Moving to Utah from Michigan

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Michigan to Utah? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Michigan to Utah, you would find that Utah is 5.1% more expensive than Michigan. A $75,000 salary in Michigan would need to be roughly $78,593 in Utah to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Michigan and Utah.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $78,593

To maintain the same standard of living in Utah

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 0.6% more

Groceries

pay 1.5% more

Transportation

pay 17.1% more

Housing

pay 9.6% more

Childcare

pay 12.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 5.6% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Utah compared to Michigan.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MI
453
UT
224
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MI
1533
UT
1576

Michigan generally does better on safety, though Utah leads in violent crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MI
4.9%
UT
8.1%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MI
36.0%
UT
32.3%

Utah generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Michigan leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MI
$217,600
UT
$455,000
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MI
$1,084
UT
$1,405

Michigan performs better than Utah across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MI
89.4%
UT
92.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MI
24 min
UT
22 min

Utah performs significantly better than Michigan across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MI
4.8%
UT
3.5%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MI
$55,508
UT
$66,207

Utah performs significantly better than Michigan across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MI
76.0 yrs
UT
78.6 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MI
22%
UT
21%

Michigan generally does better on family life, though Utah leads in life expectancy.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Lansing Rain: 32.2 in/yr (817 mm)
58° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

Salt Lake City Rain: 16.1 in/yr (409 mm)
64° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lansing Salt Lake City
Jan–Mar 36°/21°F (2°/-6°C) 45°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/57°F (26°/14°C) 87°/60°F (31°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 47°/32°F (9°/0°C) 51°/32°F (10°/0°C)
View all months
Month Lansing Salt Lake City
Jan 31°/17°F (-0.8°/-8.3°C) 37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C)
Feb 34°/19°F (0.9°/-7.4°C) 43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C)
Mar 44°/27°F (6.7°/-2.8°C) 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C)
Apr 58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C) 62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C)
May 69°/48°F (20.5°/8.9°C) 72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C)
Jun 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) 83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C)
Jul 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.2°C) 93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C)
Aug 81°/60°F (27.0°/15.5°C) 90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C)
Sep 74°/51°F (23.1°/10.8°C) 79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C)
Oct 60°/41°F (15.8°/5.1°C) 65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C)
Nov 47°/33°F (8.6°/0.5°C) 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C)
Dec 35°/22°F (1.6°/-5.3°C) 38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Utah than Michigan?

On average Utah is around 5% pricier than Michigan, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Utah?

Budget about $19,648 for 3 months in Utah (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Utah safe?

Michigan generally does better on safety, though Utah leads in violent crime rate.

How is healthcare in Utah compared to Michigan?

Utah generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Michigan leads in uninsured rate.

What's the weather like in Utah compared to Michigan?

The average high temperature in Salt Lake City is 64°F, compared to 58°F in Lansing. Salt Lake City receives around 16.1 in of rainfall per year, while Lansing gets 32.2 in.

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