Living in Alpine, Utah: The 2026 Guide

Is Alpine, Utah a good place to live?

For families who want space, quiet, and the mountains out the back door, yes. Alpine is a settled, low-density town where the smallest lot in most zones is close to half an acre, horses are allowed in every zone, and the city has worked hard to keep it that way.

• The lowest crime rate in Utah County: Alpine and Highland share the Lone Peak Police Department, which reported 8.50 offenses per 1,000 residents in 2024, the lowest of any police agency in the county. The county rate was 30.81 and the state rate was 49.44. The figure covers both cities together.
• Not a boomtown: Alpine had 10,255 people in 2020 and an estimated 10,444 in 2025, up less than 2% while Utah County grew about 15%. New building is mostly a handful of lots at a time.
• Close to Silicon Slopes: about 13 minutes to Lehi, 30 minutes to downtown Provo, and 40 minutes to downtown Salt Lake City without traffic.
• Mountains in town: Lambert Park and the Fort Canyon trailhead are in the city, and American Fork Canyon and the Alpine Loop are just east.

The tradeoffs: Alpine is expensive, it has no hospital (American Fork Hospital is about 11 minutes away), no city library (the city pays $50 a year toward a library card elsewhere), and no city recreation program.

How much do homes cost in Alpine?

Alpine home prices rose from a median of $680,000 in 2019 to $1,280,000 in 2022, eased to about $1.1 million to $1.19 million from 2023 through 2025, and are at $1,467,000 so far in 2026. The 2026 figure comes from only 60 sales, and more large homes sold this year, so treat that jump with care. Over the last 12 months (October 2025 through September 2026), the median single-family home sold for $1,448,082, or $262 per square foot, and 74.4% of sales were $1 million or more.

Median sold price of single-family homes in Alpine by year. *2026 is January through September. Based on UtahRealEstate.com sales data, pulled October 20, 2026.

What your budget buys in Alpine

Alpine is mostly a resale market: only 5 of the 78 single-family homes sold in the last 12 months were built in 2025 or later. Older resale homes sold for a median of $1,399,900, took a median of 59 days to sell, and closed at about 96.9% of their list price. As of October 20, 2026, 47 single-family homes were for sale in Alpine, with a median list price of about $2.2 million. Building lots of an acre or less sold for a median of $840,000 (about two-thirds of an acre) over the last two years, across 45 sales, and 17 parcels over an acre sold for a median of $2,000,000.

What are property taxes in Alpine, Utah?

Alpine's 2026 total property tax rate is 0.008506 (Utah County tax district 40), up slightly from 0.008405 in 2025. That is one of the lower rates in Utah County, below Springville (0.009626) and Payson (0.009882), though a little above neighboring Highland (0.008107). About 68% of the bill goes to the Alpine School District. The city's own share is 0.001174.

Utah taxes a primary home on only 55% of its market value, because of the state's 45% residential exemption.

The big-lot catch: state law lets the exemption cover no more than one acre of land per home. On a two- or five-acre Alpine property, the land beyond the first acre is taxed on its full value, so the bill can run well above this example. Ask the county for the land and building values on any large parcel before you buy. Second homes and rentals are taxed on full value.

What does it cost to live in Alpine, Utah?

Housing is the big cost: the median home sold for $1,448,082 over the last 12 months. After that, Alpine's yearly costs are moderate. Property tax on a $1.45 million primary home is about $6,800 a year, and the city's utility rates are low.

Who provides utilities in Alpine?

• Power: Rocky Mountain Power, (888) 221-7070. Alpine does not run its own electric company.
• Natural gas: Enbridge Gas, (800) 323-5517.
• City utilities on one bill: drinking water, pressurized irrigation, sewer, garbage, and storm drain. Call Alpine City at (801) 756-6347 to start service ($100 deposit and $25 transfer fee).

Alpine city utility rates

Rates as posted on the Alpine City utility billing page, checked October 20, 2026. Pressurized irrigation is billed separately: a year-round base charge plus metered use priced by month, gallons, and lot size, so big lots pay more. The city posts a 2026 estimator on the same page.

Does Alpine have secondary water?

Yes, almost everywhere. Alpine runs a citywide pressurized irrigation system for lawns and gardens, and it is metered, so you pay for what you use. A few areas the city names, including Box Elder and parts of Willow Canyon, cannot be served by it and water their yards with city drinking water at a lower overage rate instead.

Water rights matter here too. Anyone building a guest house has to give the city half an acre-foot of water rights, and homes above 5,350 feet pay for the pumps and tanks needed to get water up the hill.

What are the zoning and lot size rules in Alpine, Utah?

Most of Alpine is zoned for half-acre or one-acre lots, and the steeper the lot, the bigger it has to be. Under the Alpine City Development Code, the minimum lot size in the two main residential zones depends on the lot's average slope:

• TR-10,000 (the old town center): 10,000 square feet minimum.
• CE-5 and CE-50 (the mountain areas): no standard lot size. Homes are allowed only on existing lots or in planned developments, and nothing can be built on slopes over 25%.
• Height: homes in the CR-20,000 zone can be up to 34 feet tall.

