Quick answer
Cedar City is about 52 miles north of St. George but feels like a different world: higher elevation, real four seasons with about 60 inches of snow a year, and a college-town energy from Southern Utah University. It fits people who want cooler summers, more affordable prices than the St. George area, and easy access to the mountains. There's no pressure, so just ask me anything.
Cedar City market update
Residential, September 2026. Updated October 2026, source: WCBR MLS via Flexmls.
Thinking about moving to Cedar City?
If you're reading this, you're probably weighing a move to Southern Utah and wondering whether Cedar City is the right fit. I help relocation buyers sort through exactly that question, so let me share what I'd tell you over coffee.
Cedar City is about 52 miles north of St. George on I-15, roughly an hour's drive, and it feels like a different world: higher elevation, real four seasons, and a college-town energy thanks to Southern Utah University. It's the largest city in Iron County, with 41,871 residents as of the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate.
In this guide I'll walk you through neighborhoods, costs, schools, weather and things to do, and I'll try to be honest about the tradeoffs.
What are the best neighborhoods in Cedar City?
"Best" depends on how you want to live. Here are a few areas buyers often ask me about:
Near SUU & downtown
Older homes and rentals close to campus and Main Street.
West Cedar & newer subdivisions
Newer single-family construction on the edges of town.
Enoch & surrounding areas
Enoch is a separate city just north of Cedar City, and many buyers compare it with Cedar City itself.
What does it cost to live in Cedar City?
- Median sold price: $431,000 in September 2026. Monthly medians ranged from about $370,000 to $497,500 between October 2025 and September 2026 (Flexmls MLS, residential).
- Median active list price: $429,999 (September 2026).
- Census median home value: $377,000 (owner-occupied, 2020–2024 ACS; older survey data, so it lags today's market).
- Median household income: $63,589 (2020–2024 ACS).
- Taxes: Utah has a flat 4.45% state income tax, and a qualifying primary residence is taxed on only 55% of its market value thanks to the 45% residential exemption.
Monthly medians in smaller cities can jump around based on which homes happen to sell, so I always recommend looking at specific comparable sales rather than one headline number.
How are the schools in Cedar City?
Cedar City is served by the Iron County School District, not the Washington County district. According to the NCES Common Core of Data, the district had 18 schools and 14,125 students in 2024–25. It's also home to Southern Utah University, which reported 15,825 students in fall 2025.
I'm a REALTOR, not an education expert, so I don't rank schools. Check the official Utah School Report Card for performance data, and confirm boundaries for a specific address with the district.
What is the weather like in Cedar City?
Cedar City's weather is very different from St. George's. NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for the Cedar City station show an average January high of about 42°F and a July high of about 88°F, with about 13 inches of precipitation and about 60 inches of snow a year. If you want real seasons, this is the place.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 42 | 45 | 54 | 61 | 70 | 82 | 88 | 86 | 77 | 65 | 52 | 41 |
| Low °F | 22 | 24 | 30 | 35 | 44 | 54 | 62 | 61 | 52 | 39 | 29 | 21 |
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cedar City station USC00421259 (NOAA NCEI).
What is there to do in Cedar City?
- Utah Shakespeare Festival: A nationally known summer theater festival on the SUU campus.
- Cedar Breaks National Monument: A high-elevation amphitheater of eroded rock above town.
- Brian Head: Skiing in winter and mountain biking in summer, about 32 miles from Cedar City by mountain highway.
- Zion's Kolob Canyons: The northern section of Zion is just off I-15 south of Cedar City.
Frequently asked questions about living in Cedar City
Is Cedar City, Utah expensive to live in?
Housing is the biggest factor. Flexmls MLS data shows a median sold price of $431,000 for residential property in Cedar City in September 2026, and a median active list price of $429,999. Utah has a flat 4.45% state income tax, and a qualifying primary residence is taxed on only 55% of its market value thanks to the 45% residential exemption.
How many people live in Cedar City?
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Cedar City had 41,871 residents on July 1, 2025, up 18.8% since April 2020.
What is the median household income in Cedar City?
The Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey estimates a median household income of $63,589 in Cedar City.
What is the weather like in Cedar City?
Cedar City's weather is very different from St. George's. NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for the Cedar City station show an average January high of about 42°F and a July high of about 88°F, with about 13 inches of precipitation and about 60 inches of snow a year. If you want real seasons, this is the place.
Does it snow in Cedar City?
Yes. NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for the Cedar City station average about 60 inches of snow a year, compared with about 1.2 inches in St. George.
