Buying a single-family home in Salt Lake County just got more expensive. The median price hit a record $645,000 in the second quarter of 2026, the Salt Lake Board of Realtors reported Tuesday, July 21, a 4.88% jump from the same period last year.
For Cottonwood Heights and Holladay residents, the countywide number likely understates the local reality. Zillow's automated home-value estimates, pulled the same day, put Cottonwood Heights at roughly $789,000 and Holladay at roughly $849,000. Those figures reflect algorithm-generated valuations rather than recent sale prices and aren't directly comparable to the board's transaction-based median, but they suggest both cities exceed the county figure by wide margins.
The board attributed the record to persistent demand despite mortgage rates that remain above 6%. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate stood at 6.55% for the week ending Thursday, July 17, according to Freddie Mac, down from 6.75% a year ago but still high enough to squeeze monthly payments on a $645,000 purchase.
State assistance doesn't reach local prices
Utah's first-time homebuyer assistance program, created by the Legislature in 2023, offers up to $20,000 in zero-interest loans for down payments or rate buy-downs. But the program caps eligible home prices at $450,000 for new construction only, $195,000 below the county's single-family median and far below typical prices in Cottonwood Heights or Holladay.
Gov. Spencer Cox set a goal in 2024 to see 35,000 starter homes built statewide by 2028. As of Tuesday, July 21, about 7,412 had been completed, roughly 21% of the target with about 18 months remaining. Most of those homes are concentrated in Utah County, according to the state's housing dashboard.
Condos tell a different story
While single-family prices climbed, the median condominium price in Salt Lake County fell 2.81%, dropping from $430,000 to $417,900. Sales volume rose 4.11%, with 862 units sold versus 828 a year earlier. The board suggested buyers are turning to condos as a more affordable alternative, noting that at the countywide median a condo sold for roughly $227,000 less than a single-family home.
Homes are also sitting longer. Average days on market in Salt Lake County rose from 45 to 48 compared with a year earlier, even as new listings of all types increased 3.56%.
Salt Lake County leads the Wasatch Front
Among Wasatch Front counties tracked by the board, Salt Lake County showed the strongest price growth. Utah County's single-family median was $600,000, down 0.83%. Davis County came in at $568,450, down 1.57%. Weber County reached $499,000, up 3.11%.
The board's full second-quarter data is available through the Salt Lake Board of Realtors website.
