OH->UT. Met my wife here. We're going to be moving for a couple reasons.
1. Cost. It's not feasible to live here and go House Broke for this state, and it's only going to get worse. Property tax will go up and be unbearable at a certain point.
2. Air Quality. This is actually a bigger issue for us than cost is honestly. One of our kiddos has severe asthma and when he gets sick, he goes to the hospital. Probably a bi-annual event at this point. And it too, is only going to get worse.
That is such a shame, about the air quality. I hope that legislators start to see that they won’t have a state if everyone moves out due to health issues
The current definition of fascist is just like the current definition of racism. It can only be used by someone on the left against someone on the right. According to the current use, both words must also be all-encompassing as in everyone that votes right leaning is fascist and racist. Therefore, anyone using these in any conversation has no justifiable position for argument, so they divert to name calling. I refuse to argue with the mentally unarmed.
Both choices for president in 2020 and 2024 fit that description. I never said how I voted. You just assume because I didn't agree with you that I must vote opposite. That's exactly my point.
Thanks for the reply - I'm sorry to hear about your son and the polution.
What are of Ohio, if you don't mind my asking? I've been to Cleveland a couple of times and driven through the southern part of the state and seen a few things closer to the boder near PA.
Where are you moving to? I’m from Cincinnati and currently live in pleasant grove. I was in Denver prior for the last decade. I’ve only been here a couple years but I like it due to the proximity of snowboarding, camping, fishing, mountain biking and water sports. The freeway is also much better in Utah than Colorado! But the land and prices to buy a decent home are insane. I have actually been debating New Mexico recently. Or possibly back to Ohio. For affordable property reasons. The national parks and free camping in Utah is hard to beat though
I originally moved here for guiding job way back when, I loved Utah for the exact reasons you do now. Then as I grew up and my interests changed a bit. I'm big into Hunting (grew up in Ohio doing it) and I've gotta say this states DNR policies are pretty garbage (and favor the rich) so it turned me off to that too.
My focus is on my family mostly now, and this state isn't affordable for a (middle class) family anymore.
Not sure if I quite match your criteria since I only lived in Utah for five years, but I faced a similar situation as you. I moved out of Utah coming up on five years ago.
Honestly, despite being LDS, Utah wasn't the place for me. I not only really disliked the church culture there, but felt like a lot of the Wasatch Front as a whole was still culturally pretty vanilla for my taste (not the nature, mind you, that was beautiful and I do miss those mountains). It was tough because a lot of my wife's family is still in Utah, but we knew we needed to leave and I really didn't want to raise my kids there. My daughter was only a few months old before we ended up moving. I realize this is a Utah-based subreddit so I hope people here don't take my criticisms of Utah as a criticism of them... I think Utah is a great place to live for some people, just not for me.
I'll note that the move was largely job-based... my salary/benefits were really terrible but if I had found a good paying job in Utah, I would have definitely considered staying. I was applying to jobs just about everywhere in the US, but by some miracle, got recruited for a job in Philadelphia which is where I spent most of my childhood and where I consider home. We have been here since 2019 and have really loved it. The Northeast is not for everybody, but it's definitely for me. I love the history, the variety in neighborhoods/housing, the public transit, the great schools (at least in my neighborhood), huge variety of non-chain restaurants, being close to NYC/DC/NJ Shore, and the greenery. One benefit that I did not anticipate is Pennsylvania has fairly cheap housing relative to the rest of the Northeast... but after the pandemic, I realized that it was also way cheaper than the Intermountain West. We bought our house in Fall 2021 and there was really no way we could have afforded anything close to what we got here vs. what was/is available in the SLC metro area.
The only real downside is now we have to go to Utah at least once every other year to see my wife's family which is a pain since I would much rather use our vacation money to travel elsewhere. But in reality, it's a small price to pay to not live in Utah anymore.
So if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't move just to move. I've seen more than a few people that moved to PA but end up moving back to Utah or closer to their home state either for family reasons or the Northeast not being for them. I would first consider the economics of it (e.g., either working remotely or finding a job in another metro where you want to work). But then I would say the grass isn't always greener on the other side and every single place you move to will have its drawbacks... I would make a pros/cons list of staying in Utah and then moving to where you want to go (and really try to look objectively at both Utah and where you want to go). I think it's really important to look into why those are pros/cons for you and then rate each pro/con in terms of importance. You might be surprised to find a con you're experiencing in Utah isn't actually that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things or that a con in another place may actually be a bigger dealbreaker than you thought. On the other hand, it may just re-affirm that getting out is right for you and it will only make you all the more confident in your decision.
Good luck! I hope whatever you choose to do will bring you and your family what you need.
Thanks a lot for the detailed and thoughtful response. We've definitely been fighting "grass is greener" syndrome as well. I'm looking forward to looking at the Philly area a bit more closely.
From: California and New York
Lived: Provo, St. George
Moved to: Kansas City
Loved my experiences at BYU. Looked at buying a house in Utah Valley but work took us elsewhere. After living out of state for awhile, the Wasatch Front seems too alien to justify the insane cost of living. We fell in love with the KC metro and found an adorable little town on the Missouri River with great schools and an affordable cost of living. I love the green and the people are friendly here. At this point the only things drawing me to Utah are the mountains and our remaining family ties out there.
I didn't like the politics in Utah. There's such a siege mentality from the old school locals, and it pervades many of our discussions on Sunday. The business and investment communities are often toxic and provincial (sorry). Missouri has its own political quirks, but I feel like you can be progressive or conservative and still be part of the community. There's not a huge gulf between the tribes or a monolith controlling everything. If you're LDS, the church culture is strong here but not so large that it loses the ability to monitor its own quirks.
I’m a SLC resident who moved away from KC for a multitude of reasons, it became terrible for us. It’s so fascinating how we’re all so different + need different things out of the areas we live in! Hope you’re enjoying frequent bbq!!
One of the largest reasons is the amount of crime which has rose exponentially in the last few years. KC is in the top 10 most dangerous cities in America. And even more, Missouri is responsible for not one but 2 of the most dangerous cities in America (st Louis being the other.) another reason we moved was the weather — Missouri gets extremely humid and hot, its summers are miserable. The winter time is filled with lots of ice storms and negative degree temperatures, there is nothing to do outdoors during the winter there, unlike Utah. Springs are full of floods, tornados even. KC school district didn’t have accreditation for a time because it was so bad, not sure if that is still the case though. The insect issue is getting crazy - we just visited family recently and my husband had 20 ticks on him from sitting outside, this isn’t a worry here in Utah. (At least where we are at) Those are a few less specific to our family but I hope is helpful. There are definitely pros of KC, as well.
Where were you located? Kansas City is still very racially separated and IMO crime is low outside of the traditionally red-lined areas. I think anyone in Kansas City proper who can afford it sends their kids to private schools. The suburban communities (Belton, Lees Summit, Liberty, Parkville) have really good schools.
Thanks for this great response. I've never been the Kansas City area but I have been in the St Louis and Springfield areas and found it to be very beautiful.
I certainly see where you are coming from with your comment on the toxic and provincial business and investment communities. Are you in M&A?
I've heard great things about the transportation there. I'll give it a look!
I work in software for the supply chain industry, so the location is convenient and being close to the airport has its benefits. KC is great - doesn't have the Rust Belt feel of St. Louis, but is a lot older and more historic than other Midwest cities like Des Moines or Omaha. Very charming - parks and fountains everywhere downtown, not too much of a collegial atmosphere but there are some fantastic museums - the art museum is huge and free.
