Salt Lake County · Salt Lake City · population 32,437
Where Cottonwood Heights stands
At or near all-time high. population shrinking 0.9% per year.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
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 · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 35.4 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Cottonwood Heights for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Cottonwood Heights has held up across the cycle: home values at $786,991 with +5.0% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.
Cottonwood Heights's population is shrinking 0.9% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.
About Cottonwood Heights
Cottonwood Heights is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, with an estimated population of 32,437. It anchors the Salt Lake City metro area. The population has contracted 0.9% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Cottonwood Heights is $786,991 as of 2026-04, up 2.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.0% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Cottonwood Heights average $1,852 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.5%). The composite momentum score is 63 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.
▲ Bull case
▼ Bear case
About Cottonwood Heights (Wikipedia)
Cottonwood Heights is a city located in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, along the east bench of the Salt Lake Valley. It lies south of the cities of Holladay and Murray, east of Midvale, and north of Sandy within the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. Originally a census-designated place (CDP), following a successful referendum in May 2004, the city was incorporated on January 14, 2005. The population, as of the 2020 census, was 33,617.
Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Playbook
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.
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.
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 Salt Lake County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Salt Lake County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Cities like Cottonwood Heights
Run the numbers for Cottonwood Heights
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the Salt Lake City area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current Cottonwood Heights listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local news & community
Latest news
- Cynthia Palmer Obituary (1950 – 2026) – Cottonwood Heights, UT – Deseret NewsLegacy · 1d ago
- Utah Asia Campus celebrates a street called Cottonwood HeightsThe University of Utah · 7mo ago
- Counicl Member Spotlight | Matt HoltonCottonwood Heights (.gov) · 1mo ago
- Cottonwood Heights Corruption Allegations: A Case That Never Reached a CourtroomUtah Stories · 3w ago
- UDOT pays $8M for former lawmaker's gondola property. Cottonwood mayor says it's worth $4.5M.Salt Lake City Weekly · 5d ago
- South Korea honors international partnership with Cottonwood HeightsKSL.com · 6mo ago
Local chatter (Reddit)
Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.
Local economy & environment
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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Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.