New Construction in Utah: Where Homes Are Being Built and Why

New home construction

New construction is one of the most important “pressure valves” in Utah’s housing market. When demand is strong—driven by job growth, household formation, and relocation—Utah’s ability to add housing supply (single-family, townhomes, condos, and apartments) becomes the difference between a market that stays functional and a market that becomes increasingly unaffordable.

The big story is this: Utah is building, but where it’s building (and what it’s building) is changing—shaped by land availability, infrastructure, affordability, and policy priorities. Utah leaders have also made housing supply a central focus, including goals tied to increasing production statewide.

Below is a relocation-friendly, current deep dive into where homes are being built in Utah and why those places are absorbing so much growth—plus what that means if you’re deciding between new construction and resale.

The statewide “why”: Utah is still structurally undersupplied

Utah’s housing challenge is not simply a short-term cycle. Multiple statewide analyses frame the issue as a long-run supply gap—meaning the state needs sustained housing production over many years to keep up with demand.

That structural reality is why:

• New construction remains a major part of the market even when sales slow

• Builders shift product types (more townhomes/multifamily) when affordability tightens

• Growth concentrates in corridors where land + roads + utilities can support it

  
  

Utah’s building-permit tracking is robust (through the Gardner Policy Institute + Ivory-Boyer partnership), and it’s widely used to understand what’s coming online and where activity is concentrating.

Where Utah is building the most (and what it signals)

A helpful way to understand “where growth is happening” is to look at where permits and development activity concentrate. One recent summary of permit distribution highlights that Salt Lake County and Utah County together account for a large share of new permits, with Washington County also representing a meaningful portion, followed by Davis and Weber.

What that means for buyers: the most active new construction zones tend to be where:

• The job base is strongest (or growing fastest)

• Land supply exists at scale

• Infrastructure is expanding

• Cities are planning for large, multi-phase development

The primary growth engine: Utah County and the “Silicon Slopes” effect

Utah County remains one of the most active building environments in the state, largely because it sits at the intersection of:

• employment growth and tech-driven expansion

• master-planned community development

• available land (especially farther west)

• strong in-state demand and relocation

Where you’ll see it most: the northern Utah County corridor and west-side expansion areas. These are the places where large projects can be built in phases and where builders can deliver meaningful volume.

Why builders keep targeting Utah County

• It’s one of the most consistent “demand + land” combinations in the state

• It supports both entry-level attached product and larger single-family neighborhoods

• It continues to absorb families relocating for jobs and lifestyle

You’ll also see large-scale redevelopment/master-planned efforts, including well-publicized projects around Utah Lake and former industrial sites (example: Vineyard/Utah City plans), which reinforce the trend toward big, multi-use environments rather than only traditional subdivisions.

Salt Lake County: more infill, more density, fewer mega-subdivisions

Salt Lake County still sees meaningful construction activity, but the type of construction differs from outer-ring counties.

What’s being built here (more often)

• Townhomes

• Condos

• Apartments

• Infill redevelopment

• Mixed-use projects near established corridors

Why: Salt Lake County has:

• limited remaining large parcels for classic subdivisions

• higher land costs

• stronger demand for commute-friendly housing

• zoning and redevelopment patterns that favor denser housing types

This is also where policy and planning discussions can materially affect production, especially for “missing middle” housing (duplexes, townhomes, smaller-lot product) that helps affordability without requiring entirely new cities.

Washington County: strong lifestyle-driven growth in the south

Washington County (St. George area) continues to attract:

• retirees

• remote workers

• second-home buyers (in some submarkets)

• households seeking warm weather and outdoor access

Because land availability and city planning can support large communities, the region remains a major new construction hotspot. The permit distribution summaries that place Washington County among top areas reflect how meaningful southern Utah growth has become.

What’s different here: demand is often lifestyle-led, not strictly commute-led—so community design, recreation proximity, and retirement-friendly planning play a larger role in where builders focus.

Davis and Weber: steady expansion along the north corridor

Davis and Weber Counties tend to reflect a different kind of growth:

• commuter-friendly expansion along the Wasatch Front

• steady demand tied to employment access, military presence (in Davis), and established cities

• a mix of new subdivisions, townhomes, and infill depending on location

  
  

These counties often appeal to relocation buyers who want:

• access to Salt Lake employment centers without being in Salt Lake County

• established community feel with continued development

Tooele and Cache: “value + space” markets with expanding interest

Outer markets like Tooele and Cache often rise in prominence when affordability becomes the dominant constraint.

Why these areas grow

• more space for development

• relative price advantage compared to core counties

• households willing to trade commute for square footage/lot size

These markets can feel like “the next wave” during high-demand periods—but buyers should understand that:

• the pace of infrastructure and amenities may lag development

• commute patterns matter more than distance on a map

What’s being built: the shift toward townhomes and multifamily

One of the most important construction trends is product mix—what types of housing are getting permitted and built.

After several years of softer multifamily permitting compared to earlier highs, reporting around the Ivory-Boyer/Gardner data indicates multifamily permitting improved in 2025 (duplex and denser), reflecting how builders and cities are responding to affordability and demand for attached housing.

Why this matters for relocators:

• In many Utah markets, the “entry-level single-family” category has become harder to deliver at scale

• Townhomes and condos are increasingly the affordability bridge

• Mixed product communities (single-family + townhomes + apartments) are more common

Why master-planned communities keep expanding

Utah’s growth patterns increasingly favor master-planned communities—large-scale developments that include housing, parks, schools, retail, and long-term phasing. Coverage of Utah’s master-planned trend highlights how these communities can function like “small cities,” with Daybreak often cited as a well-known example.

Why builders and cities like them

• predictable phasing and infrastructure planning

• ability to add amenities over time

• diversified housing product (helps absorption)

• stronger long-term community identity

What buyers should watch

• HOA structure and long-term dues

• future phases (construction timelines around you)

• school and road plans (what’s planned vs what exists today)

The policy layer: Utah is actively trying to “build its way” to affordability

Utah’s housing shortage and affordability concerns have risen to the top of public policy priorities. Recent coverage of Utah’s strategic housing planning underscores a strong emphasis on improving affordability, including infrastructure and funding concepts that support more housing production.

What this signals to buyers and builders: Utah’s direction of travel is to:

• enable more housing supply

• expand regional center growth

• support starter-home and attainable product goals

That doesn’t guarantee fast results—but it does reinforce that construction activity is likely to remain a central feature of the market.

What this means for buyers deciding where to buy new construction

If you’re moving to Utah from out of state, the most useful “translation” is:

You’re usually choosing between 3 trade-offs

1. Location and commute efficiency (often more resale and infill)

2. Newer homes and planned communities (often outer-ring growth areas)

3. Price-to-home ratio (often farther from core job centers)

Practical buyer tips that matter in Utah

• Treat “drive time” as a top-tier variable (not distance)

• Compare resale homes to new builds with incentives factored in

• Confirm HOA rules early (especially in master-planned areas)

• Ask what’s being built nearby (future phases = future noise/traffic)

Bottom line

New construction in Utah is concentrated where land, infrastructure, and long-term demand intersect—especially along the Wasatch Front growth corridors and in southern Utah’s lifestyle markets. Product types are also shifting toward more townhomes and multifamily as affordability pressures shape what can realistically be built.