South Salt Lake receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
South Salt Lake
West Valley City
Opportunity
70 · Top 23%
vs66 · Top 30%
Growth
65 · Top 24%
vs49 · Bottom 47%
Climate
55 · Bottom 6%
vs55 · Bottom 6%
Physical resilience
55 · Bottom 47%
vs55 · Bottom 47%
Housing affordability
60 · Bottom 20%
vs79 · Bottom 47%
Schools
16 · Bottom 7%
vs5 · Bottom 1%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
61 · Top 50%
vs71 · Top 26%
Measured values
| Metric | South Salt Lake | West Valley City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,352 | 138,437 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,152 | $92,209 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,414 | $30,104 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,797/sq mi | 3,864/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $410,200 | $419,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,451 | $1,504 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 38.2% | 72.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.0% | 0.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.8% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% | 9.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 262 | 255 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.9 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 523.8% | 168.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.5" | 15.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.0 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.4 | 31.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 55 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.98 | 22.66 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 20.3% | 23.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 24.6% | 24.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.1% | 50.0% | 2024-25 school 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
South Salt Lake
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
West Valley City
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
South Salt Lake
60
Your Score
58
Area Score
West Valley City
60
Your Score
56
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: South Salt Lake, UT · West Valley City, UT · How this is calculated: methodology