It’s no secret that young families love Salt Lake City. After all, there aren’t too many urban areas in the United States that offer as wide a range of family-friendly activities as Utah’s capital.
When you and your family live in Salt Lake, you’ll have easy access to the area’s incredible outdoor activities and the cultural and historic sites of downtown. Throw in a friendly, eclectic mix of residents that have a strong sense of community, along with a thriving job market, and it’s no surprise that more families than ever are planning a move to the Salt Lake City area.
Knowing the best neighborhoods for families in Salt Lake City is key to making the best possible start to your new life in the city. In this post, we’ll run through some of the leading, family-friendly Salt Lake City neighborhoods, as well as some in Utah County and other surrounding areas that are only a short drive from downtown.
Capitol Hill: A Safe, Central SLC Neighborhood
Capitol Hill, with its tree-lined streets and stunning views of Salt Lake Valley, has long been a favored neighborhood among families. One of the older residential areas in the city, its central location offers high levels of convenience, ensuring easy access to downtown (great for commuting) and the city’s cultural events.
While there is less green space in Capitol Hill than in other family-friendly neighborhoods, it more than makes up for its lack of playgrounds by offering easy access to Memory Grove Park and City Creek Canyon. The summer months also tend to be cooler thanks to the slightly increased elevation, and the air is also usually cleaner. It’s also home to many schools, museums, libraries, and coffee shops.
It’s a good option for families looking for convenience mixed with the advantages of urban living. While you’ll find plenty of other families that call Capitol Hill home, you’ll also be sharing the neighborhood with a diverse population that includes young professionals and college students, which helps to give the area a buzzing atmosphere. It can also be pretty nice to live near the iconic Capitol Building, which occupies a central position right in the middle of the neighborhood.
Central City: Outstanding Location With Great Schools
Central City is located even closer to downtown SLC than Capitol Hill, and though it’s not as peaceful as other neighborhoods in the city, it does offer a number of benefits that have made it increasingly popular with families in recent years.
One of the key reasons for the surge in popularity over the past decade is the all-out convenience the neighborhood offers, especially for parents who work downtown. The close proximity to workspaces, grocery stores, restaurants, schools, parks, live music venues, and key Salt Lake City attractions means that families spend less time in the car, more time enjoying all that the city has to offer. It’s also considered one of the more affordable areas to look for Salt Lake City rentals, too.
Liberty Wells: Affordable Homes in Highly Walkable Neighborhood
Liberty Wells offers a nice balance of the key characteristics that families look for when choosing a Salt Lake neighborhood. It’s highly walkable, which is excellent for young families looking to get to know their new home city on foot. You’ll also find Liberty Park, one of the most popular parks in the city, in this neighborhood. Offering some 80 acres of outdoor space, families that live in Liberty Wells have the luxury of spending weekend mornings enjoying all that the second-largest park in SLC has to offer, including ponds, walking trails, and the famous Tracy Aviary.
Cottonwood Heights: Scenic Mountain Living Near Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is family-friendly in general, and as such, you’ll find plenty of family-friendly neighborhoods that all pack a powerful punch.
However, if we had to pick one neighborhood to sit atop the best neighborhoods for families in Salt Lake City list, then we’d pick Cottonwood Heights. Search rental listings for Cottonwood Heights, and you’ll typically find a selection of large, family-friendly homes that offer amazing views of the Wasatch Mountains, along with easy access to all the recreational opportunities provided by the Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons.
The schools here, too, are outstanding, and it’s also noted for its safety and low crime rate. The downside to living in Cottonwood Heights is that it’s further away from downtown than other neighborhoods, which means commute time can take longer. With that said, the slightly-further-away location also serves as an advantage, providing all the benefits of a suburban lifestyle while still being close to the action.
