Salt Lake City ranks top metro for families; expert weighs in on why

“These ​are ​areas ​where ​Utah ​as ​a ​state, ​and ​Salt ​Lake ​City, ​really ​shines,” said Vivekananda Das, an associate professor in family and consumer studies at the University of Utah.​ “These ​are ​areas ​of ​strength ​​when ​it ​comes ​to ​the ​economy ​or ​quality ​of ​education, percentage ​of ​households ​with ​children ​and ​average ​commute ​time ​are ​metrics ​where ​Salt Lake ​City ​really ​does ​better ​than ​most ​other ​metropolitan cities ​in ​the ​country.

“​So, ​given ​the ​fact ​that ​this ​ranking ​is ​prioritizing ​factors ​where ​Utah ​and ​Salt ​Lake ​City ​do ​really ​well, ​I ​think ​it’s ​no ​surprise ​that ​Salt Lake ​City ​comes ​out ​as ​the ​best ​place ​for ​raising ​a ​family,” Das said.

Utah is set apart from the nation when it comes to raising children in a married-parent family. According to the Sutherland Institute, over 80% of families in the state are led by married parents, compared to the national average of about 67%. Das, who specializes in consumer behavior and family economics, explained that this dynamic may contribute to better economic prosperity in the state.

“Many ​researchers ​have ​found ​an ​association ​between ​growing ​up ​in ​a ​two-parent ​household ​and ​educational ​achievement ​and, ​also, ​economic ​success. So, ​part ​of ​the ​economic ​miracle ​of ​Utah ​is ​driven ​by ​the ​strong ​family ​culture ​that ​it ​has,” he said.

Utah consistently retains a lower unemployment rate than the national average. According to data from the Utah Foundation, the state consistently ranks higher than the national average for post-high school educational attainment. While these metrics may be more important for some, Das argues there are other factors families may consider when moving that aren’t considered in some of these rankings.

While Utah may rank well in reports that emphasize education, economics and policies that support family life, other reports rank the state lower. WalletHub’s 2024 listicle ranking the best and worst places to raise a family puts Salt Lake City 55th of 182 cities. The report considered 45 metrics under five major categories: family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability and socioeconomics.

Salt Lake City ranked above average for socioeconomics and affordability but was ranked 152 out of 182 for health and safety, a category that considered air and water quality, crime, family homelessness and health care.

U.S. News ranks Utah as its No. 1 best state for families overall but was 46th in the publication’s ranking of natural environments due to poor air quality and pollution. Utah is also gearing up to be the first state in the nation to ban community water fluoridation, despite concerns from the American Dental Association and similar organizations about the legislation’s impact on public health.

Das concluded, in the end, that what makes Utah a great — or not-so-great — place for families depends on what is important to each family. Still, he expects residents will continue to see the Beehive State rank favorably due to the area’s culture and sense of community.

“I ​think ​beyond ​these ​rankings ​it ​holds ​true ​that ​Utah and ​Salt ​Lake ​City ​are ​some ​of ​the ​best ​places ​to ​raise ​families, and ​part ​of ​it ​is ​due ​to ​the ​cultural ​reasons ​that ​this ​place ​encourages ​marriage ​and ​parenthood ​more ​than, ​perhaps, ​any ​other ​place ​in ​the ​country,” said Das.​

“When ​you ​live ​in ​a ​place ​where ​everybody ​encourages​ raising ​families, ​then ​I ​think ​it ​becomes ​easier ​for ​many ​families ​to ​find ​like-minded ​people,” he said. “​So ​the ​community ​connection ​here ​is ​great, and there ​are ​many ​businesses ​that ​offer ​family-friendly ​services ​because, ​again, ​there ​is ​a ​greater ​demand ​for ​those ​types ​of ​services ​in ​this ​space.”

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