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Photo: Kevin O'Leary posed at Utah governor's desk before data center reveal

The image is unlikely to mollify populist outcry over government ties to the investor class.

News

Kevin O&#x27;Leary, the &quot;Shark Tank&quot; celebrity investor behind the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="massive data center proposed in Box Elder County" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/05/04/utah-data-center-kevin-oleary" data-vars-content-id="19d18ea0-8e95-4c51-8330-9ea9f078c487" data-vars-headline="Photo: Kevin O&#x27;Leary posed at Utah governor&#x27;s desk before data center reveal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/05/04/utah-data-center-kevin-oleary" target="_self">massive data center proposed in Box Elder County</a>, sits at Gov. Spencer Cox&#x27;s desk in a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="photo posted by a staffer to LinkedIn" data-vars-click-url="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tylermjennings_as-i-continue-to-talk-to-people-from-around-ugcPost-7415163427448451073-CQvC/" data-vars-content-id="19d18ea0-8e95-4c51-8330-9ea9f078c487" data-vars-headline="Photo: Kevin O&#x27;Leary posed at Utah governor&#x27;s desk before data center reveal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tylermjennings_as-i-continue-to-talk-to-people-from-around-ugcPost-7415163427448451073-CQvC/" target="_blank">photo posted by a staffer to LinkedIn</a> Jan. 8.Why it matters: That was weeks before the data center, which is projected to quadruple the electricity generated and used in Utah, had been addressed in any public meeting.

Salt Lake City's first co-op grocery store to open at Milk Block

About 20% of the co-op's vendors are local.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Wasatch Food Co-op" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wasatch.coop/#dataItem-k0p1t5kh" data-vars-content-id="78909ead-2ec0-4fbf-8698-7b59fb1c5c3b" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake City&#x27;s first co-op grocery store to open at Milk Block" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wasatch.coop/#dataItem-k0p1t5kh" target="_blank">Wasatch Food Co-op</a> (WFC), Salt Lake City&#x27;s first community-owned grocery store, opens Wednesday at the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Milk Block" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/09/04/equality-utah-headquarters-harvey-milk-boulevard" data-vars-content-id="78909ead-2ec0-4fbf-8698-7b59fb1c5c3b" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake City&#x27;s first co-op grocery store to open at Milk Block" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/09/04/equality-utah-headquarters-harvey-milk-boulevard" target="_self">Milk Block</a> in Liberty Wells after nearly two decades in the making.Why it matters: Co-op grocery stores have gained popularity in many U.S. cities <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="since the 1960s" data-vars-click-url="https://anderson-review.ucla.edu/how-grocery-co-ops-fit-into-the-competitive-landscape/" data-vars-content-id="78909ead-2ec0-4fbf-8698-7b59fb1c5c3b" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake City&#x27;s first co-op grocery store to open at Milk Block" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://anderson-review.ucla.edu/how-grocery-co-ops-fit-into-the-competitive-landscape/" target="_blank">since the 1960s</a> as consumers become more conscious about where they spend their money and how those dollars are reinvested in local communities rather than large corporations.

Tick bite ER visits soar in western states

Lyme disease is rare in Utah, but ticks also spread other illnesses.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tick bites" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/05/ticks-lyme-disease-removal" data-vars-content-id="ed6321f6-ac2d-4054-a455-f5d166285cd6" data-vars-headline="Tick bite ER visits soar in western states" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/05/ticks-lyme-disease-removal" target="_self">Tick bites</a> are sending a record rate of people in western states to the ER this spring, according to new CDC data.Why it matters: &quot;These tiny biters can make you seriously sick,&quot; says Alison Hinckley, epidemiologist with the CDC, in a statement.

SLC convenience store "influencer" accused of swapping underage vape sales for Instagram follows

Police say the owner was arrested just before boarding a plane for a one-way flight to Miami.

A self-styled influencer who frequently poses for photos with stacks of cash and a Lamborghini is suspected of selling vapes and beer to kids in exchange for Instagram follows.The big picture: Undercover agents listened while employees at Saif Al-Fatlawi&#x27;s City Corner convenience stores in Salt Lake and Murray made sales to underage customers that appeared to be as young as middle schoolers, police wrote in arrest documents.

When Salt Lake's 1st racist housing covenants took shape

First the contracts segregated neighborhoods. Then redlining punished those that weren't white.

