Nearly half of homes listed for sale last year in Salt Lake were in HOAs — and the fees here exceed national averages, according to a recent report.

The intrigue: HOAs have historically been less prevalent in the Mountain West and Great Plains states.

The big picture: HOA dues typically cover maintenance and neighborhood amenities like pools and gyms, plus other costs that keep a community running.

• They're common in areas full of condos, townhouses and newly built single-family homes, per the report by Realtor.com.

Yes, but: HOAs often enforce strict rules on everything from holiday decor to lawn care, with fines for residents who fail to comply.

By the numbers: In most of Utah's metros, a larger share of listed homes had HOA dues than the 40.5% nationally.

• Only Ogden and Logan — 35% and 33% respectively — had smaller shares.
• The Park City-Heber metro had the highest, with more than 83%.
• In St. George and Provo, about 64% of homes had HOA fees. Salt Lake and Cedar City were at 49% and 48%, respectively.

Follow the money: Median fees varied widely around the state, ranging from $300 per month in Park City-Heber to $90 in Logan.

• Salt Lake's median was $170, the second-highest in the state.
• Nationally, the median was $125 in 2024, up from $110 in 2023.

Reality check: Dues can add an eye-watering expense on top of high home prices and mortgage payments.

Between the lines: To avoid surprise fee hikes, experts say condo shoppers should ask about reserve studies, which assess whether an HOA has enough money set aside for future upkeep.

Zoom out: If you want to buy a home without HOA dues, try looking in Charleston, South Carolina, which has the lowest percentage of home listings with HOA fees.

• Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has the highest, per the report.

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March Madness has arrived, but we're taking it off the basketball court and into our cities' streets this year.

State of play: We're asking you to help determine who gets the trophy for the best piece of public art.

How it works: Each Axios Local city in the region (Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver, San Diego and soon Boulder) submitted two of their best and weirdest pieces of public art.

• Each was seeded No. 1 through 16 — much like the NCAA tournament.

What's next: Here's where you, the reader, come in. Click through the photo matchups here and choose which piece of art wins.

• You already know we nominated the Whale. Add your vote to see our second SLC submission.
• The winner will advance to the Elite Eight, where voting will begin March 14.

Vote here and tell a friend to do the same

🧭 Goldman Sachs is urging managers to relocate to SLC in an effort to move personnel away from expensive financial centers like New York and London. (Bloomberg via KSL.com)

• About 3,000 of the company's 45,000 employees already work here.

🎶 Sierra Ferrell, Big Thief, Mt. Joy and Japanese Breakfast are among the performers slated for this summer's Twilight Concert Series, whose lineup was announced Tuesday. (Salt Lake Arts)

📊 In a recent poll about President Trump's executive orders, Utahns gave their strongest approval to a ban on transgender women in sports, with 76% in support. (Deseret News)

• The lowest support was for changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which 52% opposed.

☢️ Plans to double Utah's energy capacity with nuclear power would cost about $40 billion — more than the state's entire budget for a year. (Utah Investigative Journalism Project and Utah News Dispatch)

🤑 Trump's freeze on federal funding has left at least two Utah businesses unpaid for work they already completed. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Southwest Airlines announced on Tuesday that it will soon end its free checked bags policy.

Why it matters: The airline has long touted that "bags fly flee," which has been a calling card for the company throughout its 54-year history.

• Jettisoning the policy will likely make distinguishing itself from budget competitors like Spirit and Frontier harder.

State of play: The new policy goes into effect starting May 28.

• Some frequent flyers and Southwest credit card holders will still receive checked bags with their tickets.

Meanwhile, the airline will also add a basic economy fare class.

• It's the last major airline to offer that tier.

Our thought bubble: With the end of free checked bags, there's little left separating Southwest from airlines with higher prices but more perks, or low-cost barebones carriers — leaving it stuck in the muddy middle, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick's writes.

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