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Investment Properties for Sale in Castle Dale, Utah
Castle Dale sits in the middle of Emery County on Highway 10, about two and a half hours south of Salt Lake City and roughly an hour from Price. It's a small county seat of around 1,500 residents, with the economy tied to the Huntington and Hunter power plants, coal operations, ranching, and county government jobs. For investors, that translates to a tenant pool of plant workers, teachers in the Emery County School District, and county employees — steady wage earners who need year-round housing in a town where new construction is rare and rental inventory is thin. Median sale prices here typically run well below the Wasatch Front, often in the $200K–$350K range for a standard single-family home, which keeps entry costs and cash-flow math friendlier than anything you'd pencil out in Utah County.
The rental side is driven by scarcity more than glamour: most properties are 1970s–1990s ranch homes on larger lots, with the occasional older brick bungalow closer to Main Street. Short-term rental demand exists but is modest, leaning on visitors to the San Rafael Swell, Wedge Overlook, Joe's Valley bouldering, and Millsite State Park rather than tourist crowds. Long-term rentals tend to be the safer play given the local employment base. Property taxes in Emery County are low, insurance is reasonable, and HOA fees are essentially nonexistent outside a handful of subdivisions. Browse the active listings below to see what's currently on the market and where the numbers might pencil out for your strategy.
May 2026 · Castle Dale market
Live from the Utah MLS — what's actually happening in Castle Dale right now.
Median sale
$253,000
1 closed in May 2026
Median DOM
14 days
listing → contract
Sale-to-list
92.0%
of final list price
Unsold inventory
12
active + pending
5 matching · page 1 of 1
Active listings
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Common questions
About investment properties in Castle Dale.
What kind of rental yields are realistic in Castle Dale? ▾
Gross yields on long-term rentals in Castle Dale often land in the 8–11% range, which is stronger than most Wasatch Front markets because purchase prices stay low while rents are anchored to power plant and county wages. Cash-on-cash returns depend heavily on your financing, but the lower entry point makes 20–25% down conventional loans workable for many investors. Always verify actual rents with local property managers since the sample size in town is small.
Who are the typical tenants in Castle Dale? ▾
The core tenant base is workers at the Huntington and Hunter power plants, Emery County government and school district employees, and families connected to coal and ranching operations. Turnover tends to be lower than in college towns or resort areas because people move here for specific jobs and stay. Expect long-term renters rather than transient ones.
Is short-term rental (Airbnb) demand strong here? ▾
STR demand is modest and seasonal, mostly tied to recreation in the San Rafael Swell, Joe's Valley climbing, Wedge Overlook, and Millsite Reservoir. Occupancy peaks spring through fall and drops sharply in winter. Most investors find long-term rentals more predictable, but a well-positioned STR near recreation access can supplement income if you accept the seasonality.
What are property taxes and insurance like in Emery County? ▾
Emery County has some of the lower effective property tax rates in Utah, generally well under 1% of market value for primary residences and modestly higher for non-owner-occupied. Insurance costs are reasonable since the area isn't in a high wildfire or flood zone for most parcels. Always pull a specific tax history from the county assessor before underwriting a deal.
Are there concerns about the local economy with coal in decline? ▾
Yes, this is the single biggest risk factor for Castle Dale investors. The Huntington plant has a scheduled retirement date and coal jobs have contracted over the past decade. That said, the plants still employ hundreds, the county is actively pursuing economic diversification, and housing scarcity has kept rents stable. Underwrite conservatively and don't assume rent growth.
How much active investment inventory is usually on the MLS? ▾
Castle Dale is a thin market — it's common to see only a handful of single-family listings at any given time, and dedicated multi-family or duplex inventory is rare. Most investor deals are single-family homes used as rentals. Patience matters here, and off-market relationships with local agents often surface better deals than the MLS alone.