St. George · Washington County
SunRiver St. George
by Darcy Stewart Homes
$350,000 to $799,000
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Everything on SunRiver St. George, in one place. Free, from a Utah real estate broker and senior move specialist.
Quick answer
SunRiver St. George is a 55+ age-restricted community in St. George, Washington County, Utah, built by Darcy Stewart Homes, with about 2,300 homes. Homes are single-family homes running 1,008 to 3,184 square feet, priced $350,000 to $799,000. HOA dues run about $172 per month. The community is built out, so homes sell as resale.
It is a residential community, not assisted living or senior care. There is no staff, no nursing, and no meal service. Residents own their homes.
Verified July 2026 by Kris Bowen, Utah real estate broker and senior move specialist. 801-999-8005
SunRiver St. George is Utah’s largest 55+ community. Established in 1998 and now roughly 2,300 homes, it is built around a championship golf course and an amenity campus no smaller development in the state can match, from indoor and outdoor pools to a woodworking shop, a ceramics studio, and a lawn bowling green.
What actually sets it apart is not the buildings. It is that residents run seventy-plus clubs and groups, supported by an on-site activity director. If you are moving partly because your social world got smaller, this is the deepest calendar in Utah.
Broker's note
This is the deepest social community in Utah, and that is the whole reason to buy here. Seventy-plus resident groups and an on-site activity director is not something a smaller development can replicate, no matter how nice the clubhouse looks on the tour. If you are moving partly because your world got quieter, that matters more than the countertops.
Be honest with yourself about the heat and the distance. Summers run over 100 degrees for weeks, and you are four and a half hours from Salt Lake. People love it here in March and question it in July. Come look in the summer, not just on a spring weekend.
The other thing I would correct: St. George is not the bargain people assume. Median prices here are roughly even with Salt Lake County. The real draw is climate, a lower everyday cost of living, and this lifestyle, not a cheaper house.
Because homes date from 1998 onward, condition varies enormously street to street. A 2003 home that has never been updated and a 2018 home look identical in a listing summary and are very different purchases. Roofs, HVAC, and original kitchens are where the money hides here.
Kris Bowen, Real Estate Broker · 23 years in Utah
Is this the right fit?
A good fit if you want
- An active social life, with clubs and organized activities most days
- Golf, pickleball, tennis, or year-round outdoor recreation
- Warm winters and no snow shoveling
- A large established community with mature landscaping and full amenities
- Lock-and-leave living for part-year residents and travelers
Look elsewhere if
- You want to stay close to Wasatch Front family. Salt Lake is roughly four and a half hours north
- You struggle in extreme heat. Summer runs over 100 degrees for extended stretches
- You expect St. George to be dramatically cheaper than Salt Lake County. It is not
- You want brand-new construction. This community is essentially built out and sells as resale
- You want a small, quiet community. This one is large, busy, and social by design
The homes
What "single-level" actually means here
Plenty of 55+ homes advertise main-floor living and still put the laundry in the basement or the second bedroom upstairs. Here is exactly what sits on the entry level.
- Primary suite on the entry level
- Laundry on the entry level
- All daily essentials on one floor
Most homes here are single-level, which is a large part of the appeal, but this is a community built over more than two decades and floor plans vary a great deal. Confirm the layout on the specific home rather than assuming, especially on the larger plans.
What to check when you walk a home here
- Measure the interior doorways. 32 inches of clear width is the minimum that stays workable with a walker; 36 is better. This is expensive to change and easy to check with a tape measure.
- Look for a step-free way in. Often the garage door is the flattest entry in the house, and no listing ever mentions it.
- Push on the bathroom walls where a grab bar would go. If there is no blocking behind the drywall, adding one properly means opening the wall.
- Check whether the shower could go curbless without moving the drain, and whether there is turning room in the bathroom.
- Ask the age of the roof, furnace, and water heater. On resale homes in an established community, this is where the real money hides.
