,700/mo gross, default weights). Green marks the better value per row.
Boise, ID
Salt Lake City, UT