St. George Housing Costs Stand Out in New Study

For St. George homebuyers, a new national housing study reinforces something many Southern Utah residents already know: getting more house for the money can be difficult in one of Utah’s fastest-growing markets.

The Study

NetCredit analyzed more than 250,000 Zillow listings across 430 U.S. cities, comparing average listing prices per square foot. The study included houses, townhomes, condos, co-ops and apartments, while excluding listings below $50,000 and above $5 million. The data was current as of February 2026.

City-Level Analysis

St. George was included in the city-level analysis, although it did not rank among the nation’s 20 cheapest large cities for housing by square foot. That places the Southern Utah market far from bargain-priced cities such as Jackson, Mississippi, where NetCredit found an average of just $88.58 per square foot. The national average in the study was $290.45 per square foot. Utah’s most affordable city in the state-by-state comparison was West Valley City, at an average of $247.04 per square foot. That means even Utah’s least expensive qualifying city remained well above some of the cheapest housing markets in the country.

Size Flatters

The study also found something notable about Utah homes: they are big. Utah ranked second in the nation for average listed home size at 2,440 square feet. Only Wyoming ranked higher, with an average of 2,627 square feet. Idaho was third at 2,359 square feet. That creates an interesting contrast for Utah buyers. Homes may offer more space than in most states, but the price per square foot can still make affordability challenging, especially in desirable and rapidly growing communities such as St. George.

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NetCredit cautioned that price per square foot is only one measure of value. Home condition, location, maintenance costs, energy efficiency and layout can all affect whether a property is truly affordable.