Amenities
- Community clubhouse and amenity center
- Championship golf course on site
- On-site restaurant
- Fitness center
- Indoor pool
- Outdoor pool
- Tennis courts
- Pickleball courts
- Bocce ball courts
- Lawn bowling green
- Horseshoe pits
- Basketball court
- Ballroom
- Library
- Billiards room
- Card room
- Woodworking shop
- Ceramics studio
- Arts and crafts studio
- Aerobics and dance studio
- Demonstration kitchen
- Computer room
- Walking and biking trails
- Pet park
Clubs and activities
Amenities are the building. This is what actually happens in it, and it is the truest picture of whether you would enjoy living here. Residents run 40+ groups and activities.
- Golf leagues
- Pickleball club
- Tennis club
- Bocce ball
- Lawn bowling
- Horseshoes
- Duplicate bridge
- Card groups
- Mahjong
- Billiards league
- Woodworking guild
- Lapidary and rock club
- Ceramics
- Quilting and sewing
- Painting and fine art
- Photography
- Genealogy
- Book club
- Computer club
- Line dancing
- Ballroom dancing
- Water aerobics
- Yoga
- Tai chi
- Seated and low-impact fitness
- Hiking group
- Cycling group
- RV and travel club
- Motorcycle group
- Singles group
- Veterans group
- Red Hat social club
- Bunco
- Bingo
- Choir and music groups
- Theater and drama
- Garden club
- Bird watching
- Service and volunteer groups
- Holiday and seasonal events
SunRiver has an on-site activity director, which is unusual in Utah and is the main reason the calendar stays full year round rather than depending on whoever volunteers. Club rosters change season to season, so ask for the current activity guide. If an active social calendar is the reason you are moving, this is the deepest one in the state.
The HOA
$172 to $242 per month, depending on the home
What the dues cover:
- Front yard maintenance on every home
- Clubhouse and all amenity access
- Common-area landscaping and maintenance
- Association staffing and management
- Community events and activity programming
SunRiver publishes its dues, which most Utah 55+ communities do not. Base dues are $172 a month and cover front yard maintenance, common areas, the community center, pool, sports courts, and association staffing. Homes inside the gated Reflections section pay $70 a month on top of that, so $242. Rear yard maintenance is optional at $54 a month, and walking mowers instead of riding mowers add $10. Golf is a separate membership and is not covered by dues. Confirm the figure for a specific address before writing an offer.
Two cautions I give every client buying into a newer association
Developer-set dues are introductory. While a builder still controls the association, dues are commonly set low and reserves underfunded, because low dues sell houses. After homeowners take over, boards routinely raise dues and levy assessments to catch up. Ask for the projected turnover date.
Ask for the reserve study, and check its date. Utah law requires a reserve analysis at least every six years, reviewed at least every three, with an annual summary to owners. Under 70 percent funded is a yellow flag. Under 50 percent is a real problem, and the bill arrives as a special assessment after you close.
Who is actually allowed to live here
This is the part that blindsides families, so I would rather over-explain it.
Under the federal Housing for Older Persons Act, a community keeps its senior exemption as long as at least 80 percent of occupied homes have a resident 55 or older. That remaining 20 percent is the cushion associations use to allow a younger spouse, an early-50s buyer, or a surviving partner.
The thing almost nobody knows: HOPA does not, by itself, protect an under-55 surviving spouse. Whether your husband or wife can stay after you are gone depends entirely on the recorded CC&Rs. Some communities include an explicit survivor clause. Some leave it to the board. Some are silent, which is the worst version.
Get these answered in writing before you write an offer
- Can a surviving spouse under 55 remain, and is it written down or left to the board?
- Can an heir under 55 inherit and live in the home, or only rent or sell it?
- How much of the 20 percent cushion is already in use? If the community sits at 19 percent, there is no room left for your spouse. This is obtainable from the association and virtually nobody asks.
- Can a live-in caregiver under 55 stay if one of you needs help?
- How many days per year may a younger guest stay, and does that constrain a summer with the grandchildren?
Location and getting to services
Typical-traffic drive times from SunRiver St. George to the places you will actually go.
How far is this from you?
