Rank: 3
Salt Lake City
Building permits (year-over-year change): +36.6%
Median home price: $216,500
Home price change: -7.6%
Unemployment rate: 6%
Salt Lake City, Utah's capital and the seat of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is facing rising unemployment, but the economy remains relatively strong. Builders have taken advantage of generous Housing & Urban Development financing to start work on new apartment complexes with the hope the economy will strengthen by the time they're complete.