Cedar Highlands
in Cedar City, Utah.
Cedar City's mountain neighborhood at 8,000 feet. Panoramic valley views, juniper and pinyon, an active HOA running roads, fire, and water, and a buyer pool that comes here on purpose, not by accident.
- Location
- Mountains east of Cedar City, Iron County
- Elevation
- ~8,000 ft
- Drive to downtown
- ~10 to 15 minutes
- Established
- 1981, originally a private mountain retreat
- Typical lot size
- 1 to 5+ acres, treed
- Typical resale range
- Cabins to custom mountain homes, wide range
- Best known for
- Valley views, seclusion, year-round HOA road access, fire-aware community
A mountain subdivision with a serious HOA and a real view.
Cedar Highlands is what Cedar City has instead of a luxury bench. It sits east of town in the Cedar Mountains at roughly 8,000 feet, perched on a forested slope that overlooks the entire Cedar Valley. The subdivision was platted in 1981 as a private mountain retreat, originally a collection of vacation cabins on one to five acre parcels, and that founding pattern still shapes the place. The build mix is a blend of original 1980s and 1990s log and chalet cabins, plus a growing number of modern custom mountain homes on the remaining lots. You'll see 1,400 square foot two-bedroom cottages two minutes away from 4,000 square foot three-story homes with floor-to-ceiling glass facing the valley.
The community runs on its HOA. Roads, snow removal, fire safety coordination with Utah's Department of Natural Resources and the BLM, water infrastructure planning with the Central Iron County Water Conservancy District, an Architectural Review Committee, and CC&R enforcement are all handled through volunteer committees that meet monthly. Cedar Highlands briefly incorporated as a town in 2018 and then voted itself back to unincorporated status in 2020. That history matters, because it tells you the residents here have opinions about how the community is run, and the HOA is unusually active for a Cedar City subdivision. CC&R revisions are under community review in 2025, with a town hall planned before any vote.
Day-to-day life here is mountain life. Mature juniper, pinyon, and ponderosa cover most lots. Wildlife in the yard is normal. Internet, natural gas, power, and water are in the street on most lots, and the HOA has been investing in a 500,000 gallon buried water tank and expanded fire hydrant coverage with the water district. Roads are steep in places and the HOA flat out recommends 4x4 with good traction tires year-round. This is not Mesa Hills or Cross Hollow Hills with a view. It's a different product, with a different buyer.
The city sets the frame,
your home sets the price.
These are the citywide Cedar City single-family numbers I brief every seller with before we talk strategy. They show which direction the market is moving. What they cannot tell you is what your specific home is worth, because a citywide median hides the differences in lot, finish, and location that decide your number. That gap is exactly why a personalized Cedar Highlands valuation matters more here than any headline median.
Citywide single-family figures, year over year. A rising median with homes selling near asking signals a market with momentum. Use it as backdrop for your home, not as a per-square-foot price.
Based on information from the Iron County Board of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service for the period May 1, 2025 through May 1, 2026. Figures reflect citywide single-family residential activity for Cedar City and are not specific to Cedar Highlands. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Home styles, lot types, and the typical Cedar Highlands buyer.
The buyer pool here is not the Cedar City family pool. It's narrower and more specific, which is useful to know if you're selling or building.
1980s and 1990s log and chalet
The founding stock of the neighborhood. Two-story log cabins, A-frame chalets, and country-cottage builds in the 1,400 to 2,200 sqft range, usually 2 to 3 bedrooms, often with a wood-burning stove, vaulted living room, and a wrap deck. Many sit on 1.5 to 3 acres. The cabins that have been kept clean, with updated roofs and stained logs, pull strong second-home buyers. The ones that haven't can sit for a year.
Modern view-oriented builds
The premium product. 3,000 to 4,300+ sqft, three stories common to maximize valley views, 20-foot ceilings, large portrait windows facing west, attached garages, wrap decks, and gas fire pits. Built for primary residents and high-end second-home buyers. The price ceiling for the neighborhood lives here, and these listings shop on view line, finish level, and architecture, not per-square-foot.
Buildable parcels, 1 to 5+ acres
The subdivision still has active lot inventory, with multiple parcels usually on the market at any time. Power, water, natural gas, and internet in the street. County-approved septic. Several lots have already had geological assessments completed, driveways cleared, and building pads prepped. Lot buyers split between custom-home builders and patient land-bankers waiting for the right time to build.
Out-of-state retreats and retirees
Most active buyer pools, in rough order: Las Vegas and Southern California second-home buyers escaping summer heat, Salt Lake City and Wasatch Front weekenders, retiring couples relocating from out of state, and remote workers who want elevation and seclusion. Local Cedar City buyers move here less often. Families with young school-age kids almost never buy here. The drive to schools is not a fit.
Active, with real teeth
The Cedar Highlands HOA is unusually active. Volunteer committees run Roads, Fire and Safety, ARC, and CC&Rs, with monthly meetings at the Cedar City Public Library. Annual dues cover year-round road maintenance and snow removal. The ARC reviews new builds, exterior changes, and accessory structures. Buyers will want the CC&Rs in their hands during due diligence. CC&R revisions are under community review in 2025.
Confirm before you bank on STR
Cedar Highlands sits in unincorporated Iron County, so the rules are different than Cedar City proper. CC&Rs and Iron County zoning both come into play, and the HOA has weighed in on rental activity at multiple meetings. If short-term rental income is part of your purchase thesis, verify in writing with the HOA and the County before you remove contingencies. This is the most common buyer-side surprise in this subdivision.
What sellers should know about listing in Cedar Highlands.
Six things that come up on almost every Cedar Highlands listing. Some are good news. Some are problems worth fixing before the sign goes in the ground.
Days on market run longer than the Cedar City average
The citywide pace is shown in the market snapshot above. Cedar Highlands typically runs longer because the buyer pool is smaller and more selective, and because cabin and second-home demand is seasonal. That's not a problem if your pricing and marketing match the inventory. It is a problem if you priced for the valley and shoot for a 30-day close.
View orientation is the swing variable, not square footage
Valley-view lots facing west and south carry a real premium over interior or tree-locked lots, regardless of square footage. The listing photography has to lead with the view. A drone shot at golden hour, captured from the deck, beats a wide-angle of the kitchen ten times out of ten in this subdivision.
Roof, deck, and stained-log condition are the top inspection items
At 8,000 feet, weather works on a house harder than it does in the valley. UV degrades log stain. Snow load and freeze-thaw stress decks and railings. The metal roofs that work great here only work great if the fasteners and sealant have been kept up. A pre-list roof and deck inspection, plus a fresh re-stain on log exteriors, removes the three negotiation items buyers ask for almost every time.
Defensible space is now a buyer due-diligence item
Wildfire is part of the conversation in this subdivision. The HOA coordinates an annual chipping program with the Department of Natural Resources for residents who clear and pile vegetation correctly. Sellers who can show a maintained defensible space, recent chipping participation, and clean tree separation around the home have a real advantage. Out-of-state second-home buyers ask about this directly.
HOA disclosure has to be airtight
Buyers and their lenders will need the HOA dues schedule, CC&Rs, ARC guidelines, current and proposed amendments, and recent meeting minutes. The Cedar Highlands HOA documents are accessible but require coordination, and listings that have the full packet ready up front tend to close one to two weeks ahead of listings that don't. With CC&R revisions currently under community review, expect questions.
Your buyer is probably not local, and that changes the marketing
A meaningful share of Cedar Highlands buyers come from Las Vegas, Southern California, and the Wasatch Front. They aren't driving by your sign. They're finding this home through video, drone, and out-of-state buyer reach. That's why the marketing dollars on a Cedar Highlands listing belong in cinematography and paid promotion, not in open-house signs on Main Street.
Inside a 30-minute drive.
Cedar Highlands trades convenience for elevation, but it's closer to the action than most mountain communities. Downtown Cedar City is 10 to 15 minutes down the canyon, Brian Head Resort is roughly 25 to 30 minutes up, and Cedar Breaks is right out the back door of the range.
Search active Cedar Highlands listings on MovingUtahBrian Head Resort
Utah's highest base elevation ski resort, roughly 25 to 30 minutes up Highway 143. The closest lift-served skiing to Cedar City.
Cedar Breaks
A 10,000-foot natural amphitheater of red rock spires, about 30 minutes east. Wildflower season runs late July into August.
Cedar Mountain forest access
Forest Service roads and trails directly off the subdivision into Dixie National Forest. Hiking, mountain biking, ATV, hunting, and snowshoeing all start from your front door.
SUU and the Shakespeare Festival
Southern Utah University and the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival, about 15 minutes down the canyon. Summer programming runs June through October.
Cedar City Regional
Direct daily flights to Salt Lake City, plus general aviation. Roughly 20 minutes from the subdivision down the canyon and across town.
Three Peaks Recreation Area
BLM rock climbing, trail running, biking, and dispersed camping on Cedar City's west side, about 25 minutes away. Hosts an annual mountain bike festival.
Curious what your home in Cedar Highlands would sell for in this market?
The questionnaire takes about 4 minutes. I read every submission, pull the comps from the Iron County MLS personally, factor in your specific lot, view orientation, and finish level, and send back a written pricing band, usually within one business day.
Free, no obligation, no marketing list.
Or call Scott directly at (435) 357-4345
Related pages worth reading.
Selling in Cedar City
How I list and market homes across Cedar City, from pricing strategy to MLS, photo, video, and out-of-state buyer reach.
What's my Cedar City home worth?
Why Zestimates miss in Utah, what drives Cedar City home values right now, and how the questionnaire actually works.
Fiddlers Canyon
Northern Cedar City's family neighborhood. Three schools inside the boundary, trail access, and a resale market that moves year-round.
Old Sorrel Ranch
Active Cedar City new construction community, currently in Phase 5. Four floor plans on quarter-acre lots.
Get a real number for your Cedar Highlands home.
Start with the questionnaire, or call directly. The pricing band is honest, the comps are real, and there is zero pressure to do anything next.