Utah’s housing shortage is being driven by zoning rules. This situation developed over decades of local land-use decisions, though this was not the intended result. There is increasing evidence that the state’s zoning framework, shaped by many cities and towns, is a key factor limiting housing supply and raising costs. A new statewide analysis shows the most comprehensive view yet of how zoning rules affect Utah’s housing market and identifies potential reforms.
Housing affordability has become an increasingly urgent issue across Utah. The state continues to attract new residents due to strong job growth, a high quality of life, and a relatively young population. According to projections from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, Utah’s population is expected to grow by roughly 274,000 people by 2033. At the same time, the state faces a housing deficit of approximately 61,000 units, contributing to its ranking among the most expensive housing markets in the nation.
Recognizing the scale of the challenge, Gov. Spencer Cox raised the issue of statewide zoning reform last fall during an Ivory Innovations summit that brought together leaders from the real estate, housing policy, and government sectors. His message was straightforward: if Utah wants to make meaningful progress on housing affordability, zoning rules must be part of the conversation.
A Clearer View of Zoning Across the State
While zoning is often discussed in broad terms, understanding how it actually functions has historically been difficult. Local zoning codes are typically long, technical, and scattered across municipal websites or physical offices. Comparing rules between jurisdictions has been nearly impossible for policymakers and the public alike.
That gap is what the Utah Zoning Atlas aims to fill. Launched in December, the atlas represents the first comprehensive, statewide analysis of zoning regulations. Researchers reviewed more than 45,000 pages of zoning code across 259 zoning jurisdictions, translating dense legal language into a standardized, publicly accessible map. For the first time, Utahns can see, side by side, where different types of housing are allowed and where they are effectively prohibited.
What the data reveals is a pattern of restrictions that, taken together, severely limit the state’s ability to build enough housing to meet demand.
Multifamily Housing: Scarce by Design
One of the most striking findings involves multifamily housing, which includes apartments, duplexes, and other multi-unit developments. These housing types are widely considered among the most cost-effective to build and are often key to providing attainable housing for renters, young professionals, and lower-income households.
Despite this, the zoning atlas shows that just 3% of land statewide allows multifamily housing. Even within the Salt Lake City metropolitan region, home to much of the state’s population and employment, only about 5% of residential land permits multifamily housing by right.
There are exceptions. Salt Lake City has enacted zoning reforms that allow multifamily and affordable housing developments by right in residential areas, making it a notable outlier. However, most other jurisdictions continue to limit multifamily housing to small, isolated zones, constraining supply in areas where demand is highest.
Single-family Zoning and Large Lot Requirements
By contrast, single-family housing is allowed almost everywhere. The atlas shows that 99% of residential land statewide permits single-family homes by right. But that permissiveness comes with a significant caveat: lot size.
Roughly 70% of single-family-zoned land in Utah requires lots of about an acre or more. Even in urbanized parts of the Salt Lake City metro area, about one-quarter of single-family land carries similarly large lot requirements. These rules dramatically reduce the number of homes that can be built and push development outward, encouraging sprawl.
Beyond affordability, this development pattern has broader consequences. Sprawl increases infrastructure costs, lengthens commutes, and places pressure on Utah’s natural landscapes, assets that are central to tourism and the state’s outdoor-oriented economy.
Zoning Out of Step With Demographics
Zoning rules also reflect assumptions about household structure that no longer align with Utah’s demographics. In 1970, nearly half of adult Utahns were married with children. Today, that share has dropped to about 27%, according to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Meanwhile, the population is aging, and more households include single adults, couples without children, or multigenerational families.
These shifts point to growing demand for flexible housing options, such as smaller units, shared living arrangements, and homes that can accommodate caregivers or extended family members. Yet zoning often restricts these options.
Accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, are a prime example. ADUs are smaller secondary homes located on the same lot as a primary residence, such as basement apartments or backyard cottages. They are widely viewed as a way to gently increase housing supply while helping homeowners generate rental income.
Despite these benefits, the atlas shows that only 10% of single-family-zoned land in Utah allows ADUs by right without occupancy restrictions. In roughly 75% of such areas, ADUs are either prohibited outright or limited to specific occupants, such as family members or caregivers. Even larger cities, including Provo and St. George, impose restrictions that limit their broader use.
Parking Mandates as a Hidden Barrier
Parking requirements represent another significant, if less visible, constraint. According to the atlas, 92% of residential land in Utah requires off-street parking for new housing developments. These mandates increase construction costs and can make certain projects, especially smaller apartment buildings, financially unfeasible.
Critics argue that parking needs vary widely depending on location, access to transit, and resident preferences. Yet many zoning codes impose one-size-fits-all requirements that may no longer reflect how people live and commute.
Data-driven Momentum Leads to Reform
All in all, the findings help explain why Utah can have strong housing demand and willing developers, yet still fall tens of thousands of units short. They also provide a data-backed foundation for reform.
Other states and cities have already moved in this direction, legalizing multifamily housing in more areas, reducing minimum lot sizes, easing parking mandates, and expanding access to ADUs. The Utah Zoning Atlas shows where similar changes could have the greatest impact locally.
For policymakers, the message is clear: meaningful housing reform starts with understanding the rules on the books. With a clearer picture of how zoning operates across Utah, elected officials and residents now have the information needed to debate, and potentially reshape, the policies that govern where and how homes are built.
The pressure on the housing market continues to mount, and the atlas may prove to be a critical tool in turning broad calls for reform into targeted, effective action.