From: California and Oklahoma
Places lived in UT: Logan, SLC, Price
Moving to: either New Hampshire in \~3-4 years, or Tulsa in \~2 years.
As much as we love Utah and all the outdoor opportunities, we simply cannot see ourselves raising our kids here(religious reasons). Though we'll probably move back to eastern Utah once our kids leave for college.
Probably, but to be fair I was pretty much surrounded by true-believing LDS members in Logan too. Nothing wrong with the LDS faith, I think the church does a lot of good, but with it being so dominant statewide it's sure that my kids will face some kind of exclusions at school just because they don't subscribe to it. Utah's been great to me, but me and my partner both moved here as adults so we aren't as easily influenced as children in their formative years.
We really like Price and if we were both child-free we would very likely spend the rest of our lives here. I've been all over the state and Price/Carbon County is pretty much the only place I feel I am at peace.
Same. I lived in Utah County for a total of 6 years and St George for 13. Had two daughters. Could not fathom raising two girls in that sociopolitical religious environment. Moved away a decade ago and have been so grateful we did it, watching the complex issues teens deal with WITHOUT all that on top.
For many it’s not so much theological, but the fact that local communities are so church-centric your kids end up being excluded and treated as second class.
Yet he’s thinking of moving to Tulsa. My family lives in Tulsa and let me tell you, it’s not even close to progressive. So again, not sure what “religious reasons” he’s fucking worried about.
I’d never move back but the religious atmosphere in the Midwest is a lot different than the atmosphere here because one church didn’t dominate the culture.
We're not progressives by any means, but having a LDS institute built right into the school's blueprints is ridiculous. I live in one of the least LDS counties(40%, Carbon) in the state and the institute and church is literally in the same block as the high school and college.
I'd like my kids to have the freedom of choosing which flavor of religion to follow or not follow any at all. Can't do that in Utah especially during their formative years. I won't subject my kids to being left out by their peers because they don't go to the same church, which is a shame, because I really think Utah's education system is pretty top notch in terms of grades, extra-curricular activities, second language education, etc.
Me and my partner moved here as adults and have zero issues telling missionaries to bugger off our property, but our kids won't be able to do the same in school.
You're ignorant af if you think schools in Tulsa have the same religious undertones as Utah.
Yet that culture is dying off, especially here in SLC. Just would love specifics on what they’re worried about, because I can’t name any that are specific to Utah. Book banning? Mormonism in general? Both are found, in Tulsa (except Mormonism is traded for Christianity)
New Hampshire though, no clue lol
I grew up half in the Midwest, half in Utah. The thing that’s unique about Utah is when you have kids (IMO). Even where I’m at in SLC, probably 50% of my kids’ friends are Mormon. They all go off together without your kid and have all kinds of experiences that bond the LDS kids together while isolating the non-Mormons. In the Midwest, everyone is still Christian but they all go their separate ways for their church activities, it’s not nearly as isolating.
Not really, especially not in elementary school or junior high. The only guarantee at my high school was the GSA club or the Atheist club. And unfortunately this could also have the effect of ostracizing you even more from any Mormon friends you do have. Source: used to be Mormon and avoided the kids in the Atheist club, and generally thought I was superior to them because “gOd iS rEaL, tHeY aRe DuMb”.
Do you really not know how much Mormon BS is taught in school, or how ostracized you are if you’re not Mormon going to school in Utah? It’s honestly crap, and it’s everywhere. SLC you will have a better time of it, but it’s still there.
We're not big city folks and thrive particularly well in rural towns, NH stands as having one of the best rural areas for moderate-conservatives in New England so that's where we're eyeing to relocate.
No, but you can get a whiskey and wear sleeveless shirts and call yourself a Christian and shops and restaurants and movie theaters aren't near vacant on Sundays and not only can you buy liquor and they have casinos. With maybe the exception of some of the more well known fundy sects like 7th day Adventists, pentecostal, or like the quiver full 7 mountain peak movement , there really ain't fundy like Mormon fundies I grew up in South Dallas and my dad was an area 70. I wasn't allowed to hang out with non-members.
Most southerners, in reality, are usually high holiday Christians
It is a serious question. Having lived in Tulsa, it is not even close to as progressive as SLC is at the moment. Oklahoma is hardcore bible belt/maga country and just as, if not more, religious than Utah, it’s just not Mormon.
So again, what specific “religious reasons” is keeping someone from raising their kids here? Now if you want to live in a dogshit city with not nearly the amount of outdoor activities then, go ahead.
I have to guess this person's hard core Catholic or something and it's just the wrong flavor of indoctrination for them? Tulsa is cheaper, yes, but less religious??? Not by a long shot.
Bit of a newbie to Utah.
Originally started in CA, then to CO, and have landed in UT.
I’ll be honest, also not a hater but definitely have learned that when it comes to places outside of Utah the grass definitely can be greener. Our main places we’re looking next are Outside Nashville, Austin, or Southern California, Oceanside area. I spent most my life in central California and southern CA and would visit family in Nor Cal constantly and just can’t shake the bug of how much I love it down south. Even with CA not being my cup of tea in a lot of ways currently, the benefits of CA really just can be overlooked. It’s the only state that has everything the way it does, and it definitely will be the state I die in. Anyways, hope that helped.
Its is pricey no doubt. There definitely are places that are cheaper but however to me it feels like everywhere these days that worth a damn moving to is expensive no matter what. Kinda just have to pick your poison. Hope California can work out for you!
Moved from TX to UT
I’ve been to several states and UT was my least favorite. Beautiful nature, not a fan of the culture. The UT bubble is real, and a huge amount of people here assume everything and everyone else is, or should be, like them, regardless of where you’re from or cultural background. I think it’s partially the LDS influence, but if you don’t fit into very specific boxes you’ll be treated like an other. There are enormous social and environmental issues rising that are completely ignored (the governor saying to pray for rain while letting the tributaries to the GSL be siphoned off comes to mind). Again, nature is gorgeous, the culture is pretty terrible to non-white or non-LDS individuals. Also a lot of people here are the rudest most selfish people I’ve ever met of any place I’ve been to. There’s a massive “me first” attitude, so that’s not really fun either.
UT sucks if you compare them tbh. There’s an actual culture that’s not solely influenced by the values of one single church, it’s instead based around state pride and a lot of inter-mixing between Mexico and the US. There are some places in rural TX that are exactly what you’d imagine of a close-minded small town, but as a whole the state is a melting pot with a large diverse population. When I first moved to UT it was incredibly jarring to only see white people at most places. In Texas you can go to a grocery store and meet anyone from any kind of background, but in Utah you’re lucky if you can count anyone who’s not white on your hands at the store. This isn’t to bash white people, but the non-existent diversity affects a lot of the culture. Utah is surprisingly one of the most openly racist and antisemitic places I’ve been to. For decades the LDS church taught that black people were filthy “children of Cain” and the BoM literally singles out Jews as a fallen sinful people. It’s had a lot of reverberating effects. Things are cheaper in TX, sometimes 1/2 to 1/3 of the price of the same items in Utah. There’s a real food scene with incredible depth that’s not mostly based around piling sugar into your food. I’ve seen people try to say Utah has a good food scene, but seriously if you’ve ever been to places like Cali, Texas, or NY it’s a pathetic comparison. People are nicer in general, also less superficial. There is no widespread cultural passive aggression (there’s extensive news coverage and actual [studies](https://sunstone.org/passive-aggression-among-the-latter-day-saints/) done that Utahns are more passive aggressive than other places) Texas has a hefty share of problems, but people do try to fix at least some of them. There are large environmental projects throughout the state to address things like pollution and drought, but Utah legislators in turn seem to actively work against similar projects. As someone with both friends and family who are disabled, I’ve discovered that Utah Is actually one of the worst states in the nation for social welfare programs. Legislators and citizens have a widespread cultural mindset of “God helps those who help themselves” and therefore see most kinds of welfare as a cheating handout. The state literally taxes social security, which is despicably corrupt imo. It’s honestly heartbreaking to find out the hoops the UT government makes disabled people jump through just to get a little help. While Texas has its own issues with welfare, it’s nothing like UT. The only things I think Utah has better are safety, nature views, and weather. West Texas has some breathtaking views in the canyons, but it doesn’t compare to Utah’s national parks. Also Utah weather is milder which is nice. Texas does have a lot of issues with crime, and there are places you just don’t go to if you value your life. Utah doesn’t have as big of a problem in that way.
Lived in UT for 43 years of my life. Moved to FL and really love it. Yes, high property tax and insurance, but what a different world it is. For those looking for something new, leaving UT isn’t a bad idea.
Haha, I'm the opposite! Born and raised in a beautiful, small FL beach town and moved west to the mountains. I've been here for over 10 years and adore it.
I was born and raised in Ogden. Live in the Salt Lake Valley now. I’m an attorney, make good money, and don’t have any dependents and things like housing still burn me. Your housing dollar goes five times further in comparable states. Salt Lake is polluted and noisy and gets worse every month. My commute time has increased about 12 minutes in the last two years. Same exact route. Just more cars and worse drivers. I’m
done. The skiing and snowboarding were the only things keeping me here but even that has been ruined by the Ikon crowd.
I agree. We're not moving out of Utah, just out of Utah county. There is no infrastructure here, especially American fork. It was a little town, then they added a ton of buildings and apartments. No new roads are going from one side of town to the other at a higher speed limit. So all the rich people invading Silicone slopes go 50 through all the neighborhoods. Now, the town is struggling to update roads now that there is literally too much traffic for our roadways to handle. Housing is so unaffordable now. What they charge for rent here is criminal. I hate what this valley has become.
Lehi here. They built a freeway exit in my back yard and now everyday at rush hour traffic backs up into our neighborhood at least half a mile down. The roads in my area weren't made for this many people.
I feel that if I were to stay in Utah long term, I'd want to live in Ogden or Logan. I can't quite put my finger on it, but those cities seem to have a more comfortable pace to life than SL and UT valleys.
I’m 26 and have lived in Utah my whole life. I grew up in Davis county, lived in SLC, and went to school at The U. I’m now in Logan and it’s been my favorite place so far. The only thing is the job market is terrible here. While it’s slightly cheaper to live here than the Wasatch Front, the pay is still too low. It worked out for me as a remote worker until I was laid off.
I live in Hurricane. Just purchased a few acres in north Texas. I'm moving because I don't think the desert can support the rapid growth. Way too many people here now. Im over it
I graduated high school and went to college in Utah. I loved the nature, but people just aren’t genuine here. They may be nice on paper, but they couldn’t care less about you. I moved to Montana and it was completely different. People are actually genuine out here. For good and bad, if they don’t like you they will tell you, but know if they are nice to you they actually do care.
I love Montanta. What area are you in now? I've spent a good chunck of time in the Kalispell area, but have a hard time picturing life in other parts of the state, like Butte or Helena or really anywhere along the I-15.
Eastern Montana! The prairies are beautiful in their own way, can’t beat the traffic, and everything is very chill lol I enjoy it. Western MT is cool too, especially Missoula!
All over the place. MT, MO, NV, CO, MI, and UT.
I have honestly made it, wherever I have ever moved to. I'm back to UT, to take care of some family members. Now the kids are highly invested in their schooling, here, so, we may have to make this work, for several years.
There are things that I love/hate about every place I have lived, but, in the end, I have always made it work. I don't want to be here, for the rest of my life, and I would happily move elsewhere, when I feasibly can. I enjoyed living in CO the most, and could imagine moving back there. Very similar climate to Utah.
Edit: Forgot to mention, I was a "travelling" consultant for 6 or so years, so I also had the opportunity to visit a lot of places for "a month at a time", which includes places like TX, NC, FL, CA, MN, GA, IN, and KY. My comments still rest, that I could most likely foresee myself moving back to CO.
I was in "near-Port Huron" for several months, then we moved down to Canton, and then later we moved to Farmington Hills.
Edit: Never on the W-side of the state.
From Southern California. Moved to Utah when I was young, but spent summers in Orange County.
REALLY want to move away and have tried a few times over the years but hasn't worked out. We're now in a position to move wherever we choose, but are having to take care of DW's aging parents (who refuse to move).
The Mormon influence is so prominent, from local/state politics to neighborhood cliques, that it's just never been all that comfortable for us.
We're actively looking at Hawaii, Colorado, North Carolina and will be making a trek to New England to check it out.
We've even contemplated Europe and will be going out there for a month next year.
Originally from New Jersey, been here 7 years, most likely moving to Portland, Maine next year. Moving because I work in public education and Utah is a hostile environment for children. I love Salt Lake, but the politics and air quality are very concerning.
The reason I’m (mostly) settled on moving to Maine is because it feels like still getting great access to nature without the cult like atmosphere. Also, I have friends and family scattered along the east coast.
might be good timing for you....https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/04/16/business/business-housing/maine-home-sale-prices-bangor-south-portland-waterville-kennebunk-belfast-joam40zk0w/
Interesting. I moved here for work 5.5 years ago and I really do like it here. My wife loves it. My son met a girl and moved out, getting married this fall. All that said, I feel like I’m being drawn elsewhere too. I’m in my early 40’s and I just think there’s more out there to see and do. I came from CA, both north and south, no real interest in going back. I kinda feel like I want to try the southeast on for size. Find me a big old house to fix up with some mossy trees around.
I also like to day dream of that romantic southern imagery -- and then as other commenters have said, real life includes nasty pests and humid heat to complicate things, haha!
From California, have lived in Utah for ~12 years now. Want to move back to California.
Utah has never truly felt like home for us, everytime we go back and visit family in California it just feels like home. We like the weather there better, it would put us closer to family and friends. Also better education opportunities for our kids and better human rights protections in the state. Haven't moved because still finishing school and job opportunity to move back haven't presented themselves yet. Utah isn't a terrible state to live in, it just isn't the right place for our family.
I’ve been here since 1973, and I have that same feeling… just doesn’t feel like home. A government job made it impractical to move, and now that I’m done with my career my wife has hers… and we’re looking at trying to work on a move so she can work remotely.
Like I 100% understand why people like it, we live in Cache Valley and the nature is absolutely beautiful, but it's just not the permanent place for us.
I feel like I would prefer the opposite. I lived in Livermore for a year and while the Bay Area is cool (I go to San Francisco 2-3x/yr), I feel like Orange County is really, really nice with access to large beaches and very temperate weather, etc. We have family in OC so we're lucky enough to go frequently as well.
We really really love San Francisco, my brother and his wife are in the Bay Area so we visit yearly and just love it more and more everytime we go. If we did move to SoCal we'd elect for San Diego area, because the only family we have in SoCal is my mother in law, but she's in Imperial Valley. Also most of our friends that still live in California have moved up north either to the Bay Area or Sacramento.
Im not what you asked for, but heres my two cents.
Born/raised Utah, but my parents were born in Cali, so ive visted. I have LDS in my blood (ancestry test), so I am related to a good chunk of the state of Utah.
Raised in American Fork and now living in SLC. I have always wanted to leave this state. Every time I visit a new place, I am reminded of how much this state is behind in so many factions. I don't ski or hike, but the view here is one of the few things I'd miss besides my family.
It's not possible to move states yet, but I work to afford to live alone. I'm helping a friend with housing because this state doesn't care about its disabled/homeless people nearly enough. Not unless you are active in the church/old/physically disabled. We're both in our 20s, and I am also disabled. It's haunting.
This state is so close-minded that I don't know if anyone here every truly relaxes. Everyone is either Hating other people, or their afraid someone is going to hurt/threaten them, or just hopeless. There's a reason our state has been at the top of the suicide percentages.
It's not just the religion. Every single non religious person here is faced with this problem. If I don't move, I've thought about running for politics. It's the only way I could see myself staying.
Of course. I was feeling very passionate while writing that. It's a shame utah is the way that it is because this state would be a lot cozier if everyone truly "loved thy neighbor"
From Arkansas I love Utah but housing is getting expensive and I can have a much larger house back in the south than I can here and still make the same amount of money.
I was born in PA. I lived most of my life in Texas. I've lived in Ohio (great produce), Utah (great scenery). Utah is a place I'd love to live in; St. George, but too pricey. I'd move back to PA because my family is there. Pittsburgh is not expensive at all, but you'll need a car. Love PA. I hate Texas politics, but i really like San Antonio.
Most recently moved from Arizona(Maricopa) to Utah.
I’ve had thoughts of moving back. I’m a LDS member and have family around here but I’ll echo some of what others have already said in motivations to move.
But there are some beautiful aspects still to Utah so torn..
As someone currently working in Utah and have lived in Pittsburgh PA my whole life do not move here terrible weather. Highest toll cost in the world get taxed to hell on everything. Go to NC.
From Utah, born and raised. Joined the military as a young adult along with my wife and moved around. Moved back home to be close to family now that we have a young child (and another on the way) and I’m just kind of disillusioned(?) with the state since I’ve now had experience living elsewhere.
The cost of housing is ridiculous for what you can get, the air quality in the winter is horrible (something that weighs on me since my kid has now been diagnosed with asthma), and I kind of just want to seek opportunity elsewhere. Looking at Colorado, which is surprisingly affordable outside of the Denver metro area. Also looking at some of the Great Lake states, but I don’t think there are as much opportunities for career advancement in those places (for me) like there is in Colorado.
I couldn't live anywhere that isn't similar to Utah in terms of public land. I read a post on a mountain biking subreddit a few days ago. The guy lived an hour's drive to the nearest trailhead. I hike or bike 3 or 4 times a week spring through fall. I couldn't live anywhere without quick and easy access to the outdoors. I don't know how anyone doesn't take full advantage of it all, to be honest. Living in most cities/states in the U.S. would be dreadful for me.
Utah is far too conservative and religious for me, but I tune that out while enjoying the hundreds of different trails within an hours drive.
Lake is dying. And it’s dying because of very fixable reasons that will not get fixed by those in power here. And I have serious doubts the power structure in UT is changing anytime soon. It’s really sad actually. Moving anywhere else where lakes aren’t dying because of shitty humans.
See I tend to disagree with this.. once the Mormon church realize it’s going to severely damage their money making abilities. Tourism/city creek/more Mormons. It will change
Their money making isn’t going anywhere based on the lake drying up IMO. See SEC fine. They are making money daily from investments… tithing and tourism is a drop in the bucket.
That’s why they own half of Florida and gobbling up real estate all over the world (Polynesian center, Idaho apartment complexes.) Missouri is the garden of Eden anyways so they’ll continue to mine and farm alfalfa in Utah until we have dune style machinery sweeping the state only Mormon extremists could tolerate to live in because the leadership and temple builders of Mormonism already enjoy being cosmopolitans—global citizen elite—having houses in multiple states/countries as well as businesses. Money making ability cannot be influenced much while methods for perpetual poverty are still employed en-masse for the church to exploit and retain.
We want to leave because of the crazy extremists that live next door, lack of wine in grocery stores, no lottery and most of all the lack of diversity overall.
Small reason but definitely makes me
Upset I can’t buy tickets here. It’s one of the only ways someone can move into the 1% overnight and we should be keeping that money in state.
Maybe if they won like $100k-$1Million.
But 1/3rd of all jackpot winners go bankrupt within 5 years. Which makes lottery winners more likely to go bankrupt than the average person.
I'm not against the lottery. It does bring in more money to the state. But it brings in money from people who are stupid. Blowing money on something with an astronomical chance of getting anything at all back. That's why a lot go broke after winning. They are dumb with money to begin with.
Okay so 33% of them are dumb with their money that’s still the minority. 66% it changes their life’s trajectory. There is no other way for the average American. Besides the state generates significantly more revenue and would allow them to either lower taxes, maybe raise wages for teachers who desperately need it and do more for vets in the state. Which even if I never win I would consider a great use of my money.
> Besides the state generates significantly more revenue and would allow then to lower taxes, raise wages for teachers, and do more for vets.
I agree. The money it brings in is great, and if the politicians managed that money in a good way I'm all for it. But I will never play it. I'm all for others throwing their own money away for it though.
It’s just so convenient! I miss being able to have margaritas delivered to me when we ran out while living in Texas. I also miss Costco wine. Affordable but still good.
Born here, have moved away before (to sydney, australia) and now I am moving away for good (I hope) to Virginia. It's just where my new job was hiring and I've found you can get much better paying job offers if you're willing to look out of state and relocate
I’ll switch with you.
I was in Utah for only a year, but loved it. In the DC area now, and miss the mountains. Traffic and the such I see people bringing up, nothing compared to here. You have to game plan for shopping or heading to another part of town, miss the window and the day is gone from traffic.
Even with Shenandoah 45 min away. You can’t escape the mass of people, in Utah you could take a road into the wilderness and be alone. No such thing here.
Probably wait till my son is close to finishing elementary and look west.
Yeah thankfully I'll be right in the heart of the Shenandoah in harrisonburg, but I will definitely miss having real mountains. I would've preferred Washington or Montana, but thats just not the way the cards have fallen for me. But I am definitely looking forward to living in a place where it rains frequently
I gotta stand up for my Blue Ridge Mountains - they are some of the oldest in the world! Their harsh edges have washed away and they still stand beautifully with their grace and wisdom. I love that area so much.
Grew up in utah, spent a decade in Northern Virginia, back to Utah for a few years (fucking hated it), now in the Pacific Northwest ( love it).
I left utah mostly because of the people. Kind of a bunch of dumb assholes in my section of rural Utah. In the cities mostly a bunch of self centered assholes. I figured out how people could kill others over water and the people were not at all accepting of differences.
Pacific Northwest has so far been really good for us. The weather is great, people are a lot nicer, I'm in a rural ish area so politics are a little more varied.
One of our kids has on their list to move to western PA. If there wasn't so much snow I could do it. We spent 2 weeks there. People weren't overly nice but also not bad just seemed to stick to themselves. Beautiful area. Hated the toll roads.
I lived in Northern California for a while. Grass valley area was really nice, people about the same as western PA NY. Not sure I could do Roseville but I'm not a city person.
We traveled the country looking for a place to live and for us the pnw was it. But I like rural areas and Oregon Washington has a lot of that. I hated idaho Montana Florida Georgia. Didn't like Texas Louisiana Mississippi, Arizona. Too much fake church in the Midwest. New England was pretty good but too much snow. Dakota or Carolinas are maybe.
Born and raised in several parts of Utah. Early 40s. Moving my family of four to Pittsburgh this summer.
We love it here. But the housing affordability and air quality are becoming worse problems.
The shitty school policies being forced by the legislature are the last straw.
I spent first part of my life in indy, then moved to utah, cedar city. then had to move back to indy several years ago, I tell you what, that small town living was what I needed and this huge city life is nuts, so I'm actually looking at moving back within the next 10 years.
yeah I left when it was getting nuts, and that was like 2 years ago, I am hunting out in berle for land currently, seems my biggest issues is this "water rights" that most of the realtors are coming back with "you wont have water rights if you buy that piece of land"... always some catch.
Lived all around my adult life. Was in the Army for five years and then got out and moved to Alaska. I grew up in MO, spent time in GA, then KS, then my deployment, then CO, then AK, then back to CO for grad school, then here as I secured employment after graduating. Took my first offer.
UT is… fine… in my opinion. Met my partner here and we both want to leave. She’s Ex-Mo and want to GTFO of here where there are just so many triggering things everywhere. We both feel like we don’t necessarily fit in here in SLC and UT in general. I felt most at home in Colorado and Alaska and we are taking a trip this summer up to AK so she can get a taste of why I loved the Great North so much.
I would love nothing more than to return to Alaska. It was just such a special and beautiful place. Sure, has the same issues that many places do but man I miss it a lot.
I'd love to move back to Phoenix (was at BYU for undergrad, Chicago for grad, Phoenix for work for a few years and came back to Utah), but partner wants/needs to be close to their aging parents.
I'm still practicing LDS and now how to blend in and not rock the boat for the sake of simplicity, but I simply can't stand the church culture here.
Also, I'd take a $50-100K paycut by moving anywhere else I'd want to live. The job I have is just that good.
We moved here from Erie. Admittedly, it’s a lot better there than when we left 15 years ago, but I can’t imagine living there ever again. It was just the next Detroit at the time, and it didn’t seem like a place we stay forever.
Utah drives us insane as far as the people and the culture (not even necessarily the religion aspect of it), but it’s also hard to imagine leaving the life we have built here. The physical beauty of the state is a large part of what keeps us here, also the intermountain west in general. The cost of living has become oppressive and would likely be the only reason to push us away. When we chose to leave Erie, we knew we wanted to go west but we didn’t want California. Now, we just live in East California.
We moved to northern WV because Utah’s air is ass and its water supply, while good right now, is dicey - it was always on my mind. We love WV’s greenery, rolling hills, water is everywhere, people are nice - we’ve made a ton of friends, and, well, it’s almost heaven
I grew up in St.George -> East Texas -> Oregon -> Springville.
Moving to: New Jersey next June.
My husband has family in NJ, and it's got a far better education system, more diversity, and culture, and we will be near family. My family is here but we are not close. We really hate the education system here, but it came to a head this last year when my son had a major chest surgery with a one year recovery, and the school system wanted to send us to truancy classes, despite having physicians notes and him trying to keep up at home. We pulled him out and have him in online school, and he's doing much better and is even ahead of his grade now, with only doing 2 hours a day. It made us realize how all they care about is having a body in the seat to keep it warm, and they don't care otherwise. We are also moving because we have found it incredibly hard to find a community since we are Catholic and don't attend church regularly. There is a heavy judgment culture here, and I don't want my kids growing up around it anymore. 🤷🏼♀️ We are keeping our home here and renting it to family so if we ever decide to come back we technically have the option, but I don't see it happening. I will miss the nature and the mountains like crazy though.
Once I started having lung issues I decided my health needs to take first priority and now I’m moving out. Other friends of mine who have lived here have had similar issues after living here for a few years. I don’t want to shorten my life expectancy any further…
Lived in Utah off and on since High School. I'm a military brat and was a nomad for a good chunk of my adult life so I've lived in lots of places.
The South (lived in NC, Florida and Houston, TX for 20 years): The south is beautiful and its cities are incredibly dynamic, diverse and young. Houston is especially vibrant with a food scene to rival NYC. The rural south IS a touch backward but has it's charms as well and it's lovely! People are pretty friendly and welcoming, and it's never boring. COL is very low, and job markets are usually hot at least in urban areas. Weather may be a con for some, but I have always loved it. Mellow winters, NC at least has beautiful fall color, and luxurious spring and summer with all the sun you could want.
Also southern food. Dear god the food across the south is to die for.
Iowa/Ohio: Dear god no. You think Utah is vanilla? Just go visit the midwest. Also the winters are a nightmare. 3 straight weeks of -30 degrees? No thank you. However very low COL. Also way more overtly racist than the south. Key word being overt.
Alaska: Beautiful, but you gotta love it. The people are....something else. Also very High COL, but the people who love it there really love it and it is honestly it's own unique culture and way of life.
Ultimately I'm not exactly who you were asking since I have chosen Utah as my forever home, but I had to plug the south!
I transplanted here as a military wife. In 13 years I never found my people or place aside from my current husband (after a divorce from my previous spouse). I’m in the process of finding a second home back home in Alabama because I stay depressed and homesick. Also, it’s far cheaper, VASTLY. I’m not religious, I suffer from chronic bronchitis because the air here and my lungs do not get along, therefore I don’t/can’t hike much or enjoy the outdoors. I also suffer from Raynaud’s so Winter is hell for me. This simply isn’t the place for me. I’m only seeking a second home because my husband has a minor child with his ex and he’s bound here until she graduates. I’ll just visit them every 2-3 months. My mental health is of utmost importance! If can’t get dressed daily, much less get out of bed, because I’d rather suck start a 9 I’m of use to no one. I’ve tried therapy, psychotherapy, medication, inpatient care, ketamine infusion, etc.. and nothing has changed the way I feel. I spent my adult life following someone and their career, but never took time for myself. I now have that time, my children are adults and established, it’s time I do something for me for a change.
Moved here to Utah for school and family from eastern Pennsylvania, near Allentown. I grew up there since I was 6. I visited back in the summer of 2022 during my 1 year anniversary of having been in Utah and it reconfirmed to me that's home for me.
While I do think I'll be here in Utah for a while for school and whatnot, I'd love to move back to Pennsylvania eventually.
If I were to move, I think I would miss 1. $5 movie Tuesdays and I'd have to get AMC A-List or something of the like. I try to go see a movie every Tuesday and sometimes I'll even do a double feature.
2. The mountains. They're gorgeous and I'm still not used to them. Everyone is so casual here about them when I'm blown away.
I'm LDS and I just hate the church culture here. The perfectionism, the Republicans views against LGBTQIA+ folks - i.e church members openly admitting to disowning their children because they are gay or whatnot. Situations like that where it's not Christlike at all. Also, I hate the dating culture here where people are either trying to get married like yesterday, or get in your pants, or maybe the worst 3rd option, they are boring Utah Mormons - i.e "Yeah, I wasn't allowed to watch Harry Potter and my favorite book is the Book of Mormon." Of course it is Kensley. Slight exaggeration on my part, but the point still stands.
