Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Salt Lake City-Murray
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Opportunity
80 · Top 10%
vs80 · Top 11%
Growth
75 · Top 12%
vs80 · Top 6%
Climate
49 · Bottom 2%
vs68 · Top 47%
Physical resilience
55 · Bottom 49%
vs77 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 15%
vs76 · Bottom 18%
Access
71 · Bottom 41%
vs95 · Top 17%
Economic stability
98 · Top 1%
vs93 · Top 2%
Measured values
| Metric | Salt Lake City-Murray | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,275,870 | 2,426,592 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $98,083 | $100,431 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,702 | $56,313 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 164/sq mi | 575/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $515,400 | $465,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,583 | $1,726 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.0% | 58.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.0% | 0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.4% | 50.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.0% | 9.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7,755 | 24,059 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.1 | 9.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 20.1% | -16.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 97°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 6.4" | 35.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 53 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.6 min | 29.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.9 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Salt Lake City-Murray
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Salt Lake City-Murray
71
Your Score
69
Area Score
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
81
Your Score
78
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT Metro Area · Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology