Places › Utah › Cedar City

Living in Cedar City, UT

Small city in Utah

Cedar City is a small city in Utah, home to about 37,000 people, with 52,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Cedar City a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places
  • Low natural disaster risk: 2 federally declared disasters since 2000
  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $341k and rents for $1,560 a month
  • Safe: violent crime is 0.7× the US rate (FBI 2019)

👎 Cons

  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Smaller job market: about 52,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer graduates: 34% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Few top-rated hospitals: no 4–5★ hospital within 31 mi

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Cedar City ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
37,000
52,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
43°F / 85°F
Average daily highs · 60″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$341k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,560/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
99
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,818
State income tax per resident · 0.43% property tax
Safety
0.7× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
2 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, earthquakes
Top-rated hospitals
0
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Good
Tests above US average · 24 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
34%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
LAS
158 mi away

Living in Cedar City: common questions

What is the cost of living in Cedar City?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $341k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,560 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 99, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Cedar City?

Utah collects about $1,818 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.43% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Cedar City safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.7× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Cedar City?

Public schools in Cedar City test above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 24 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Cedar City?

Cedar City has cold winters: winter days average around 43°F and summer days around 85°F, with roughly 60″ of snow a year.

Does Cedar City get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and earthquakes: 2 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.52 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Cedar City?

The nearest major airport is LAS, about 158 mi away.

How Cedar City scores

Each bar compares Cedar City with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietSuburban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundMostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCold winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingAffordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityPrivate AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesGood
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareBelow average
🏫SchoolsGood
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyAverage
🐕Dog-friendlyBelow average
⛰️OutdoorsGood
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetySafe
🌪️Few natural disastersExcellent
☀️SunnyExcellent
🌤️Mild summersGood
✈️AirportAverage

Places like Cedar City

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Pocatello, IDSmall city51 $316k$1,630/moSafe Farmington, NMSmall city47 $296k$1,830/moNo crime data Rapid City, SDSmall city45 $347k$1,740/moModerate crime Richland, WASmall city54 $419k$2,070/moVery safe Taos, NMSmall town43 $585k$1,590/moModerate crime Cheyenne, WYSmall city58 $371k$1,630/moSafe

Nearby

Washington, UTSmall city · 44 mi away52 $458k$2,070/moVery safe St. George, UTSmall city · 50 mi away50 $446k$2,070/moVery safe

See all the best places to live in Utah.

Is Cedar City right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.