Utah · 81st largest metro area

Buying a home in Provo, Utah

In Provo, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $467,200, Utah County's effective property tax rate is 0.44%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $8,784 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,193 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Provo home costs, fact by fact

About Provo

Provo, Utah, has an owner share of 39.4% of homes. Median gross rent is $1,193 per month, and HUD's Fair Market Rent is $1,363.

Reading the Provo figures

Provo has the lowest ownership share of the six Utah cities covered: only 39.4% of households own. Salt Lake City shows 45.8%, Ogden 61.3%. West Jordan tops the group with 77.2%. Rent is $1,193 a month by the census measure, under every other covered city's figure, from Ogden's $1,216 up to West Jordan's $1,757. In HUD's tables for the Provo-Orem-Lehi zone, the smaller bedroom count lists at $1,363 and the larger at $1,887, above the census rent. These are benchmarks, not market medians.

Owners estimate their homes at $467,200, below the Utah figure of $543,400 and Salt Lake City's $539,500, but above West Valley City, which reports $419,100. Ogden reports $355,600. St. George comes in at $496,100, West Jordan at $492,500 with 77.2% of households owning. Owners gave those values; they are not drawn from sales. The mix of low ownership and middling values makes Provo a city where renters are a large share of households.

Utah County applies an effective rate of 0.44%, which gives a median bill of $2,370 a year. County homes are valued at $538,700, higher than Provo's own estimate, so a house in the city may be taxed on less than that median implies.

Lenders in the county recorded 8,776 loans in 2025, and the median loan cost was $8,784. The middle of the field paid between $4,631 and $13,884, a broad range that rewards comparing offers. The metro area ranks 81st nationally with 760,531 people, and the city counts 115,479.

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.

Questions about buying a home in Provo

How much is property tax in Provo?

Homeowners in Utah County pay a median $2,370 a year in property tax, 0.44% of the county median home value of $538,700 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Provo?

Home-purchase mortgages in Utah County carried median total loan costs of $8,784 in 2025; half of the 8,776 loans fell between $4,631 and $13,884 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Provo?

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.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Provo?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Provo ($467,200) equals 32.6 years of the median gross rent ($1,193 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Utah rules that apply in Provo

Other large cities in Utah

Who licenses each trade in Utah · All covered cities

Sources

Utah · All states · Federal guides