Photo: formulanone · CC BY-SA 2.0Measured against area pay, Blanding costs less to live in than 53% of U.S. towns
It ranks #24 of 119 in Utah for affordability. Up 6% in a year, 38% below the Utah typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of San Juan County, UT ($64K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 2 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across San Juan County earn ($64K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 4.7 years of area income, and 43% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $330Ktypical home, 38% below the Utah typical homeZillow, September 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 4.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$64K, San Juan County income
- 16%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 43%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Utah: 47%Census 2020–24
- 19%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What kind of housing town is Blanding?
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
What’s behind Blanding’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Blanding is more affordable than 53% of U.S. towns, #24 of 119 in Utah. Home prices pull the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have outpaced Utah: the typical Blanding home is up 21.6% in five years, against 12.5% statewide (Zillow).
Up 6% in a year
Faster than Utah (1.2%).
Show as a table
| January | Blanding | Utah |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $160,000 | $273,000 |
| 2018 | $170,000 | $298,000 |
| 2019 | $187,000 | $325,000 |
| 2020 | $201,000 | $349,000 |
| 2021 | $237,000 | $399,000 |
| 2022 | $283,000 | $496,000 |
| 2023 | $286,000 | $512,000 |
| 2024 | $302,000 | $513,000 |
| 2025 | $305,000 | $525,000 |
| 2026 | $323,000 | $536,000 |
| September 2026 | $330,000 | $533,000 |
A typical Blanding home worth $159K in October 2016 is worth about $330K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 4.7 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Blanding’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $68K short of a typical Blanding home.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Blanding’s typical property tax (0.53% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
Renters pay a median $842 a month
HUD doesn’t publish rents for this area.
Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
3 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 3 new homes in Blanding in 2025: 1 single-family house and 2 in buildings with two or more homes. That's 0.9 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Utah (8.8). Over the past 10 years, Blanding has permitted 34 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Blanding gained 19 residents while 103 new homes were permitted: about 0.2 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. Across Utah: 2.7 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 4 | 2 | 2 | $764,000 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 2 | $618,000 |
| 2024 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $439,000 |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $657,000 |
| 2022 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $2.3 million |
| 2021 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2020 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $974,000 |
| 2019 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $770,000 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $296,000 |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $296,000 |
| 2016 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $835,000 |
| 2013 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $743,000 |
| 2012 | 38 | 9 | 29 | $6.7 million |
| 2011 | 38 | 8 | 30 | $6.7 million |
| 2010 | 9 | 5 | 4 | $908,000 |
| 2009 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $776,000 |
| 2008 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2007 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $880,000 |
| 2006 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $990,000 |
| 2005 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2004 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $585,000 |
| 2003 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2002 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $385,000 |
| 2001 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $400,000 |
| 2000 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $400,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,622, under the Utah median of $2,525, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.53% a year, against 0.52% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Blanding and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blanding | B− | $330K | $306K | 0.53% | — |
Questions about the cost of living in Blanding
Is Blanding expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Blanding costs less than 53% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living, #24 of 119 in Utah. The typical home costs 4.7 years of the median household income of San Juan County, UT ($64K).
How much does a house cost in Blanding?
About $330K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 6.0% in a year. The Utah typical home is $533K.
What salary do you need to live in Blanding?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $81,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,880 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income.
How much is rent in Blanding?
Renters already here pay a median of $842 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Blanding?
The median bill is $1,622 a year, 0.53% of the median home value (Utah: $2,525, 0.52%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Blanding going up?
Yes: up 6.0% in the past year and 21.6% in five years, against 12.5% across Utah (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Blanding buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.