Enter your doctor's office, your church, or a family member's address and see the drive from this community.
Opens driving directions in Google Maps with SunRiver St. George as the destination. Your address is not saved, stored, or sent to us. It goes straight from your browser to Google Maps.
The question adult children ask that nobody answers
How does an ambulance get in? If a community is gated or has controlled access, ask whether the fire district has a Knox box or gate code on file, and whether the first-due unit carries a paramedic. That detail matters more than the drive time does.
A useful benchmark: Medicare Advantage network adequacy rules set maximum time and distance standards by county type. In large metro counties the primary care standard is 10 minutes or 5 miles.
If you stop driving
The least-discussed risk in active adult housing. Losing the ability to drive roughly doubles the risk of depression symptoms and social isolation, and where a home sits determines how hard that transition is.
- Is there a continuous sidewalk to anything useful, or does every errand require a car?
- What is the walk to a grocery store or pharmacy on the actual sidewalk route?
- Is the address inside a UTA paratransit service area? ADA paratransit generally covers within three quarters of a mile of a fixed route.
- Does a county senior transport or volunteer ride program serve this address?
What it really costs each month
The sticker price is the least interesting number. What matters is the monthly nut, and how it compares to what you are paying now.
Starting here, roughly
—/mo
Based on this community's entry price of $350,000 and dues of $172, with (July 30, 2026 average), plus a typical Utah effective property tax rate and insurance. Utilities are not included.
Run your own numbers (opens in a new tab)These payment figures are an estimate for budgeting and planning only. They are not a mortgage quote, a loan offer, or a commitment to lend. Your actual rate and payment depend on your credit, loan program, and current market rates. Talk to a licensed mortgage professional for real numbers. Connect with our preferred Utah lender.
* Based on what the community and builder publish about the dues, which I have looked up rather than assumed. It is not confirmed against the association's own budget and governing documents, and exactly what is covered can differ by phase, by home type, and over time. I pull the current budget and CC&Rs for clients before they write an offer.
This is the honest case for a 55+ community, and it is the one most people get wrong. The HOA fee is not purely an added cost. It replaces line items you already pay on a larger home, in cash or in your own labor. When someone tells me downsizing does not pencil, we usually find they compared the mortgage and the dues and left out the lawn service, the snow, and the roof they will need in six years.
Typical utilities
Rough monthly ranges for a home this size in St. George. Utilities are the line item people most often forget to compare, and they are usually where a smaller home wins.
Estimates only, and they vary a lot. A townhome, a condo, and a detached single-family home of the same square footage can run very differently, and so can two neighbors in identical homes depending on thermostat habits, occupancy, and whether the yard is irrigated. Treat these as a starting point, then ask for the actual bills on a specific address.
For the son or daughter reading this
If you are researching on behalf of a parent, you are asking different questions than they are, and both sets are legitimate.
Some perspective, honestly offered: hands-on help from an adult child drops off sharply with distance. Weekly help hours fall from roughly three when you live on the same block to about one at two to five miles away, and keep falling from there. If you are weighing communities, distance from you matters more than most families treat it.
What to check here
How far it is from you. Whether the community is gated and how emergency services get in. Cell signal for a medical alert device. Broadband for telehealth. Whether an under-55 caregiver may live in. Whether the architectural committee permits a ramp or grab bars. And the overnight guest limit, which is the rule that quietly prevents you from staying a week to help.
What this community is, and what it is not
An active adult community is real estate, not care. There is no staff, no nurses, no meals, and no call system. If your parent needs help with bathing, dressing, or medication, that is assisted living, which is a different product entirely. Buying here because it sounds like a safer version of a house is the most expensive mistake families make.
Also worth knowing before you plan around it: Medicare does not pay for custodial help with bathing, dressing, meals, or housekeeping. It covers skilled, intermittent home health only. That gap is what actually forces the next move, and it catches families by surprise.
If you are coordinating with siblings
Agree among yourselves before anyone talks to your parents. The fastest way to derail this is one sibling feeling blindsided, and a parent who senses a united front they were not part of will dig in harder.