Can you have horses in Alpine, Utah?

Yes, in every zone, based on lot size. Alpine allows one horse or cow per 10,000 square feet of lot, up to five per lot (the City Council can approve more on lots over 5 acres). Barns, corrals, and coops must be at least 75 feet from a neighbor's home. Goats and sheep are allowed up to 10, and pigs up to 2. On lots steeper than 20%, animal use needs city approval.

What are the hillside building rules in Alpine?

If any part of a lot is above 5,350 feet in elevation, building there is a conditional use with extra rules under Alpine's Hillside Protection Overlay.

• Height: no more than 25 feet, measured from the lowest point of the grade, and no homes on a ridge line or standing out against the skyline from main roads.
• Look: neutral colors, non-reflective glass, and a landscaping plan to soften the view from below.
• Hazards: nothing within 50 feet of slopes over 40% or known landslide areas, based on a soils or geology report. Homes must meet the wildfire, flood, and geologic hazard rules.
• Utilities: the development pays for any pumps, pipes, and tanks needed for water pressure, plus the cost of pumping, and must connect to city sewer no matter how far away it is.
• Grading: limited to about 30 feet around the home and kept at least 20 feet from the property lines unless the city approves otherwise.

Before you buy a hillside lot, check it against the city's debris, fault, and flood hazard maps on the Planning and Zoning page, and budget for engineering.

Can you build an ADU or basement apartment in Alpine?

Yes, inside the home only. Alpine allows one accessory apartment inside an owner-occupied single-family home, under section 3.14 of the city code, adopted in 2023:

• The owner must live there. A temporary absence of up to three years is allowed after living in the home for a year.
• Parking: at least four off-street spaces in total (garage and driveway count), one of them set aside for the apartment.
• Entrance: its own outside door on the side or rear of the house.
• One meter for each utility, in the owner's name.
• Registration: the city charges $101 to register and inspect the apartment and $50 a year to renew.

Detached units are not allowed as ADUs. A new garage, shop, barn, or pool house comes with a recorded agreement that it will not be used as a dwelling or for overnight stays. The one exception is a guest house, which the city may approve as a conditional use on lots of at least five acres, set back at least 30 feet behind the main home, with half an acre-foot of water rights given to the city.

What schools serve Alpine?

Alpine is in the Alpine School District today. On July 1, 2027, that district splits into three, and Alpine will be part of the new Aspen Peaks School District, along with American Fork, Cedar Hills, Highland, Lehi, and the Utah County part of Draper.

• Elementary schools in Alpine: Alpine Elementary and Westfield Elementary
• Middle school in Alpine: Timberline Middle School
• Nearest high school: Lone Peak High School in Highland

School boundaries depend on the address, so confirm a specific home with the district at (801) 610-8400 before you buy.

What is the Alpine Loop in Utah, and is it open?

The Alpine Loop is the scenic mountain stretch of State Route 92. It starts at the mouth of American Fork Canyon, just east of Alpine and Highland, climbs to a crest at about 8,000 feet, and comes down into Provo Canyon near Sundance.

• Is it open? It is a seasonal road. The Forest Service says it typically closes around November 1, and UDOT says its seasonal roads usually stay closed from November until May or June, depending on snow. In October 2026, UDOT listed it as open until further notice. Check udottraffic.utah.gov before you go.
• Fees: driving straight through is free. Stopping at developed sites needs a recreation pass ($10 for three days, $20 for seven, $60 for a year).
• No trailers: trailers are prohibited because of steep grades and narrow, blind curves.

Other things to do in Alpine

• Alpine Days, the city celebration every August. The 2027 dates are August 7 to 14.
• Lambert Park and the Fort Canyon trailhead for hiking and mountain biking.
• Moyle Historical Park, with the 1800s Moyle House and stone tower built by John Moyle, a pioneer stonecutter who worked on the Salt Lake Temple. Tours are by appointment.
• Relic Hall and the Crandall Printing Museum on Main Street.

Is Alpine still growing?

Slowly. Alpine is close to built out, so growth comes a few lots at a time. Projects on the city's list in October 2026 include Smooth Canyon Plat B (23 lots at the south end of High Bench Road), several three-lot subdivisions, and a senior housing project on Red Pine Drive.

The bigger conversation is downtown. The city is finishing a Main Street and Gateway Corridors Small Area Plan to guide what Main Street and the entrances to town look like. The Planning Commission held its public hearing in March 2026, the City Council reviewed it from April through July, and consultants are making the final changes.

Voters also approved a parks, arts, recreation, and culture (PARC) sales tax in 2024, which the city estimates brings in about $120,000 a year for park improvements, starting with a new pavilion at Burgess Park.