Market analytics
Cottonwood Heights, Utah real estate market report.
Monthly sold prices, days on market, sale-to-list ratio, and absorption rate. Updated nightly from UtahRealEstate.com and the Washington County Board of Realtors.
Updated · Sources: UtahRealEstate.com & Washington County Board of Realtors
May 2026 · Market Analysis
Cottonwood Heights homes are closing faster, but rising rates are quietly raising the cost of entry.
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In May 2026, Cottonwood Heights recorded a median of 16 days on market — a 24% drop from April's already-brisk 21 days, and a dramatic contrast to the 55-day median that defined January's sluggish winter pace. That acceleration tells a clear story: buyers along the Wasatch bench, from Alta Hills to the Old Mill corridor, are making decisions faster as spring inventory opens up. The 26 closings in May were modestly below May 2025's 38, and the median sale price of $728,500 came in well under last May's $905,000 — though the year-over-year comparison is shaped partly by a different mix of homes closing this month versus last year's luxury-heavy spring.
Market pulse
Median days on market in Cottonwood Heights traced a sharp arc over the past six months: 46 days in December, 55 in January, 48 in February, 39 in March, 21 in April, and now 16 in May — the fastest closing pace since May 2025's median of just 6 days. Active inventory reached 76 homes in May, up from 68 in April and 58 in March, giving buyers more choices than at any point since last summer. The sale-to-list ratio held at 98.77% in May, matching February's reading and down slightly from April's 99.20%, suggesting sellers are still getting close to their asking prices but the edge has softened a touch. Closings volume of 26 homes was up from April's 21 but still running about 32% below May 2025's 38 — a gap that reflects both the rate environment and a shift in the mix of homes transacting.
Mortgage context
The 30-year fixed rate has climbed to 6.75% — up 0.25 percentage points from 6.50% thirty days ago — and has now risen 0.56 percentage points from February's monthly average of 6.19%, which was the low point of the past six months. For buyers targeting Cottonwood Heights, where the median home price sits near $729,000, that multi-month rate climb translates directly into a meaningfully higher monthly payment than what was available earlier this year. Jumbo financing, which applies to many of the neighborhood's higher-end properties, is currently priced at 7.25% — a notable premium over the conforming rate that affects a significant share of closings in this market.
Payment math
On a median-priced home here — about $729,000 with 20% down — the monthly principal-and-interest payment lands at $3,780 at 6.75% — $96 more than 30 days ago at 6.50%, and $214 above the February low when rates averaged 6.19% and the payment would have been $3,566.
If you're buying
Target homes that have been sitting past 40 days on market — the upper quartile of days on market in May was 43 days, and homes in that range are more likely to accept offers below list price, as 14 of May's 26 closings settled below asking. In the $700K-and-above range, where 16 of 26 May closings occurred, the median days on market was just 9 days, so move quickly on well-priced properties in neighborhoods like Alta Hills and the Overlook at Old Mill area — but don't skip the rate math, since jumbo financing at 7.25% adds real cost above the conforming threshold. If you're flexible on price band, the under-$400K segment (5 closings in May at a median of $300,000) is slower-moving at 27 median days on market, giving you more negotiating room.
If you're selling
With 76 active listings competing for 26 buyers in May, pricing discipline matters more than it did a year ago when the sale-to-list ratio was 100.02% and homes averaged just 6 days on market. Price at or just below recent comparable sales in your neighborhood — homes that priced to last spring's peak ratios are sitting, and 7 of May's 26 closings required a price reduction before going under contract. If your home is in the $700K-plus range, particularly in established pockets like Riviera Heights or the Giverny area, well-prepared homes are still moving in under two weeks, so condition and presentation are your best levers in this environment.
Outlook
Over the next 60 to 90 days, Cottonwood Heights is likely to see continued inventory growth as new listings have held at 38-39 per month in both April and May — if that pace continues through summer, active supply could push toward 90 or more homes, giving buyers incrementally more leverage. The rate trajectory is the bigger wildcard: the 30-year has climbed from 6.19% in February to 6.75% today, and if it continues toward 7%, the pool of qualified buyers for this market's median price point will narrow further, particularly for those relying on jumbo financing. Seasonal patterns suggest closings volume typically holds through June and July before softening in August, so the next 60 days may represent the most active window of the year — but at a higher cost of capital than buyers faced in early spring.
Watch for
If the 30-year fixed rate crosses 7% — and jumbo rates move toward 7.50% — expect active inventory in Cottonwood Heights to push past 90 homes and median days on market to drift back above 30, as the buyer pool for $800K-plus properties along the bench thins noticeably.