Decide early who is the point of contact, who handles the money conversation, and who is simply there for support. If the house eventually sells, the proceeds question tends to surface old family dynamics. Naming that in advance costs nothing and prevents a lot.
Paperwork worth locating now, not later
The deed, the mortgage payoff, a recent tax notice, and the HOA documents if there are any. If a parent may not be able to sign for themselves at some point, the power of attorney or trust paperwork matters enormously and is miserable to sort out under time pressure.
If the move is tied to care costs, talk to an elder law attorney and a CPA before anything sells. I am a broker, not a tax or legal advisor, but I work with families in this spot often and can point you to people who handle it properly.
The most common mistake is leading with logic. Parents who feel managed dig in. The families I see succeed start with what would make the next few years easier and more enjoyable, and let the house question follow.
I am glad to walk a community with the whole family at once and give the same honest read to everybody in the room. That is most of what I do.
Other 55+ communities to compare
Worth a look before you decide. I would rather you tour two or three than fall for the first one you see.
Information on this page is gathered from the builder, the association, public records, and other sources believed reliable, but it is not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice. Pricing, availability, HOA dues, amenities, and recorded community rules change often. Cost and utility figures are estimates only and vary widely by home type, size, and household. Verify all details for a specific address, and read the recorded documents, before you make an offer. Kris Bowen is a licensed real estate broker, not a tax, legal, insurance, or medical advisor. Last reviewed July 2026.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
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Is SunRiver St. George the largest 55+ community in Utah?
Yes. SunRiver was established in 1998 and has grown to roughly 2,300 homes, which makes it the largest age-restricted community in the state by a wide margin. Its size is the reason it can support a championship golf course, an on-site restaurant, indoor and outdoor pools, and dozens of resident clubs that smaller communities cannot sustain.
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How much do homes cost at SunRiver St. George?
Homes have generally listed from the mid $300,000s to the high $700,000s depending on size, age, and condition, across floor plans that run from about 1,008 to 3,184 square feet. Because the community has been building since 1998, two homes at the same price can be in very different condition. Roofs, HVAC systems, and original kitchens are where costs hide.
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What are the HOA dues at SunRiver St. George?
Base dues are $172 a month, which is unusually transparent for a Utah 55+ community. That covers front yard maintenance on every home, common areas, the community center, pool, sports courts, and association staffing and management. Homes in the gated Reflections section pay an additional $70 a month for their private amenities, bringing the total to $242. Rear yard maintenance is optional at $54 a month, and asking for walking mowers instead of riding mowers adds $10.
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Is golf included in the HOA dues at SunRiver?
No. The SunRiver Golf Club is a public course, and HOA dues do not cover play. Residents get preferential rates and tee times, but the club does not publish a resident rate card or membership tiers online, so call the pro shop for current numbers rather than trusting a third-party summary.
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Is St. George cheaper than Salt Lake City for retirement?
Not on housing. St. George median prices run roughly even with Salt Lake County, so the common assumption that southern Utah is dramatically cheaper does not hold. The genuine draws are the climate, a lower everyday cost of living, and the lifestyle. Budget for higher summer cooling costs, which can run well above what you pay on the Wasatch Front.
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How hot does it get at SunRiver in the summer?
Summer temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees for extended stretches, which is the trade-off for winters with almost no snow. Many residents travel during the hottest weeks. If you are touring, come once in summer as well as in spring, because the two seasons feel like different places.
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How far is SunRiver from Salt Lake City?
Roughly four and a half hours by car. St. George Regional Airport is about 20 minutes away for regional flights, and Harry Reid International in Las Vegas is about two hours, which is how most residents fly for longer trips. If staying close to Wasatch Front family matters, this distance is the single biggest factor to weigh.
Talk to a real person
Thinking about SunRiver St. George?
I will send the CC&Rs, the HOA budget and reserve study, current pricing, and my honest read. Or just call and ask one question. Both are free.
Call or text 801-999-8005No pressure, no obligation. Happy to talk with you, your spouse, and your family together.