UT · #30 by population

Buying a home in Utah

In Utah, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $543,400 (Census ACS 2025); there is no state transfer tax, and owners pay a median $2,525 a year in property tax (0.52% effective rate).

In short

Utah has no real estate transfer tax, does not require an attorney at closing and imposes only limited seller disclosures. It allows both court and out-of-court foreclosure and is not a community property state.

Key figures for Utah

  • Median home value: $543,400, owner-occupied homes, Census ACS 2025; $608,000 in the city of Salt Lake City. Compare
  • Price trend: The FHFA House Price Index shows Utah prices up 1.1% and Salt Lake City–Murray prices up 0.2% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026.
  • State transfer tax: none. Compare
  • Median property tax paid: $2,525 a year, 0.52% of the median value (U.S.: 0.94%), Census ACS 2020-2024. By county
  • Cities covered by Payotte: 11 in Utah.

Calculate for Utah

If you buy

Utah state transfer tax

Utah has no real estate transfer tax. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$543,400
State transfer tax$0
Share of the price—

Default price: the Utah median value of owner-occupied homes, $543,400 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: No tax is calculated on the price. The recording fee is flat per instrument. Who pays: No transfer tax. The recording fee is owed by whoever submits the document; the state purchase contract does not assign recording fees, so closing instructions and the loan decide. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Utah transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Utah state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Cities in Utah

  • Salt Lake City main city of Utah on Payotte, 46th largest U.S. metro area
  • Provo 81st largest U.S. metro area
  • Ogden 88th largest U.S. metro area
  • West Valley City 138,144 residents, Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area (46th largest)
  • West Jordan 116,688 residents, Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area (46th largest)
  • St. George 106,288 residents, St. George, UT metro area (225th largest)
  • Orem 96,646 residents, Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT metro area (81st largest)
  • Lehi 93,446 residents, Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT metro area (81st largest)
  • Sandy 92,840 residents, Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area (46th largest)
  • South Jordan 86,156 residents, Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area (46th largest)
  • Layton 84,348 residents, Ogden, UT metro area (88th largest)

Sectors of Salt Lake City

How Salt Lake City is divided: 8 community master plan areas.

Buying in Utah: frequently asked questions

What is the median home value in Utah?

The median value of owner-occupied homes in Utah is $543,400 (Census ACS 2025), and $608,000 in the city of Salt Lake City. These are owner estimates, not sale prices. The FHFA House Price Index shows Utah prices up 1.1% and Salt Lake City–Murray prices up 0.2% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026.

Median home value in all 50 states

Is there a real estate transfer tax in Utah?

Utah has no state transfer tax in the official sources read. Recording a deed costs a flat $40 per document under Utah Code 17-71-407, and Utah is a non-disclosure state where deeds do not state the sale price.

Full Utah guide · Compare all 50 states

What closing costs does Utah law set?

Utah has no official typical closing-cost total. The state contract has the seller pay for the buyer's owner's title policy by default, each county recorder charges $40 per recorded document, and no transfer tax was found.

Full Utah guide · Compare all 50 states

How is property tax calculated in Utah?

Utah values property at fair market value as of January 1, and a primary residence gets a 45% exemption so owners pay tax on 55% of the value. In Salt Lake City tax area 01A the 2025 rate is 0.924% of taxable value, or $2,541 on a $500,000 home.

Full Utah guide · Compare all 50 states

How much property tax do homeowners pay in Utah?

Owner-occupants in Utah pay a median $2,525 a year in property tax on a median home value of $489,400, an effective rate of 0.52% (U.S.: $3,119, 0.94%), per Census ACS 2020-2024 estimates.

Property tax by county in Utah

What is the deadline to appeal a property tax assessment in Utah?

In Utah, apply to the county board of equalization on or before the later of September 15 or the last day of the 45-day period beginning on the date of your Notice of Valuation and Tax Changes (mailed by July 22), including your estimate of market value and evidence.

Full Utah guide · Compare all 50 states

Do you need a real estate attorney to close in Utah?

In the Utah statutes and state purchase contract read, no rule requires a buyer or seller to hire a real estate attorney to close. Closings are handled by a title insurance agency with an escrow license (Utah Code 31A-23a-406).

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What must a home seller disclose in Utah?

Utah has no general statute requiring a seller to complete a property condition form.

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How does foreclosure work in Utah?

Most Utah home loans are secured by a trust deed, and the trustee can sell the home at auction without going to court, but at least three months must pass after the notice of default is recorded. A trustee's sale carries no right of redemption.

Full Utah guide · Compare all 50 states

What first-time home buyer programs does Utah offer?

Utah's state housing finance agency is Utah Housing Corporation, which HUD's Utah page lists first among the places to ask about first-time and low-income homebuyer assistance (phone (801) 902-8200). The source article gives no program amounts or income limits, because the Utah Housing Corporation website could not be read.

Full Utah guide · Compare all 50 states

How much tax when you sell a home in Utah?

The federal rule is the same in Utah as in every state: if you owned and lived in the home as your main home for at least 2 of the last 5 years, the first $250,000 of gain is excluded, $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly (Section 121, IRS Publication 523). Bought $400,000, sold $750,000: a single owner has $100,000 of taxable gain, $15,000 of federal tax at the 15% long-term rate; a couple filing jointly owes nothing. Utah income tax on the gain is not computed here.

Capital gains on a home sale

Utah guides

Professionals in Utah

Sources

Data as of . Figures are computed from these sources.

All states · Federal guides