The New House Norm in Utah

[Logan McKay Zylstra]

Utah has the highest average home size in the US. In addition, listings in Utah have a median of 4 bedrooms. Being from Southern California myself, this was a very apparent difference from the rest of the country when I moved here in 2017.

With Utah home prices skyrocketing in recent years and not nearly enough supply, there has been a public outcry for more affordable housing and more housing in general. Utahns are obviously not happy that condo/townhome prices are now selling for what single family houses sold for just 2.5 years ago, but that is the reality of the market. The state has under-built for years and coupled with the increase in demand, it was inevitable. To add the cherry on top, building materials and labor costs are up. The large homes Utahns have been used to are no longer feasible.

What I am seeing, and what I believe will only continue to happen is that builders will build smaller single family homes, and build more townhomes and condo communities. While, Utahns are now used to oversized homes, these large homes will no longer be the norm.