Utah · 225th largest metro area

Buying a home in St. George, Utah

In St. George, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $496,100, Washington County's effective property tax rate is 0.42%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $7,486 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,545 a month.

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

St. George home costs, fact by fact

About St. George

St. George is an incorporated city in Washington County, Utah, with a population of 106,288. It lies in the St. George, UT metro area, which ranks 225th among U.S. metro areas. The median value of owner-occupied homes, as estimated by owners rather than a sale price, is $496,100, and 66.7% of homes are owner-occupied.

Reading the St. George figures

St. George owners estimate $496,100, below the Utah figure of $543,400 and Salt Lake City's $539,500. West Jordan reports $492,500, a little less, and Provo reports $467,200. Ogden reports $355,600. Owners supplied these values, so they describe opinion more than closings.

Households own in 66.7% of cases. That share is above Ogden's 61.3%, well above Salt Lake City's 45.8%, yet short of the 77.2% in West Jordan. Rent is $1,545 a month by the census measure, higher than the $1,414 in Salt Lake City, and lower than the $1,757 in West Jordan. Provo reports $1,193. HUD lists $1,657 for the smaller bedroom count in the St. George area and $2,172 for the larger, above the census rent. These are benchmarks, not market medians.

Washington County applies an effective rate of 0.42%, giving a median bill of $2,158 a year on county homes valued at $510,700. That value sits above the city's own, so a typical house may be taxed on less than the median implies.

Lenders in the county recorded 2,637 loans in 2025, and the median loan cost came to $7,486. The middle of the field paid between $4,370 and $12,704, which is a wide spread, so it pays to compare offers. The metro area ranks 225th nationally with 207,943 people, and the city counts 106,288.

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 St. George

How much is property tax in St. George?

Homeowners in Washington County pay a median $2,158 a year in property tax, 0.42% of the county median home value of $510,700 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in St. George?

Home-purchase mortgages in Washington County carried median total loan costs of $7,486 in 2025; half of the 2,637 loans fell between $4,370 and $12,704 (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 St. George?

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 St. George?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in St. George ($496,100) equals 26.8 years of the median gross rent ($1,545 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

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

Utah rules that apply in St. George

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Sources

Utah · All states · Federal guides