Housing decision brief
Emery County, UT Housing Market
Emery County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
2nd lowest home value out of 29 Utah counties with data | 1st lowest rent out of 29
Median home value
$197,100
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$696/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$636/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.8x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
29.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$60/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$197,100 median home value is 44% below Utah county median
Lower rent
$696/mo is 32% below Utah county median
Rent burden below pressure line
29.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $60/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 93.0 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$69,956 median income is 7% below Utah county median
Tax rate needs attention
0.58% effective property-tax rate is 19% above Utah county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Emery County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $197,100 | $350,900 | $281,900 | 44% favorable44% below Utah county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $696 | $1,018 | $1,163 | 32% favorable32% below Utah county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $636 | $1,081 | $1,672 | 41% favorable41% below Utah county median |
Median household income | $69,956 | $75,000 | $74,755 | 7% pressure7% below Utah county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.58% | 0.49% | 1.02% | 19% pressure19% above Utah county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 29.00% | 25.00% | N/A | 16% pressure29.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$42,116
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$42,699
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Emery County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $696/month representing approximately 11.9% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 29.0%.
Rent vs own
At $696/month rent versus $636/month in owner costs, owning is roughly $60/month cheaper , a 9% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $27,840/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $27,257/year. With a median household income of $69,956, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 29.0% of renter households in Emery County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Utah, Emery County is less affordable than Daggett County by roughly 10% ($696/mo vs $775/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan County, UT | $189,900 | $805/mo | Same-state comparison near $189,900 home value and $805/mo rent. |
| Rock County, MN | $201,600 | $745/mo | Out-of-state peer near $201,600 home value and $745/mo rent. |
| Brule County, SD | $205,500 | $700/mo | Out-of-state peer near $205,500 home value and $700/mo rent. |
| Spencer County, IN | $180,200 | $697/mo | Out-of-state peer near $180,200 home value and $697/mo rent. |
| Iowa County, IA | $189,800 | $722/mo | Out-of-state peer near $189,800 home value and $722/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Emery County
Is Emery County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Emery County?
How much income do you need for housing in Emery County?
What should I double-check before moving to Emery County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.