Housing decision brief
Summit County, UT Housing Market
Summit County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a manageable 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.
29th lowest home value out of 29 Utah counties with data | 29th lowest rent out of 29
Median home value
$1,000,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,969/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$2,074/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
7.3x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
25.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$105/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Rent burden below pressure line
25.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
What to Check
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
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- 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 Summit 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. | $1,000,400 | $350,900 | $281,900 | 185% pressure185% above Utah county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,969 | $1,018 | $1,163 | 93% pressure93% above Utah county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $2,074 | $1,081 | $1,672 | 92% pressure92% above Utah county median |
Median household income | $137,058 | $75,000 | $74,755 | 83% favorable83% above Utah county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.35% | 0.49% | 1.02% | 29% favorable29% below Utah county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 25.00% | 25.00% | N/A | Near state median25.00% 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
+$58,298
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$48,172
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Summit County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $1,969/month , about 17.2% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
At $1,969/month rent versus $2,074/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $105/month cheaper , a 5% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $78,760/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $88,886/year. With a median household income of $137,058, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 25.0% of renter households in Summit County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Summit County sits 3% more expensive than Wasatch County ($1,905/month) in terms of median gross rent.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wasatch County, UT | $724,400 | $1,905/mo | Same-state comparison near $724,400 home value and $1,905/mo rent. |
| Falls Church city, VA | $1,005,400 | $2,205/mo | Out-of-state peer near $1,005,400 home value and $2,205/mo rent. |
| Alameda County, CA | $1,057,400 | $2,318/mo | Out-of-state peer near $1,057,400 home value and $2,318/mo rent. |
| Arlington County, VA | $864,800 | $2,275/mo | Out-of-state peer near $864,800 home value and $2,275/mo rent. |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | $1,015,200 | $2,172/mo | Out-of-state peer near $1,015,200 home value and $2,172/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Summit County
Is Summit County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Summit County?
How much income do you need for housing in Summit County?
What should I double-check before moving to Summit County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.