<figure><img alt="A real estate ad from 1919 reads &quot;Only members of the Caucasian race are permitted to buy and hold property.&quot;" height="1768" id="4cc65947-5a33-48a6-9120-b57a90cf54fe" src="https://images.axios.com/HFrfCfT52tjzucWQbdKFcam_yRY=/2026/05/12/1778619957946.png" width="1556"/><figcaption>Part of a 1919 real estate ad from a Sugar House housing development, via the Deseret News. Image: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Utah Digital Newspapers Archive" data-vars-click-url="https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=25124477" data-vars-content-id="72c46581-ddfd-4641-b10f-059b24017f96" data-vars-headline="When Salt Lake&#x27;s 1st racist housing covenants took shape" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=25124477" target="_blank">Utah Digital Newspapers Archive</a>, the University of Utah</figcaption></figure>In the early 1910s, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sugar House" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/04/08/sugar-house-hotel-park-project" data-vars-content-id="72c46581-ddfd-4641-b10f-059b24017f96" data-vars-headline="When Salt Lake&#x27;s 1st racist housing covenants took shape" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/04/08/sugar-house-hotel-park-project" target="_self">Sugar House</a> was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="booming" data-vars-click-url="https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=2311294" data-vars-content-id="72c46581-ddfd-4641-b10f-059b24017f96" data-vars-headline="When Salt Lake&#x27;s 1st racist housing covenants took shape" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=2311294" target="_blank">booming</a> — and racist. <ul><li>This is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Old News" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/07/01/utah-history-story-collection-old-news-powell-bundy-olympics" data-vars-content-id="72c46581-ddfd-4641-b10f-059b24017f96" data-vars-headline="When Salt Lake&#x27;s 1st racist housing covenants took shape" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/07/01/utah-history-story-collection-old-news-powell-bundy-olympics" target="_self">Old News</a>, where we trace the maps of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Utah&#x27;s past" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/history" data-vars-content-id="72c46581-ddfd-4641-b10f-059b24017f96" data-vars-headline="When Salt Lake&#x27;s 1st racist housing covenants took shape" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/history" target="_self">Utah&#x27;s past</a>.</li></ul>

HOAs gain ground in Utah

Utah has one of the highest rates of home listings with HOA dues, data shows.

Utah has one of the highest rates in the nation of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="home listings with HOA dues" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/03/12/salt-lake-hoa-fees-home-listings" data-vars-content-id="e3b03571-531e-4e41-82f8-b7b03aed5775" data-vars-headline="HOAs gain ground in Utah" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/03/12/salt-lake-hoa-fees-home-listings" target="_self">home listings with HOA dues</a>, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Realtor.com" data-vars-click-url="https://www.realtor.com/research/homeowners-associations-2025" data-vars-content-id="e3b03571-531e-4e41-82f8-b7b03aed5775" data-vars-headline="HOAs gain ground in Utah" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.realtor.com/research/homeowners-associations-2025" target="_blank">Realtor.com</a> data shows.Why it matters: Those dues are also rising, adding to housing costs just as prices <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="stabilize" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kuer.org/business-economy/2026-01-07/utahs-housing-market-is-expected-to-be-running-in-place-in-2026" data-vars-content-id="e3b03571-531e-4e41-82f8-b7b03aed5775" data-vars-headline="HOAs gain ground in Utah" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kuer.org/business-economy/2026-01-07/utahs-housing-market-is-expected-to-be-running-in-place-in-2026" target="_blank">stabilize</a> in Utah&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cooling market" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kuer.org/business-economy/2026-01-07/utahs-housing-market-is-expected-to-be-running-in-place-in-2026" data-vars-content-id="e3b03571-531e-4e41-82f8-b7b03aed5775" data-vars-headline="HOAs gain ground in Utah" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kuer.org/business-economy/2026-01-07/utahs-housing-market-is-expected-to-be-running-in-place-in-2026" target="_blank">cooling market</a>.

Salt Lake rents begin to fall

A building boom across the Mountain West is starting to pay off.

A <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="building boom" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/21/new-apartment-construction-rent" data-vars-content-id="18b6ac4a-6b8f-4217-8c7b-02470dc113b0" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake rents begin to fall" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/21/new-apartment-construction-rent" target="_self">building boom</a> across the Mountain West has cooled rents — but that relief could fade as new construction slows.Why it matters: Housing is unaffordable for many. Although the median U.S. rent for new leases is down 1.5% from a year ago, it&#x27;s still roughly 20% above pre-pandemic levels, at about <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$1,400" data-vars-click-url="https://www.apartmentlist.com/research/national-rent-data" data-vars-content-id="18b6ac4a-6b8f-4217-8c7b-02470dc113b0" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake rents begin to fall" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.apartmentlist.com/research/national-rent-data" target="_blank">$1,400</a> a month, per Apartment List.

Salt Lake City landlords flood the market with concessions

Buildings are trying to lure renters after thousands of new units hit the market in recent years.