"Speed is up, rates are up — Cottonwood Heights buyers are moving quickly into a more expensive borrowing environment."
Common questions about Cottonwood Heights this month
Is Cottonwood Heights a buyer's or seller's market in May 2026? ▾
It's a mixed picture. Homes are closing quickly — the median was 16 days on market in May — and the sale-to-list ratio held at 98.77%, which still favors sellers on well-priced homes. But 14 of 26 closings settled below asking price, active inventory has grown to 76 homes, and closings volume is down about 32% from May 2025. Buyers have more negotiating room than a year ago, especially on homes that have been sitting past 40 days.
Why is the May 2026 median sale price lower than last year's? ▾
May 2025 had 38 closings with a heavy concentration of luxury sales — 24 of those closed above $700K at a median of $1,092,000 in that band. May 2026 had 16 closings above $700K at a median of $822,500, and more closings in the under-$400K range (5 vs. 2 a year ago). The mix of homes that actually closed shifted toward lower price points, pulling the overall median down from $905,000 to $728,500.
How are rising mortgage rates affecting buyers in Cottonwood Heights specifically? ▾
The 30-year fixed rate is at 6.75% today, up from a February average of 6.19% — that 0.56-percentage-point climb adds $214 per month to the principal-and-interest payment on a median-priced home here. Many Cottonwood Heights properties also exceed the conforming loan limit, meaning buyers need jumbo financing at 7.25%, which adds even more cost. That's a meaningful filter on the buyer pool for homes priced above $800K.
Which neighborhoods or areas in Cottonwood Heights are selling fastest right now? ▾
In May 2026, the over-$700K segment — which includes areas like Alta Hills, the Giverny corridor, and properties near the Old Mill area — had a median of just 9 days on market, meaning well-priced homes there are moving in under two weeks. The $400K–$700K band (5 closings, median 16 days) and the under-$400K range (5 closings, median 27 days) are moving more slowly, giving buyers in those price ranges more time to evaluate.
Should I wait for rates to drop before buying in Cottonwood Heights? ▾
Rates have moved from 6.19% in February to 6.75% today, and the near-term trajectory has been upward — the 30-day change alone was 0.25 percentage points. Waiting for a rate drop is a timing bet with no guaranteed payoff, and inventory is currently growing, which means more competition for sellers but more options for buyers. If you find a home that fits your budget at today's rates, the 76 active listings and softening sale-to-list ratio give you more room to negotiate than existed a year ago when homes averaged 6 days on market and sold at 100% of list.
Number of Listings
Active inventory · new listings · sold per month
Listing Prices
Active median list · new median list · sold median sale
Absorption Rate
Months of supply — active inventory ÷ monthly sold rate
Sale-to-List Ratio
Close price ÷ original list — buyer/seller leverage
Days on Market
Median days from listing to close
Price Volume
Total dollar volume — active · new · sold per month
May 2026 cohort breakdown
Distribution of what closed last month — by price band, sale-vs-list outcome, and top subdivisions.
How sales priced vs asking
26 sold homes that had a list price recorded
Days on market spread
Quartile distribution
Median 16 · 25th percentile 3 · 75th percentile 43
Needed a price change
Sold listings that had a recorded price change before close
7 of 26 sold homes had at least one price change while listed. Lower = sellers are pricing right the first time.
Sales by price band
Closed-price bucket → sold count and median days to contract
Top subdivisions this month
Ranked by closed count
- 1. Alta Hills 2 sold · $778K · 18d
- 2. Towncrest Terrace 2 sold · $664K · 10d
- 3. Giverny Amended 1 sold · $2,225K · 2d
- 4. Overlook At Old Mill 1 sold · $1,445K · 50d
- 5. Arrow Subdivision 1 sold · $1,391K · 201d
May 2026 by property type
How each housing type performed last month — 25 closings total across subtypes.
Summary Statistics
| Metric | May-26 | May-25 | % Chg | 2026 YTD | 2025 YTD | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold Count | 26 | 38 | -31.58% | 95 | 108 | -12.04% |
| Median Sale Price | $728,500 | $905,000 | -19.50% | $809,166 | $785,928 | +2.96% |
| Median DOM | 16 | 6 | +166.67% | 32 | 14 | +128.57% |
| Sale-to-List Ratio | 98.77% | 100.02% | -1.25% | 98.66% | 99.24% | -0.58% |
Past months
Browse historical Cottonwood Heights reports — each month's snapshot stays at its own permanent URL.
Sources: UtahRealEstate.com and the Washington County Board of Realtors, aggregated by Best Utah Real Estate. Sale-to-list ratio compares closing price to the final list price (post-reduction). Absorption rate = active inventory ÷ monthly sold rate.