More Best Neighborhoods in SLC For Families
Sugar House
Sugar House is primarily known for being popular with young professionals and university students, but an increasing number of families with kids have been moving there recently. It offers well-priced, medium-sized homes, plenty of green spaces, and a number of highly rated public schools. There’s a long list of delicious, family-friendly eateries in the Sugar House neighborhood, including The Original Pancake House. The neighborhood also makes getting outside and active as easy as possible; during the spring and summer, you and your family can play tennis or swim, and enjoy snowy walks and snowsled excursions at Sugar House Park during the winter months.
Wasatch Hollow
Located on the east side of Salt Lake City, Wasatch Hollow has carved a reputation for being one of the most desirable family neighborhoods in the city. It offers the best of both worlds — while it retains a quiet suburban feel, it’s also close to downtown, allowing parents to work in the city during the day while also enjoying peaceful evenings in a quiet community. It’s a slightly more expensive place to live compared with other parts of the city, but it can be worth the cost. Wasatch Hollow Park, a gorgeous nature preserve that offers many miles of scenic trails, is just minutes from Wasatch Hollow.
Foothill
Also known as the East Bench due to its raised elevation, Foothill is a residential neighborhood that’s located at the base of Wasatch Mountain and which offers easy access to downtown SLC. It offers a nice blend of outdoor living — it’s close to a lot of the city’s most prominent outdoor areas — and downtown convenience. Here, you’ll find tree-lined streets adorned with spacious homes, along with plenty of well-rated schools. It’s also located near the university, which offers plenty of events.
Yalecrest
Yalecrest is a quiet, residential neighborhood that offers a range of benefits for families, including proximity to outdoor spaces — Sunnyside Park is located here — and high walkability. When you live in Yalecrest, shops, cafes, and schools are all easily reachable. There’s also a strong sense of community here, with many local events taking place throughout the year, especially around the holidays. Despite being a quiet neighborhood, it has good links to downtown SLC, which can be reached in around 5 – 10 minutes by car or within 15 minutes via bicycle. Though homes in Yalecrest are slightly more expensive than in other neighborhoods, families who are comfortable paying a little extra will find that the tree-lined streets and architecturally diverse homes are a delight.
Millcreek
Millcreek isn’t a Salt Lake City neighborhood (it’s a city in its own right), but its close proximity to the city — it’s only a ten-minute drive away — has made it a popular option for families moving to Salt Lake City. Properties in Millcreek tend to be larger than in Salt Lake City, and it also has the advantage of offering tremendous outdoor recreational opportunities. Both Millcreek Canyon and the Wasatch Mountains, along with all the hiking, biking, and skiing trails they provide, are just minutes away. There’s also less traffic, and the schools in the Granite District, where Millcreek is located, tend to be very highly rated.
TL;DR
Salt Lake City is well-known as a family-friendly city, offering urban convenience mixed with a treasure trove of outdoor activities that make taking care of business and having family fun more straightforward than you’d expect from a major city. While the city as a whole is generally family-friendly, some neighborhoods are particularly well-suited for parents moving to the city with children, including Sugar House, Cottonwood Heights, Capitol Hill, and Wasatch Hollow.
FAQ
What are the best neighborhoods for families in Salt Lake City?
The best neighborhoods for families in Salt Lake City include Cottonwood Heights, Sugar House, Liberty Wells, Wasatch Hollow, and Capitol Hill.
Which Salt Lake City neighborhoods have the best schools?
The Salt Lake City neighborhoods that have the best schools include Sugar House, Foothill, Liberty Wells, Central City, and Cottonwood Heights.
What makes a Salt Lake City neighborhood family-friendly?
Salt Lake City neighborhoods known for being family-friendly typically have low crime rates, above-average public schools, and easy access to both downtown SLC and nearby nature areas.
Is Salt Lake City a good place to raise a family?
Yes, Salt Lake City is considered a very good place to raise a family thanks to its abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities, walkable downtown area, comparatively affordable cost of living, and strong job market.
Which family-friendly Salt Lake City neighborhoods offer affordable housing?
The Liberty Wells and Central City neighborhoods offer affordable housing in a family-friendly community.