Salt Lake City&#x27;s rental market is in concession mode as a wave of new apartments hits the city after an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="unprecedented building boom" data-vars-click-url="https://d36oiwf74r1rap.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/State-Of-State-Housing-Jul2025.pdf" data-vars-content-id="63469909-5e18-4ae8-8f9c-00723118b512" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake City landlords flood the market with concessions" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://d36oiwf74r1rap.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/State-Of-State-Housing-Jul2025.pdf" target="_blank">unprecedented building boom</a>.Why it matters: With landlords and property managers competing for tenants, renters are in a strong position to take advantage of one-time incentives that could shave off thousands of dollars from their housing costs.

Renting is cheaper than owning a home in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City homeowners pay 33% more than renters.

Real Estate

Renting is cheaper than <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="owning a home" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/19/affordable-homes-metro-income" data-vars-content-id="127d4c58-95d6-4d77-83f0-5ca5ce36cd6d" data-vars-headline="Renting is cheaper than owning a home in Salt Lake City" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/19/affordable-homes-metro-income" target="_self">owning a home</a> in Salt Lake City, according to a LendingTree <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/comparing-rent-vs-owning-a-home-in-nations-largest-metros/" data-vars-content-id="127d4c58-95d6-4d77-83f0-5ca5ce36cd6d" data-vars-headline="Renting is cheaper than owning a home in Salt Lake City" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/comparing-rent-vs-owning-a-home-in-nations-largest-metros/" target="_blank">analysis</a>.Why it matters: The same holds true for all 100 of the largest U.S. metro areas as housing costs have soared nationwide, with stubbornly high home prices and mortgage rates weighing on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="would-be buyers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/01/mortgage-rates-home-prices-predictions-2026" data-vars-content-id="127d4c58-95d6-4d77-83f0-5ca5ce36cd6d" data-vars-headline="Renting is cheaper than owning a home in Salt Lake City" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/01/mortgage-rates-home-prices-predictions-2026" target="_self">would-be buyers</a>.<ul><li>Nationally, homeowners with a mortgage now pay around 37% more per month than <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="renters" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/06/apartment-rent-prices" data-vars-content-id="127d4c58-95d6-4d77-83f0-5ca5ce36cd6d" data-vars-headline="Renting is cheaper than owning a home in Salt Lake City" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/06/apartment-rent-prices" target="_self">renters</a>, researchers found.</li></ul>

Housing is Utah voters' top issue. The numbers show why

A number of Utah lawmakers are pushing measures to boost construction and affordability.

More than 80% of Salt Lake City metro homes on the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="market" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/01/mortgage-rates-home-prices-predictions-2026" data-vars-content-id="72ebca60-f62d-4fbc-b03e-3b96b56c913d" data-vars-headline="Housing is Utah voters&#x27; top issue. The numbers show why" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/01/mortgage-rates-home-prices-predictions-2026" target="_self">market</a> are unaffordable to the typical household, according to a Bankrate <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/american-dream-of-homeownership-turning-into-luxury/" data-vars-content-id="72ebca60-f62d-4fbc-b03e-3b96b56c913d" data-vars-headline="Housing is Utah voters&#x27; top issue. The numbers show why" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/american-dream-of-homeownership-turning-into-luxury/" target="_blank">analysis</a>.Why it matters: That&#x27;s higher than the national rate of 75%, reflecting the reality of a state where housing affordability is Utah voters&#x27; No. 1 priority for state lawmakers to tackle.

Home values in the West are cratering — but not in Salt Lake

Nearly 85% of homes lost value in one Utah city — but the rest are more stable than the region.

Nearly half of Salt Lake homes <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="lost value" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/08/home-value-loss-map" data-vars-content-id="3a08cb4e-17e3-4526-ab08-a70718576b0f" data-vars-headline="Home values in the West are cratering — but not in Salt Lake" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/08/home-value-loss-map" target="_self">lost value</a> in the past year, according to Zillow.Why it matters: The figure — 46.5% — may startle prospective home buyers who are shopping in a<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" persistently pricey market" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/12/08/salt-lake-housing-market-2026-forecast" data-vars-content-id="3a08cb4e-17e3-4526-ab08-a70718576b0f" data-vars-headline="Home values in the West are cratering — but not in Salt Lake" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/12/08/salt-lake-housing-market-2026-forecast" target="_self"> persistently pricey market</a>.

What to expect from Salt Lake's housing market in 2026

Salt Lake's housing market is expected to stabilize in 2026, with more inventory and easing mortgage rates.

