Utah taxes and cost of living (2026)
Utah has a flat 4.45% income tax. A $100,000 salary is worth about $68,182 a year in national buying power after every tax and Utah's prices, #35 of 51 (the state average is $70,397). Retiring on $50,000 a year takes about $1.30M, #32 lowest.
- State income tax
- 4.45%
- Sales tax (avg. combined)
- 7.42%
- Property tax (effective)
- 0.49%
- Cost of living
- 98.9
- US = 100
- Social Security taxed?
- No
- Median home
- $545K
Take-home pay in Utah
Single filer, 10% of salary to a pre-tax 401(k), standard deduction, renting. All taxes include estimated sales tax.
| Salary | Federal | FICA | State + local | All-in tax rate | Take-home | In US dollars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $3,220 | $3,825 | $1,385 | 18.2% | $36,570 | $36,990 |
| $75,000 | $6,020 | $5,738 | $2,678 | 20.6% | $53,064 | $53,674 |
| $100,000 | $10,970 | $7,650 | $3,972 | 23.9% | $67,408 | $68,182 |
| $150,000 | $21,134 | $11,475 | $6,008 | 27.0% | $96,384 | $97,491 |
| $250,000 | $43,304 | $15,514 | $10,013 | 28.8% | $156,170 | $157,964 |
What it takes to retire in Utah
Married couple, age 60, withdrawals 60% from 401(k)/IRA, 20% Roth, 20% brokerage, no Social Security yet, renting. Spending at US-average prices.
| Spending | At UT prices | Income taxes | All taxes | FI number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $39,546 | $0 | $1,042 | $988.6K |
| $60,000 | $59,318 | $361 | $1,923 | $1.49M |
| $80,000 | $79,091 | $2,560 | $4,643 | $2.04M |
| $120,000 | $118,637 | $7,380 | $10,505 | $3.15M |
Utah tax rules at a glance
- Income tax: Utah has a flat 4.45% income tax. SB 60 (2026) cut the rate from 4.5% to 4.45%, retroactive to tax years beginning 1/1/2026. Utah has no standard deduction or personal exemption deduction. Instead there is a nonrefundable taxpayer tax credit equal to 6% of (federal standard or itemized deduction + $2,111 per dependent [2025 amount]). personal_credit here = 6% x 2026 federal standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 MFJ). The credit phases out by 1.3% of Utah taxable income over $18,213 single / $36,426 MFJ (2025 base amounts; 2026 not yet published). The resulting effective marginal rate in the phase-out range is about 5.75%.
- Local income tax: No local income taxes.
- Social Security: Not taxed. Benefits are taxed but offset by a credit for income under about $54,000 single / $90,000 married (modeled as exempt).
- Retirement income: No general pension/IRA exclusion. A legacy $450-per-person retirement credit is limited to those born before 1953 and is income-phased. A military retirement credit is available separately.
- Capital gains: Taxed at the flat 4.45% rate.
- Sales tax: 6.10% state rate, 7.42% average with local taxes; groceries taxed at a reduced rate.
Compare Utah with
Frequently asked questions
Does Utah have a state income tax?
Utah has a flat 4.45% income tax. SB 60 (2026) cut the rate from 4.5% to 4.45%, retroactive to tax years beginning 1/1/2026. Utah has no standard deduction or personal exemption deduction. Instead there is a nonrefundable taxpayer tax credit equal to 6% of (federal standard or itemized deduction + $2,111 per dependent [2025 amount]). personal_credit here = 6% x 2026 federal standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 MFJ). The credit phases out by 1.3% of Utah taxable income over $18,213 single / $36,426 MFJ (2025 base amounts; 2026 not yet published). The resulting effective marginal rate in the phase-out range is about 5.75%.
How much is $100,000 after taxes in Utah?
A single filer earning $100,000 who puts $10,000 in a 401(k) takes home about $67,408 after federal, state and local income taxes and payroll taxes, an all-in effective rate of 23.9% including estimated sales tax.
Does Utah tax Social Security?
No. Utah does not tax Social Security benefits. Benefits are taxed but offset by a credit for income under about $54,000 single / $90,000 married (modeled as exempt).
How much do you need to retire in Utah?
To spend $50,000 a year (at US-average prices) with withdrawals mostly from a 401(k)/IRA, you'd need about $1.30M in Utah using the 4% rule, after its cost of living and taxes.
Is Utah expensive to live in?
Utah's cost of living index is 98.9, where the US average is 100 (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The median home is worth about $545,200 and median rent is $1,593 a month.
How this is calculated
- Income taxes use 2026 federal and state brackets, standard deductions and personal exemptions or credits. No itemized deductions or other credits. Local income taxes use a typical statewide rate (for example, Maryland's county taxes or New York City's); many places have none.
- Payroll taxes include Social Security (6.2% up to the wage base), Medicare, and employee-paid state programs such as California SDI or Washington's paid leave premium. A married household salary is treated as two equal earners for payroll-tax caps.
- Cost of living uses the Bureau of Economic Analysis's Regional Price Parities (2024), where the US average is 100. Spending you enter at national prices is scaled by each state's index.
- Sales tax is estimated as the average combined state and local rate on about a third of spending (more where groceries are taxed). It is shown for context but not added to costs, because the price parities already include it. Property tax applies the state's effective rate to its median home value (Census ACS 2024) if you own.
- Retirement solves for the withdrawal that covers your spending plus the taxes it triggers, using each state's treatment of Social Security, retirement-account withdrawals and capital gains, then multiplies by 25 (a 4% withdrawal rate).
- Years to FI starts from zero, adds what you save each year in that state, and grows it at a 5% real return until it reaches that state's FI number.
Estimates for comparison, not tax advice. Your actual taxes depend on deductions, credits, where in the state you live and more. Sources: BEA Regional Price Parities, Census ACS, state sales tax rates, IRS, state revenue departments (per state).