Cities in Utah where household expenses are highest: Lehi ranks #2
This article originally appeared on Lehi Free Press
How does living in the Beehive state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Utah’s household expenses, with a close eye on how bills differ in towns and cities across the state. The average household in Utah, doxo’s data reveals, pays $2,097 in monthly bills.
Doxo’s data also has infographics for 37 cities and towns across Utah, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for the most and least expensive cities provide insight into the cost of living in Utah and how it changes according to location.
The data also sheds light on Utah’s cost of living through other metrics. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
The average Utah household pays $2,097 monthly for the ten most common household bills. This figure considers the ten most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Utah residents, overall, get a good deal on their bills: the state ranks 19th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Texas ranks 18th, with annual monthly expenses of $2,110, and Minnesota ranks 20th, at $2,079.
Utah’s household expenses, on average, are 2.5% higher than the national average of $2,046.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the whole story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Utah households spend 33% of their income on household bills, whereas Mississippi residents, though they live in the second most affordable state for bills, spend 41% of household income on them.
Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,097 per month
doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 19 out of 50
Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 33%
Difference from the National Average: 2.5% higher
The housing bill category drives Utah’s low monthly bill expenses.
The average Utah household pays $2,097 in the monthly ten most common household bills. The average mortgage payment in Utah is $1,470, and the average rent is $1,181, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,321 and rent bill of $1,191.
Other than housing-related expenses, auto loans are the most significant of the ten most common bills for residents of Utah. These expenses are higher than the national average. Utah’s average auto loan bill is $519 monthly, compared to the national average of $467.
Compared to the national average, utilities are also a notably lower expense for residents of Utah. The average household in the state pays $293 a month for utilities, compared to the national average of $351.
Auto insurance is also more affordable in Utah. While US residents spend $179 per month on car insurance, in Utah, they spend just $207.
Note: Health and Life Insurance expenses do not account for employers’ payments on employees’ behalf. These just include out-of-pocket costs. Also, the state and national bill totals account for the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Residents of Park City pay the highest household bills in Utah, at an average of $3,106 per month. Lehi comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $2,518 on average per month.
Park City’s bills are lower than Lehi’s in proportion to household income. While Park City’s monthly bill basket makes up 29% of the average household income there, Lehi’s bill basket accounts for 30% of the average household income in that area.
10 Most Expensive Utah Cities for Household Bills:
- Park City $3,106 29%
- Lehi $2,518 30%
- South Jordan $2,457 28%
- Draper $2,447 26%
- Eagle Mountain $2,410 33%
- Syracuse $2,410 28%
- Riverton $2,374 26%
- North Salt Lake $2,361 35%
- Herriman $2,352 27%
- Heber City $2,343 37%
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).