Market analytics · May 2026 archive
Kearns, 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
Kearns closings snapped back to 7-day median in May as buyers moved decisively on well-priced homes.
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The defining story in Kearns in May 2026 is speed — homes that closed did so fast, with a median of just 7 days on market, down sharply from 39 days in April and 27 days in March. That compression tells you something real: buyers who had been sitting on the fence through a slow spring made quick decisions when the right homes appeared, and 8 of the 12 closings went above list price. A year ago in May 2025, the median was 13 days on market and the sale-to-list ratio was 98.8% — today's 100.02% ratio shows sellers of well-priced homes are back in the driver's seat.
Market pulse
Median days on market in Kearns has been one of the most volatile readings in the monthly stats over the past six months: 9 days in December 2025, 21 days in January 2026, 10 days in February, 27 days in March, 39 days in April — and now 7 days in May. Active inventory has also tightened, falling from 39 homes in February to 28 in May, while new listings held steady at 17 for the second straight month. The sale-to-list ratio recovered from April's 99.54% back above 100%, and the share of homes closing above list price rose from 6 of 18 in April to 8 of 12 in May — meaning two-thirds of May closings went over asking. The $400K–$700K price band drove that momentum, with a median of just 4 days on market and a median sale price of $444,900 for the 9 homes that closed there.
Mortgage context
The 30-year fixed rate in Kearns's Salt Lake County market sits at 6.75% as of mid-June, up 0.25 percentage points from 6.5% thirty days ago and 0.56 percentage points above February's monthly average of 6.19% — the low point of the past seven months. That climb has added real dollars to monthly payments and is likely one reason the under-$400K segment in Kearns is moving more slowly than the $400K–$700K band, where buyers appear more rate-resilient. FHA and VA options at 6.25% remain a meaningful alternative for qualified buyers in this price range.
Payment math
On a median-priced home here — about $437,000 with 20% down — the monthly principal-and-interest payment lands at $2,267 at 6.75% — $58 more than 30 days ago at 6.5%, and $128 above the February 2026 low when rates averaged 6.19% and the payment would have been $2,139.
If you're buying
Target homes that have been sitting past 30 days on market — the 3 closings that went below list in May were concentrated in the under-$400K band, where the median days on market was 74, and that's where negotiating room still exists. In Hoffman Heights, where 2 homes closed with a median of 148 days on market, stale listings may be priced above what the neighborhood will bear right now; use recent comparable sales from Misty Hills and Creekview (both closed in under a week in May) as your counter-offer anchor. If you're rate-sensitive, check FHA and VA options at 6.25% — on a $437,000 purchase that's roughly $90 less per month than the conventional 6.75% rate.
If you're selling
If your home is in the $400K–$700K range and in clean condition, price at or just below recent comparable sales — the May data shows buyers in that band are moving within days and paying above list when the home is right. Homes in Hoffman Heights that lingered into the 100-plus-day range in May closed well below the neighborhood's typical range, so condition and pricing discipline matter more than ever. With rates at 6.75% and climbing, buyers are doing tighter math; a $10,000 price cut costs you less than a deal that falls apart after 60 days on market.
Outlook
Over the next 60–90 days, Kearns is likely to see continued split behavior: well-priced homes in the $400K–$700K corridor — particularly in established neighborhoods like Misty Hills, Creekview, and the Suncrest plats — should continue to move quickly as long as inventory stays near current levels of 28 active homes. The under-$400K segment faces a tougher path with rates at 6.75% and potentially moving higher, as the monthly payment math squeezes the buyer pool that typically targets that range. If new listings pick up through June and July as is typical for the season, sellers who don't price sharply may find themselves in the longer-days-on-market camp that defined April rather than the quick-close camp that defined May.
Watch for
If the 30-year fixed rate crosses 7% before August, expect the under-$400K segment in Kearns to stall further and overall days on market to drift back toward the 25–35 day range, as the buyer pool for entry-level homes in Salt Lake County's western corridor — including buyers who might otherwise consider Kearns as an affordable alternative to Taylorsville or West Valley City — shrinks meaningfully.
"Kearns flipped the script: after April's 39-day drag, May closed in a week."
Common questions about Kearns this month
Is Kearns a buyer's or seller's market in May 2026? ▾
It depends on the price range. In the $400K–$700K band, it's firmly a seller's market — 9 homes closed in a median of 4 days and the median sale price of $444,900 was essentially at asking. In the under-$400K range, buyers have more leverage: those 3 closings took a median of 74 days and closed below list price. With only 28 active listings total, overall supply is tight, but not every segment is moving at the same pace.
Why did homes sell so much faster in May than in April? ▾
April's 39-day median was driven partly by a wave of listings that had been sitting since late winter — including several Hoffman Heights homes that took 52 days or more. By May, that backlog had largely cleared, and the 12 homes that did close were mostly well-priced, move-in-ready properties in Misty Hills, Creekview, and Indian Village that attracted quick offers. The faster pace reflects selective demand, not a broad market shift.
How are rising mortgage rates affecting Kearns home prices? ▾
The median sale price in May was $437,000, up from $419,500 in April and $395,000 a year ago in May 2025 — so prices have held up despite rates climbing from 6.19% in February to 6.75% today. However, the average sale price of $403,768 was notably below the median, suggesting a handful of lower-priced closings (like the two Indian Village sales at a median of $246,000) are pulling the average down. The $400K–$700K segment, which represents the bulk of Kearns transactions, has shown the most price resilience.
Are there good deals to be found in Kearns right now? ▾
The under-$400K segment is where negotiating room exists — those homes are sitting a median of 74 days before closing, and buyers in that range are successfully closing below list price. In Hoffman Heights specifically, two homes closed in May with a median of 148 days on market and a median sale price of $407,500, which is below what comparable homes in the neighborhood fetched earlier in the year. Buyers willing to look at homes past 45 days on market are finding more flexibility on price.
How does Kearns compare to nearby Salt Lake County cities right now? ▾
Kearns's median sale price of $437,000 and tight active inventory of 28 homes positions it as a relatively affordable and competitive option compared to more established Salt Lake City neighborhoods like Sugar House or the Avenues, where prices run considerably higher. Buyers priced out of Taylorsville or Murray often look at Kearns as a value alternative with a reasonable I-215 commute to downtown Salt Lake City. The trade-off is that the entry-level under-$400K segment here is moving slowly, so buyers in that range have options but shouldn't expect the same quick-close pressure they'd face in higher-demand corridors.
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
12 sold homes that had a list price recorded
Days on market spread
Quartile distribution
Median 7 · 25th percentile 3 · 75th percentile 19
Needed a price change
Sold listings that had a recorded price change before close
1 of 12 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. Park 3 sold · $445K · 13d
- 2. Misty Hills 2 sold · $421K · 6d
- 3. Hoffman Heights 2 sold · $408K · 148d
- 4. Indian Village 2 sold · $246K · 4d
- 5. Creekview 1 sold · $460K · 3d
May 2026 by property type
How each housing type performed last month — 12 closings total across subtypes.
Summary Statistics
| Metric | May-26 | May-25 | % Chg | 2026 YTD | 2025 YTD | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold Count | 12 | 14 | -14.29% | 71 | 58 | +22.41% |
| Median Sale Price | $437,000 | $395,000 | +10.63% | $429,556 | $415,124 | +3.48% |
| Median DOM | 7 | 13 | -46.15% | 23 | 22 | +4.55% |
| Sale-to-List Ratio | 100.02% | 98.80% | +1.23% | 99.89% | 99.78% | +0.11% |
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.