Cedar City, UT — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Utah·Cedar City

Iron County · Cedar City · population 40,885

Growing fast
Cedar City, UT
Image: Wikipedia · Cedar City, Utah
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
73
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Cedar City stands

At or near all-time high. population growing 3.8% per year.

Median home $406,457
1-year +3.5%
5-yr CAGR +5.6%
vs 5-yr peak -1.5%
Population +3.8%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-07$406k$169k$256k$343k$429k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
87/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,494/mo$1,310$1,453$1,59620242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent10410710020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 22.7
Lean rent

At a 22.7 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Cedar City. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
68 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
68 · w22%
Distance from peak
81 · w18%
Population growth
90 · w16%
Rent YoY
51 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
83 · w10%
Long thesis

Cedar City has been growing population at 3.8% per year while home values compounded +5.6% annually. Demand-driven appreciation — the kind that persists as long as people keep showing up, which they currently are.

Short thesis

Cedar City's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Cedar City

Cedar City is a city in Iron County, Utah, with an estimated population of 40,885. The population has grown 3.8% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Cedar City is $406,457 as of 2026-04, up 3.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.6% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Cedar City average $1,494 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.0%). The composite momentum score is 73 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●People are voting with their feet: population growing 3.8% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
●Healthy 5-year run: +5.6% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +3.5% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently -1.5% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Cedar City (Wikipedia)

Cedar City is the largest city in Iron County, Utah, United States. Located 250 miles (400 km) south of Salt Lake City, it is 170 miles (270 km) north of Las Vegas on Interstate 15. Southern Utah University is located in Cedar City. It is the home of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Utah Summer Games, the Simon Fest Theatre Co., and other events. As of the 2020 census the city had a population of 35,235, up from 28,857 in the 2010 census.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Iron County right now.

NWS active alerts (UT)Utah Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Iron County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Cedar City

West Point, UT78 · HotSyracuse, UT74 · RisingSalem, UT76 · RisingPayson, UT74 · Rising

Run the numbers for Cedar City

ToolCan I afford Cedar City?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Cedar City rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Cedar City to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolCedar City cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
36° / 20°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
92° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
226
~62% of year
Annual precip
12″ rain
53″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
High
Earthquake
Moderate
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Cedar City listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Cedar City area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
51%
Dry climate
Median household income
$89,100
Utah state median
Top industries (state-level)
Tech (SL Valley)HealthcareTourism

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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