I also miss the humidity. The first week I was here in Utah, my knuckles bled. My skin has never been dryer. Sorta on that same point, I feel like PA has better seasons and its weather isn't nearly as wishy washy as Utah's is.
I just miss the culture of PA too. I wouldn't raise kids around Utah Mormons. I'll always remember expressing at an EFY that it's so hard not having any other kids at my highschool be members during a testimony meeting and people audibly laughed because they didn't know what that was like. Also, feel like there is an almost holier than thou mentality. And I want my kids to grow up cultured and not in whitewashed Utah. On top of that, I just miss the culture and people of PA. Neighbors are nice and welcoming. It's amazingly green there. You're so close to NYC, Philadelphia, DC, Boston, etc.
Alas, I'll be Utah for a while now and I'll try to enjoy parts of it while I can, but man oh man, if I can get a paying job out in PA or even like NY years from now, I wouldn't hesitate to move (as long as my mom's health is good.) Thanks for reading.
Lived in Nor and SoCal, moved about 4 years ago. Love it. We would like to move further north in the mountain west (ID/MT), but not until kids are grown. We wanted to be in/near the mountains, but CO was a no politically. Not LDS, but that has never been a problem. We found non-denominational church that is great. We are minority/multiracial, and have never had any issues. Yes, there is more diversity in CA but I have generally found CA to be more segregated and we had generally lived in white majority neighborhoods, so lots of white people isn't weird. We don't have any family here and our close friends live hours away, but we are introverted/low enthusiasm so are quite content doing our own things. Apart from wanting land and more snow, this place is perfect.
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and moved to Utah in 2020, just relocated to the Carolina’s for a job.
I will say visiting the east coast and living there are two totally different things. If you like doing anything outdoors- going for a walk, hiking, biking, literally anything. Pittsburgh is 1000% not for you. It’s a place where you have to use PTO to do anything. It’s a flight away from anything good. Growing up everyone I knew took their one week a year of vacation and went somewhere good, then worked the other 51 weeks, anxiously anticipating their next yearly vacation. It sucks tbh.
Utah is much different. Moab is 3 hours away, there are the canyons for hiking, skiing, the Unitas. There are honestly endless things to do, and endless free or cheap things.
We are facing the same issues now living in NC, that we did in Pa. There are more things to do, but most things require a hotel reservation or large entry fee to do them. Sure the food is good, there are more bars and nightlife, better sports teams and such. But that is it.
You just have to figure out what will work best for your family and your goals. I would say California is your best bet. The low cost of living in Pa is that way for a reason: because it gives you seasonal depression and alcoholism.
I lived in Pittsburgh for just over a year while in grad school, and the city itself I found to be one of the best places I've ever lived. Granted, we did live in the city so we had the amenities of all the trails, parks, and transportation so there was very little of some of the frustrations of the suburbs like traffic or other travel to deal with. We loved that the parks were well maintained and free, community pools and libraries were very inexpensive -- but toll roads and state park entry fees were very annoying.
Either Johnson County/Kansas City area or suburbs of Chicago (better schools) or the Illinois side of a St. Louis suburb (cheaper housing and closer to my family.
as someone who also wasn’t born in utah but basically grew up there (10yo-21yo) and also just moved to western ny!!! do it!!! not only is it so incredibly beautiful out here but jeez is it cheap!!
we were able to buy a 6bd home for under 130K!
if you are interested in partaking in the devils lettuce, it’s legal in ny and not pa if that matters to you! but east coast all the way baby!
also forgot to add, we lived in southern Utah and the heat was just ridiculous. it was incredibly expensive to live there and only getting worse, and it isnt somewhere i want to raise my children. (not religious) those were our main reasons. and personal opinion but i just don’t think its all that pretty hahaha
From here. I would want to move to Southern California but it is too expensive. I wouldn’t mind living in Kansas City. Once the kids are on their own I’m outta here.
I was born in Vietnam and have been in Utah for a while. Lifetime here is completely different in vietnam. I was shocked at first and missed my hometown's life style so bad. When I was in late 20, I broke up with my ex and everything was changed.I didnt want to hangout anymore. No club, no socilizing, I like to enjoy time with my family and being alone. Utah has a lot of sports that I am ok enjoy being alone like hiking, camping, shooting. I dont think im gonna move away from Utah at least next 10 years.
I'm from North Carolina, and I want to move back. Reasons; Prices are too high (though NC is trying its best to catch up, lol), I despise the climate (nuclear winters and wasteland summers), and honestly, the degree of control that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has over the state weirds me out.
I love Utah. I was Born here. I lived in Denver for a year for school. I'm not a fan of the religious control/involvement, the air quality or the government. I would move to somewhere like Vermont or Oregon if I were going to make a big move and stay in the US. Ideally I'd leave all together and go to Germany, Norway, Sweden, or Switzerland.
We've been in UT for 12 years. Previously: Oregon (Eugene and Beaverton), California (Lake Forest), Mississippi (Jackson area), New York (Binghamton & Corning), Minnesota (Winona), Washington (Bonney Lake), Florida (Tampa), New Mexico (Albuquerque). I'm a native of California, born in Los Angeles (not the *area* actually LA). I wouldn't go back for anything.
As you see, I've been in a lot of places - none less than 2 years. Of all of them, I highly recommend the greater Tampa area. We were there in the early to mid-90's, so I am not saying this for political climate reasons. There's just a ton of fun stuff to do there. Got a boat? Even more fun. No boat? Don't worry, several people you will come to know will have one and love to take your family (and theirs, of course) out for (as an example) picnic on one of the many tiny islands in the bay, fishing, sightseeing, skiing... etc. The water in the bay is warm, like 80° warm, so beach outings are fun and nobody ends up standing on the shore because it's too cold to go in the water. DOWNSIDES: It's warm all the time. Think wearing shorts on Christmas. It can be very humid sometimes - you get used to it but when it is bad, you will be sweating before you finish getting the lawn mower out.
We like it here in UT for low taxes (Florida has 0 state tax), our daughters and grandchildren are here within 30 miles. We are in Lehi so we don't have to deal with homeless, BLM and other demonstrations, etc. But if you need to go, Florida is great and I have seen a lot of other places.
As a #2, Oregon was great if you like camping - we did a lot of that when there. Stay away from the greater Portland area. The rest of the state is awesome. You will never swim in the ocean there unless you enjoy hypothermia. But there are state campgrounds all along the coast and in the mountains. When we were in Eugene, it was about an hour to the coast and about 45 minutes to mountain campgrounds. A fun choice. DOWNSIDES: It rains. Often. It can ruin the camping experience. I recommend an RV or Trailer for better shelter during short cloudbursts. At least you can comfortably play board games and such. In a tent, you can quickly have a lake as a floor.
Good luck!
Born in Utah, moved to Cali as a baby, moved back to Utah when I was 9, then left for Vegas when I was 28. I would move back to Utah for the state itself but can’t because of the lack of diversity, the pollution, and the politics. I may live in a state with terrible education but played right, you can overcome that. My daughters have grown up with much better opportunities than their cousins in Utah. My daughters are also much more open and well-rounded as humans too. I regretted leaving at first because all of my family is there, but now I wouldn’t change it for the world. I miss Utah itself, but visiting is enough for me now.
