Under-the-Radar Luxury Mountain Town Lures Outdoorsy High-End Buyers    

Few may have heard of Heber, UT, a charming mountain town best known for its stunning views and top-tier skiing—but it is now attracting a growing wave of luxury homebuyers by offering relative affordability compared to some of the more celebrated Western destinations.  

Nestled in scenic Heber Valley, about 40 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, greater Heber is a micropolitan area with a population of just 80,000 people. However, it boasts nearly 850 million-dollar listings, surpassing large metros, among them San Antonio, TX, which is home to 2.7 million people.  

With a median list price of $1.45 million, over three times the national figure of $415,000 as of November, Heber’s housing market is now almost entirely luxury—but it did not happen overnight.  

"Heber's move into luxury territory has become more apparent over the past decade," explains Realtor.com® senior economist Anthony Smith. "During that time, higher-end inventory has expanded, with buyers drawn to newer construction, more land, and lower density than what is typically available in more established resort markets."

What began as a humble farming community has transformed into a magnet for affluent buyers, where seven-figure homes are now the norm, with about two-thirds of Heber’s listings priced above $1 million— over five times the national average. 

"Heber is a magical place in Utah and is slowly becoming one of the luxury vacation markets in the state, for good reasons," Nick Booth, real estate agent at  Nick Booth Real Estate, tells Realtor.com. He cites the town's high-elevation setting offering access to premier skiing in winter, cooler temperatures in summer, and abundant wildlife.

In addition to slopes and powder at renowned ski resorts such as Deer Valley and Sundance, Heber offers breathtaking vistas, boating and paddleboarding on Jordanelle Reservoir, fly-fishing on the Provo River, golfing at national-level courses like Red Ledges, as well as enough hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails to satisfy the most avid lover of the great outdoors. 

It's telling that in Heber, the benchmark for entry-level luxury—defined as the top 10% of the market—is a staggering $6.63 million, compared to just $1.19 million nationally. 

For buyers looking to break into Heber’s high-luxury tier, which is the top 5%, they would have to bring to the table at least $9.5 million. 

Meanwhile, the threshold for ultraluxury—or top 1%—in Heber is an eye-watering $24 million.

For comparison, the entry point to the national housing market's 99th percentile is $5.5 million, or less than a quarter of Heber's.  

A multimillion-dollar 'bargain'

While Heber’s home prices may be sky-high, they are still a relative steal compared to the well-established Western luxury resort towns with global name recognition, including Colorado’s Aspen and Telluride, Jackson, WY, and nearby Park City, UT.

For example, Aspen’s median list price stands at $3.1 million, or more than double Heber’s, while in Telluride it reaches $4.4 million, or more than three times higher. 

Besides the cost savings, Smith notes, Heber offers something extra that legacy resorts like Telluride and Park City increasingly lack: ample acreage. 

"These older luxury hubs also have far more limited land and are almost entirely built out, leaving minimal opportunities for new construction and keeping inventory extremely scarce," he says. 

Heber, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer to the high-end resort scene and still has sufficient room to expand. 

"Heber has become the natural next place for luxury growth," Joel Carson, president and principal broker at Utah Real Estate, tells Realtor.com. "Buyers get space, privacy, and proximity to three world-class ski resorts, all within a short drive."

Affluent home shoppers have taken notice, increasingly investing in master-planned, gated communities boasting more square footage, high-end amenities revolving around wellness, and easy access to top-tier recreation.

"For many buyers, Heber delivers the privacy and serenity of a mountain retreat, yet remains under an hour from Salt Lake City’s metropolitan amenities and international airport," says Smith. "That level of accessibility is a key differentiator compared with more remote luxury destinations like Aspen, Telluride, and Jackson Hole."

One reason Heber has experienced a surge in development is that, unlike Aspen or Jackson Hole, the Utah enclave is not constrained by steep terrain, protected lands, or strict zoning regulations.

"Rather than being a fully built-out, preservation-driven resort town, Heber is expanding its boundaries and adding new luxury communities," says Smith.

With few limitations in its way, Heber has enough free space to add more multimillion-dollar homes, luring buyers with significant resources seeking a toehold in a tony mountain town with year-round recreation opportunities, modern architecture, and room to breathe. 

Heber vs. Park City

Park City, a winter playground for the rich and famous, sits less than 20 miles north of Heber, but its pace and character differ significantly from its neighbor's.

Smith says that although Park City is an impressive and well-established luxury market, it is almost fully developed, offering little in the way of square footage and acreage to buyers looking for newer, more spacious homes.

Heber, on the other hand, can still deliver larger properties on sizable parcels.

Carson adds that Heber, situated in an open valley, is also less congested and more laid back than Park City.

"Park City has preserved its historic mining-town charm and limited growth, while Heber feels more secluded and, in many cases, more affordable," he says.

Booth agrees, stressing that in contrast to Park City, Heber feels like "an intimate small town" moving at a slower pace, yet remains just a short drive away from larger cities.

"Park City has become known worldwide as the skiing capital of Utah, and because of that, it has become one of the most expensive luxury markets in Utah," says the agent. "The city vibe is heavily focused on the tourist experience."

Heber's more relaxed feel has been attracting an inflow of high net worth shoppers and boosting the city's luxury market segment.

"More and more people are buying luxury homes in Utah, and some people don't want the craziness of Park City," says Booth.

The agent predicts that with the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City less than a decade away, homes in Heber are going to get even more expensive.