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Investment Properties for Sale in Garden City, Utah
Garden City sits on the western shore of Bear Lake at roughly 5,900 feet, and almost the entire local economy revolves around the 109 square miles of turquoise water out the front door. That makes it one of the most active short-term rental markets in Utah, with summer weekends booking out months in advance for raspberry season, boating, and the Bear Lake Monster Triathlon. Investment buyers here are typically choosing between three plays: a turn-key condo at Ideal Beach or Harbor Village with an existing rental program, a cabin in Sweetwater, Buttercup, or Swan Creek that runs as a vacation rental June through September, or a long-hold lakefront lot where appreciation does most of the work. Rich County's full-time population is under 2,500, so this is a seasonal economy — your tenant pool is tourists from the Wasatch Front, Cache Valley, and southern Idaho, not local renters.
Numbers that matter to investors: Garden City permits nightly rentals through a city license plus transient room tax, individual HOAs set their own caps, and winter access via Logan Canyon can affect December-March bookings. Cap rates on well-managed STRs typically land in the 4-7% range before appreciation, with the strongest performers being 3-5 bedroom cabins that sleep 10+ within walking distance of the beach or marina. Property management runs 25-35% of gross for full-service operators. The listings below include condos, cabins, lakefront homes, and raw land currently active on the Wasatch Front Regional MLS — sort by price or acreage to narrow in on the investment profile that fits your strategy.
May 2026 · Garden City market
Live from the Utah MLS — what's actually happening in Garden City right now.
Median sale
$655,000
5 closed in May 2026
Median DOM
17 days
listing → contract
Sale-to-list
97.5%
of final list price
Unsold inventory
172
active + pending
122 matching · page 4 of 6
Active listings
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Common questions
About investment properties in Garden City.
What kind of returns do Bear Lake short-term rentals actually produce? ▾
Peak season runs roughly mid-June through Labor Day, with another bump around snowmobile season in January and February. Well-located cabins and condos near the marina or Hodges Canyon can book 70-90 summer nights at $300-$600/night, but owners should budget for a deep shoulder season. Most operators pencil out annual gross revenue between $35,000 and $85,000 depending on size, lake views, and hot tub.
Does Garden City allow short-term rentals? ▾
Yes. Garden City has been one of the more STR-friendly municipalities in Utah, requiring a business license, nightly rental permit, and transient room tax collection. Rich County and the city both have rules around occupancy, parking, and trash, so confirm the current ordinance and HOA bylaws before closing — some subdivisions like Bear Lake Reserve and Sweetwater have their own rental programs and restrictions.
Are condos or single-family cabins better for cash flow? ▾
Condos at Ideal Beach, Sweetwater, and Harbor Village come with rental management already in place and lower maintenance overhead, which suits absentee owners. Detached cabins in Buttercup, Sunrise, or Swan Creek typically command higher nightly rates and appreciate faster, but you take on more upkeep — roof snow loads at elevation are real.
What's the typical price range for an investment property here? ▾
Studio and one-bedroom condos generally start in the high $200Ks to low $400Ks. Three to five bedroom cabins with lake views run $700K to $1.6M, and lakefront homes on the west shore or in Pickleville push well past $2M. Lake access (deeded versus public beach) is the single biggest price driver.
How far is Garden City from the Salt Lake and Logan markets? ▾
Garden City sits about 2 hours from Salt Lake City and 45 minutes from Logan over Logan Canyon on US-89. That drive time is part of the investment thesis — close enough for weekend renters from the Wasatch Front and Cache Valley, far enough to feel like a getaway. Winter canyon closures do occasionally affect bookings, so factor that in.
What should I check before making an offer on a rental property? ▾
Pull the last two years of rental history from the seller's PM company, verify the STR permit transfers (it doesn't always), and check HOA rental caps if applicable. Also confirm well and septic status on older cabins outside city sewer, and ask about lake access deeds — some lots that look lakefront on a map are separated by the state-owned meander line.