Highlands Ranch vs Salt Lake City
The short version
- Salt Lake City is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 5% lower than in the Highlands Ranch area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $539,500 in Salt Lake City and $712,700 in Highlands Ranch.
- Households earn more in Highlands Ranch ($159,307 vs $75,090 median).
- Highlands Ranch has the warmer winter: January highs of 47°F vs 39°F.
- Salt Lake City has more scorching days: 62 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 42.
- Salt Lake City is growing faster: +9.4% since 2020 vs +0%.
- Commutes are shorter in Salt Lake City (20 vs 24 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Highlands Ranch, CO | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 102,257 | 218,428 |
| Growth since 2020 | n/a | +9.4% |
| People per square mile | 4,214 | 1,970 |
| Median age | 41.5 | 32.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 68% | 52% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $159,307 | $75,090 |
| Median home value | $712,700 | $539,500 |
| Home value to income | 4.5× | 7.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,531 | $1,414 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 105.8 | 100.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 146.9 | 123.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $79,300 | $75,700 |
| Homeowners | 78% | 46% |
| Top state income tax | 4.4% | 4.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.89% | 7.42% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.2 | 19.5 |
| Work from home | 33% | 21% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 5% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4% | 4.2% |
| Poverty rate | 2.9% | 13.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 47° / 18° | 39° / 24° |
| July high / low | 90° / 59° | 94° / 68° |
| Precipitation per year | 15 in | 16 in |
| Snowfall per year | 49 in | 52 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 42 | 62 |
| Nights below freezing | 156 | 112 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 88.7 | 98.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 29% | 33% |
| Home prices, past year | -0.5% | +2.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +21.4% | +33.4% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Highlands Ranch: May to June and September. Salt Lake City: May to June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Highlands Ranch weather by month and Salt Lake City weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $79,300 in Highlands Ranch and $75,700 in Salt Lake City. Moving from Highlands Ranch to Salt Lake City, you would need about $71,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Highlands Ranch and Salt Lake City
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Highlands Ranch and Salt Lake City.
Which would you pick?
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