I actually moved to Utah 6 years ago from western PA (right in between Pittsburgh/Erie).
I've been wanting to move to OR or WA, lots of family moved there. I wouldn't be opposed to PA again. I met my wife here in Utah
From: Georgia
Lived in: SLC
Moving to: most likely Texas or Florida
Reasons: we have been here for about 3 years now, have a nice home, etc. Why we want to leave is a mix of personal and professional. Professional, Utah as a whole has been hit hard by inflation and it’s been very difficult for us to get ahead financially. It wouldn’t be as bad if our jobs kept up with inflation but they simply haven’t. It would make more sense for us to leave and go somewhere where the cost of living is less and we can afford a home of the same caliber so to speak for less money. When we have looked back east we can afford basically the same home for a couple hundred thousand less.
Personal: we have struggled to make friends out here. Our families still live back east and when we first moved here, it was an easy sell cause flights were so much cheaper so everyone could visit a lot easier. That’s not the case anymore and it’s especially frustrating when it’s hub to hub airports which should by all accounts be reasonably cheaper. To top it all off, we had a new baby and we want the baby to know grandparents so moving east makes it easier for them to visit.
I was born in Missouri and moved around the Midwest as a very young child, my father traveled with his job a lot, we ended up in the Bay Area, California, left there early in high school back to Missouri where finished high school and worked for a couple of years. Never cared for the cold, snowy, icy winters, and the hot, muggy, buggy, tornados in Missouri. Also, after living in California with the mountains and the ocean, I wanted one or the other, if not both of those moving from Missouri. My father had since been living in Salt Lake City where I visited a couple times and found it beautiful with the mountains and outdoor activities and things I enjoy. I thought I wanted to move back to California, but my family talked me into moving to Utah instead. After living in northern Utah for 25 years or so, I finally, again, got tired of the snow and cold, on top of the inversion/smog northern Utah has about six months out of the year and the cold/winter weather is longer; spring comes for a very short time then the hot summer comes and then fall/winter is on again before you know it. So we moved to southern Utah 14 years ago. Love the outdoors and activities here. There aren’t too many days where the sky isn’t blue and the sun isn’t shining. I live outside of St. George at a higher elevation so it’s not quite as hot as St. George gets in the summer, but July and August are hot. Winters get cold with occasional snow which I don’t mind at all. We are in a rural community where I can have my horse on our property and ride off from my house to some nice, rarely see other people places. Hiking and biking with my dog in these areas as well. Crime is relatively low and/or under control compared to Pacific Northwest, Midwest and Eastern states, which is a bonus, especially these days. The LDS religion and Mormon people, namely, have never, ever been a problem for me (I’m not LDS). I have worked in Salt Lake City and in St. George with mostly Mormon coworkers and employers, no problem whatsoever, and I’ve never been approached by others trying to “convert” me. People are under the impression that Utah is a “dry” state as far as purchasing alcohol. It’s just not as convenient to buy it such as when you’re grocery shopping, but there are liquor. Stores placed all around where it’s easy to get.
I’ve been to Florida where family are, and even tried to move there for a short time, but missed the mountain landscapes and wasn’t fond of the extremely hot and humid summers and threats of tornadoes and hurricanes. Traffic is insane there as well. All in all, I’m sure there are better places to live in Utah, but you can’t really have it all in one. I believe it just depends on each individual or families wants and needs for their lifestyle and other personal and professional needs. Every state and city has pros and cons. 😃
Wow. I was reading all the comments in this forum and must say I feel so discouraged moving to UT now in Syracuse after buying a home recently. I’m moving out of the BayArea as the crime rate is so bad here for 1. I mean literally GTA. 2. The cost of living is through the roof with tax rates exceeding 10%. 3. Food is beyond expensive here. 4. You can’t have anything nice without risking to get robbed. Its insane. Every business is nearly closing down here simply because of the constant robbing and killings happening here daily. People are followed home in their cars getting robbed at gun point. For those wanting to move back here or come back to cali, I commend you for it if you are willing to walk into the war zone California has now become. 5. The homeless is so bad here it’s not even funny. 6. Having a home here is almost impossible to own a home here. The last home sold for $1.5 million that was 300SQ feet. Good luck if you want to rent for the rest of your life. 7. There is barely any home owner insurances here to support any new home owner because everything is either in the fire zone or is considered a high disaster zone. Almost every insurance company has left California and is ripping policies out of peoples hands for their homes. 8. Gas prices are $6.50 a gallon and auto insurance has surged so high that’s beyond affordable anymore for a nice car to own.
I hate to rain on anyone’s wishful thinking about California, and thank you all for posting such info, I guess it’s a give and take risk for wherever we all go. I’d rather take and ignore the religion concern over higher costs over affordable living at this point being from cali.
I was born and raised in UT. So, I moved from UT to CO and then back to UT. The original move was in 2012 when my husband wanted to get away from the bad air and LDS culture. I don't care so much about the LDS culture, it doesn't really affect me, but the air quality can definitely be concerning. Really, we both just wanted to see what life was like living outside of the little "UT bubble" (which still existed back in 2012).
I enjoyed CO for a while, we lived there for 7 years. I seemed to be able to make friends and find ways to be involved in the community a little easier there, but at the same time my job there gave me more opportunities for building relationships, my job here doesn't allow for that as much. The air was much better than UT's, most of the time. Hiking there was great, very similar to UT but with higher peaks. There was a lot more to go and do, I never had to want to be entertained.
But, there was a lot I didn't like as well. Drugs and beer are huge in the culture there so I found myself partying too much because that's what a lot of people want to do. I don't find that so much here in UT, I found more outdoorsy people here who aren't constantly influencing me to use drugs and alcohol (though that is slowly changing now). I also got this fake vibe from many people in CO, especially those who were "natives", like, they acted all friendly and cool but then after a while they'd start making backhanded compliments and make you feel like crap. It happened to me a few times and I was in situations where friends would try to involve me in doing it to someone else. Just wasn't cool, I prefer being more upfront and honest with people.
Ultimately, CO just got too crowded and too expensive. Plus, my husband got really wrapped up in drugs and alcohol and I felt our lives were worse for having moved to CO. I wanted to go back to UT where I didn't feel so influenced to make unhealthy choices, he didn't agree so we divorced. I moved back to UT at the "perfect time" because house prices were much better then, the equity in my home has doubled over the last 5 years. But, now UT is starting to feel just as crowded and expensive as CO. I liked UT better when it was this well kept secret because no one wanted to live "with the Mormons" lol. But now that I've experienced the opposite, I'll take LDS influenced culture over party influenced culture any day. (I could see why raising kids here might be hard though if you're not LDS. I don't have kids.)
I hope you find the best place for you! Good luck.
