I have been to Sacramento several times and Salt Lake City many times and Salt Lake City is my favorite.
I don't like cold weather at all but Salt Lake City has much friendlier people in my opinion, much more interesting, great infrastructure and great neighborhoods with many historic buildings and lots of main streets throughout the city with lots of interesting businesses.
Sacramento was much cleaner then I thought it would be and it certainly tends to be rather lush with lots of trees but the population just wasn't friendly.]
Sacramento seems like it would be a very difficult place to meet people compared to Salt Lake.
Salt Lake City just seems like a more much happy and unique city than Sacramento.
Downtown: Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City downtown is just much more interesting and active in my opinion mainly because of the vibrant neighborhoods, tourists and university in close proximity.
Downtown Sacramento has a surprisingly clean downtown but it wasn't very vibrant. It also has some pretty pressing social issues going on and didn't seem safe.
Walkability: Salt Lake City
Scenery: Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City has the most dramatic mountain backdrop of any big metro area in America in my opinion. The city also has lots of very history areas that are interesting to walk through like the Avenues,.
Sacramento is rather lush with the trees but it is rather flat and I didn't notice mountain views.
Economy: Salt Lake City
Salt Lake employment growth:
https://www.bls.gov/regions/mountain...kecity_msa.htm
Sacramento employment growth
https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/ca_sacramento_msa.htm
Transportation: Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City has excellent infrastructure, comprehensive bus, light rail and commuter rail system.
Sacramento has an expensive, limited bus system with a very limited light rail system
Housing: Sacramento
Sacramento seems to have a decent supply of housing and the prices are much lower than other major metropolitan areas out West. The city has lots of reasonable somewhat older neighborhoods with small homes that are affordable.
Salt Lake City has a huge housing shortage, has for a long time. Vacancy rates are very low for apartments. While they do have some relatively affordable suburbs like West Valley City and Taylorsville, the older historic areas like the Avenues are very pricey.
Suburbs: Tie
Sacramento's eastern suburbs are in the foothills. Salt Lake City suburbs tend to more of a mix.
Weather: Sacramento by far
Sacramento has wet, very cool winters. High temperatures in the 50s, sometimes cooler with lows in the 30s.
Sacramento has very hot summer days with highs in the 90s and sometimes heat-waves that send it over 100 but they have delta freezes and low humidity that cool it off drastically.
Salt Lake City has very cold and cloudy winters without relief. Tends to be in the 30s during the day and 20s at night.
Salt Lake City also has very hot summers in the low and mid 90s during the day and it doesn't tend to cool off as much as night as Sacramento either.
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