Retiring in Holladay: Cost of Living, Taxes and Healthcare

Holladay is one of the oldest settled parts of the Salt Lake Valley, and it shows in the best way: tall trees, Big Cottonwood Creek winding through, large lots and a village center that has been rebuilt around a town hall, restaurants and shops. It sits between Millcreek and Cottonwood Heights on the east bench, fifteen minutes from downtown and twenty from the canyons. Many of our clients have lived here for decades, and many others move here to retire near children on the east side.

Big lots and village condos

Holladay housing is largely single-family: mid-century ranches and ramblers on half-acre lots, larger homes along the creek and on the upper bench, and a growing number of condos and townhomes in and around Holladay Village. Prices are at the higher end of Salt Lake County, with lot size and trees commanding a premium. Downsizers often move from a large Holladay home to a village townhome and stay in the same community.

Utah property tax favors full-time residents, taxing a primary residence on 55 percent of its market value. Salt Lake County rates are moderate. A downsizing move within Holladay usually cuts the property tax bill, maintenance and utilities meaningfully. Groceries carry a reduced state sales tax rate, and everyday costs are in line with the rest of the east bench.

Mature homes carry mature maintenance: roofs, sewer lines, electrical and large yards that may need hired help. Earthquake insurance is a separate policy and worth pricing given the Wasatch Fault’s location along the east bench.

Taxes for Holladay retirees

Holladay residents pay the same state income tax as everyone else in Utah, a flat 4.45 percent for 2026, on pensions, retirement account withdrawals and capital gains. Most retirees under the state’s income limit owe nothing on Social Security, and Utah has no estate tax, which matters for families planning to pass a valuable east bench home to the next generation. For the details, see how Utah taxes retirement income.

Care nearby

St. Mark’s Hospital, just across the border in Millcreek, is minutes from most of Holladay. Intermountain Medical Center in Murray is ten to fifteen minutes. University of Utah Health is twenty minutes north. Clinics from both major systems line Highland Drive and Holladay Boulevard. Traditional Medicare with a supplement covers all of them; Medicare Advantage plans should be checked for the specific providers you plan to use. Holladay also has a number of senior living and assisted living options, which matters if a long-term care plan may eventually involve a move within the community.

Village life

Holladay is quiet by design. The village has restaurants, a farmers market and events; Highland Drive and Fort Union offer the rest. The Cottonwood canyons are twenty minutes, downtown fifteen, the airport thirty. The bench sits high enough to avoid some of the worst winter inversion days. People move to Holladay and stay.

The decisions that matter most

Stay or downsize. The classic Holladay retirement question. A paid-off home worth a large share of your net worth is secure but illiquid. We model staying, with the maintenance and tax that come with it, against moving to a smaller home and investing the difference. Neither is always right.

Income and tax sequencing. Social Security timing, pension options, withdrawal order and Roth conversions under Utah’s flat rate. See Roth conversions before RMDs.

Health and long-term care. Medicare choices, and a plan for care that may include insurance, self-funding or a hybrid policy. Holladay’s senior living options make a local plan realistic.

The home in the estate plan. A trust that holds the home avoids probate, and clear instructions about whether it is sold or kept prevent the most common family dispute. Our article on leaving a home to your kids without a fight covers it.

The investments. Keep enough in cash and bonds that the house never has to be sold on a deadline, and let the rest follow the plan. Our portfolio management page explains how we build that.

Ten minutes from our office

Our office in Sugar House is ten minutes from Holladay Village. Many of our Holladay clients have been in their homes for decades, and the conversation often starts with the house and ends with everything else: income, taxes, care and what the kids will inherit. More on how we work is on our Salt Lake City financial planning page.

Frequently asked questions

Written by Samuel Preine, Wealth Advisor, RJFS. Last reviewed: October 28, 2026.