The Salt Lake metro <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="housing market" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2023/11/02/affordable-home-slc-house-mortgage-prices" data-vars-content-id="9764c2ba-1215-4f36-9594-6c9a95179d08" data-vars-headline="What to expect from Salt Lake&#x27;s housing market in 2026" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2023/11/02/affordable-home-slc-house-mortgage-prices" target="_self">housing market</a> is expected to stabilize next year as more homes come on the market, according to a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Realtor.com forecast" data-vars-click-url="https://www.realtor.com/research/2026-national-housing-forecast/" data-vars-content-id="9764c2ba-1215-4f36-9594-6c9a95179d08" data-vars-headline="What to expect from Salt Lake&#x27;s housing market in 2026" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.realtor.com/research/2026-national-housing-forecast/" target="_blank">Realtor.com forecast</a>.Why it matters: Utah — the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ninth-most-expensive state to buy a home" data-vars-click-url="https://gardner.utah.edu/news/utah-ranked-as-the-9th-most-expensive-housing-market-in-the-country-in-2024/" data-vars-content-id="9764c2ba-1215-4f36-9594-6c9a95179d08" data-vars-headline="What to expect from Salt Lake&#x27;s housing market in 2026" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://gardner.utah.edu/news/utah-ranked-as-the-9th-most-expensive-housing-market-in-the-country-in-2024/" target="_blank">ninth-most-expensive state to buy a home</a> last year — saw housing prices surge during the pandemic, straining affordability for prospective homebuyers.

Here's how many out-of-staters are moving to Utah

It turns out Utah isn't an abnormally powerful magnet for transplants.

Utah is drawing fewer out-of-state movers than most other states, a new analysis finds.The big picture: Of those who moved into a Utah home in 2024, just over 1 in 5 — about 95,000 — were from another state, according to an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.point2homes.com/news/research/us-mobility-rates-reach-historical-low.html" data-vars-content-id="edc148d0-5d79-4200-b7fd-9e2141fa9939" data-vars-headline="Here&#x27;s how many out-of-staters are moving to Utah" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.point2homes.com/news/research/us-mobility-rates-reach-historical-low.html" target="_blank">analysis</a> of census data by rental listing site Point2Homes.

Fewer homes are paid off in Utah amid rising housing costs

Utah ranks fourth-lowest in the U.S. for homes owned outright.

Utah ranks <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="fourth-lowest" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/11/13/mortgage-free-homes-utah-owned-outright" data-vars-content-id="95b7d6a9-f65b-4d11-b8b6-3bf7e2532b38" data-vars-headline="Fewer homes are paid off in Utah amid rising housing costs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/11/13/mortgage-free-homes-utah-owned-outright" target="_self">fourth-lowest</a> in the U.S. for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="homes owned outright" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/16/mortgage-free-homes-map" data-vars-content-id="95b7d6a9-f65b-4d11-b8b6-3bf7e2532b38" data-vars-headline="Fewer homes are paid off in Utah amid rising housing costs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/16/mortgage-free-homes-map" target="_self">homes owned outright</a>, according to new Census Bureau data.Why it matters: The numbers underscore how <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rising housing costs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/05/30/utah-housing-cost-climbing-metro-home-prices" data-vars-content-id="95b7d6a9-f65b-4d11-b8b6-3bf7e2532b38" data-vars-headline="Fewer homes are paid off in Utah amid rising housing costs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/05/30/utah-housing-cost-climbing-metro-home-prices" target="_self">rising housing costs</a> and rapid population growth are keeping many Utahns — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="especially younger homeowners" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/11/21/utah-homeowners-among-america-youngest" data-vars-content-id="95b7d6a9-f65b-4d11-b8b6-3bf7e2532b38" data-vars-headline="Fewer homes are paid off in Utah amid rising housing costs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/11/21/utah-homeowners-among-america-youngest" target="_self">especially younger homeowners</a> — from fully owning their homes, contributing to higher debt loads and financial strain.

A map shows the share of homes listed for sale in 2025 that included HOA fees, by state. On average, 43.6% of listings included HOA fees. The states where HOA fees were most often included were Nevada (68%), Arizona (65%) and Florida (65%).

Share of homes listed for sale with HOA fees, 2025

Data: Realtor.com; Map: Jacque Schrag/Axios

A symbol map of 54 U.S. metro areas showing estimated change in median rent from February 2025 to February 2026. Rents decreased in 34 metros, mostly in the South, and increased in 20 metros, mostly in the Northeast and Midwest. Virginia Beach increased the most, by 5.3%, and Austin decreased the most, by 5.9%.

Change in median rent from February 2025 to February 2026

A chart showing the monthly median cost to rent or own by metro area in 2024 among the 100 largest metros. In all metro areas, it was cheaper to rent than it was to own a home. The national average rent price was $1,487 compared to $2,035 to own. In the Salt Lake City metro, the median rental cost was $1,659 compared to $2,213 to own.

Monthly median cost to rent or own by metro area

Data: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data; Note: Monthly costs include utilities, fees, and/or taxes; Median housing costs above $4,000 are recorded as "$4,000+" by the Census Bureau; Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios

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