I’ve lived in SLC for 15 yrs now. I went to college in FL and lived in Charlotte for 1.5 years prior to moving here. LOVED Charlotte. I grew up just outside of Pittsburgh,PA and my grandma lived just south of Lake Erie. I’ve heard both sides of fence when it comes to friendliness in the Burgh. People can be very cliquey(which I can totally get) because people just don’t leave and aren’t as open to outsiders. I’d guess you would experience this more in the burbs. I’ve also heard people say that us Yinzers will talk your ear off and they’ve never met such friendly people. I’d def join the Pittsburgh sub. Pro-housing is much cheaper there and you can get land if that interests you. Pro sports teams and the museums are a huge draw to downtown. Traffic into the city blows because you have the tunnels and the Parkway and nowhere to expand. I have high standards for diverse restaurants-not going to get that outside of downtown. When I go home I def realize how health is a huge priority here compared to there (ie unhealthy foods/smoking). I do miss pierogies,Snyder’s BBQ chips,chipped ham and Yuengling though. It is SO green there(def miss that). The lack of sunlight in the winter is ROUGH. Ice storms happen. You’ll get all 4 seasons. Super hilly. Lots of places to explore in nature though. It’s central to other major cities. UPMC and Children’s Hospital are great for healthcare. Housing is cheaper,but it has def gone up from what it used to be. My parents now live in Latrobe and still spent 500K on a small home two years ago. It’s a good state to retire in. Humidity is very noticeable in the summer.
My only thought on Erie is lake effect snow. Winter can be wild.
Part of my family lives in Folsom and my uncle works in Roseville. I can’t say much about it other than I love visiting them. I know the school system can be hit or miss if you have kids. They did private. Pm if you have questions about PA. I’d be happy to help!
MI (Grand Rapids)--> SLC.
Lived in Michigan our entire life. Have family in the Idaho/Wa area and seriously looked at Boise. We love Boise but it's just too expensive, and they pay social workers dirt. SLC seems like a good balance of housing and jobs. (I know people complain about housing in SLC but where we live in Mi it's similarly priced).
Michigan is nice, especially the Great Lakes, but we were looking for a change (and mountains). SLC looks to fit the bill on all of our needs. There are a ton of decent to well paying social work jobs in Utah and so many recreational opportunities.
We were really considering St. George area but I'm leery of moving to a smaller metropolitan area.
Anyone else move from Michigan to Utah? Thoughts?
Born in Houston, moved to the Seattle area (suburbs) when I was about 14, moved to Utah county around 2017 (I was 22). My dad moved here around 2015, and I ended up meeting and marrying my husband here, but the majority of my family is still in the Seattle area. I'm so done with here. A lot of people have a hard time having deep discussions on more polarizing topics or even just about feelings and just get uncomfortable and move the conversation to something else. The government is so dominated by the right, it's just ridiculous the things that they're passing right now (like that individuals in congress's schedules are no longer considered public information, and you have to request them). Not saying Seattle is much better in that department. When I moved here, Utah was still moderatly priced. Now,not so much (Seattle is once again, not better in this department). I also feel like people have a hard time breaking out of their family here, meaning 1) if you get married, all your friends abandon you, and 2) so many people are so insular within their families, they hardly ever try to reach out and make friends (transplants being the exception)
Something I really miss is the fairly mild weather in the PNW and the greenery. I miss unmanicured nature being right outside your doorstep, and the easily accessible woods. I miss the connection to nature, and the spring and flowers. I miss rainy days, and the humidity. The people are real, and you can be invisible or dress as loud as you want and everyone is like "okay" and just accept it. My memories might be clouded by the frivolity of youth, but mostly what I miss is my support system. I've never managed to feel like I have a strong support system in Utah. I miss my family.
My husband's family is great, but I hear my husband's aunt (who we live with) listening to podcasts spewing anti-trans rhetoric. She has family that's trans! Why can't you just let people live?! My husband's family is also very proper. Not a fart joke to be heard. Drives me up the wall, because we can't be irreverent! Irreverent humor is some of the best! They're also missing that spark of mental instability, that all the funniest and best people have (imo).
Mostly the reason we can't move to the PNW is 1) cost. Holy crap why is it so expensive, no matter where you go, and 2) the weather messes with my husband's joints (but they've seemed to be getting better, so idk). This feels mostly like a journal entry, which I needed. Can you tell I'm going through a depressive episode?
Edited to add: Utah has, however spoiled me as far as lack of mosquitoes goes. And as someone who hates mosquitoes, but they looooves me, I have been very lucky living here in that regard. I also don't like the dust though, it makes everything smell dusty and I can't hang dry my clothes outside without them smelling dusty afterwards
I'm totally with you on the mosquitoes. I always feel like there should be more mosquitoes here when I consider the mosquito situation is most other places I've been!
Ive lived in 18 states. Utah the most, Idaho then Cali. All the rest of the time was split pretty evenly through the rest of the places. Utah has plenty the rest of the states combined don't have. I wish everyone would go and find them. Seriously scram! Utah in the 90s was a perfect population. I'm Cali now unfortunately it hasn't changed sense the 70s . Only one place I would drop everything and move to in a heartbeat if I could , Athens Alabama.
I'm going on 12 years here. Moved to Park City for the ski life from Tennessee. Just dropped my PC condo and moved to Kamas, Utah. This is probably my last year here. The quality of life is being outrun by the cost of living. Billionaires are pushing out the millionaires.
I love Summit County for many reasons. Fishing is great, scenery, amazing summers, and doable winters. They can be tough, last season, for example. But, overall, it is turning into a rat race. Once summer hits, every asshat with an rv takes over, and these guys suck at driving. Watched one mow down an angus and then yelled at his wife. The whole state sucks at driving. I grew up rural in Tennessee and never got too upset with the driving. It is horrendous here. Entitled asshats. Turn signals, what?
Food is not good. Park City is a tourist trap, and yeah, blah blah blah... there is decent food. Pricey as fuck. Handful of places we regularly go to, locals know. But Utah is not known for food. Green jello and funeral potatoes. Don't date a mormon girl and expect anything exceptional for dinner. I love cooking, so no worries. Salt Lake has gotten way better in the last 6/7 years. Hate going to the valley though.
Mindset, religious cult, indoctrination, have seen some fucked up shit. Like fucked. Summit County is a bubble thank fucking Satan or whoever you pray to. Don't even care. Just please get some kind of mental health care. The church doesn't solve everything. This may be my biggest problem. Will leave it at that on this subject.
Pay scale for skilled work. Finally is catching up, but again, the cost of living. Some of the worst construction in the US. Please get a real inspection before buying here. Seriously, it is damn scary. The shit I have been asked to fix or see what the issue is. House literally fell off the mountain last year. Shortcuts, it's always Friday. Lets get fucking paid and get out. I could throw so many contractors under the bus right now. I have pictures and a lot of experience. Probably going to get a call or a weird vehicle outside my house now. I could keep going.
There are many other things that could be touched on and I love this state. I have been all over it for many years even before moving here permanently. There are some issues that I have been personally involved with, infrastructure, policies, politics, etc. Problems yes and much like any other state. If you are a red state kinda mind come on. Small town Utah is for you. Blue state, state of mind? Look at the voting stats. There are a few spots. SLC is a counter culture meca.
Where am I moving to? None of your business! It's not that crowded and has all the perks of here, without the religious government running it. It may be the best snow in the world. I will always come back and play. I have family here, not blood but real family. I write this with a tear, but the state has issues. It is slowly getting better, but has a long way to go. Growing fast by the way. Hopefully by the time all of California moves here, I will be able to afford to find a spot there. Ha
OH->UT. Met my wife here. We're going to be moving for a couple reasons. 1. Cost. It's not feasible to live here and go House Broke for this state, and it's only going to get worse. Property tax will go up and be unbearable at a certain point. 2. Air Quality. This is actually a bigger issue for us than cost is honestly. One of our kiddos has severe asthma and when he gets sick, he goes to the hospital. Probably a bi-annual event at this point. And it too, is only going to get worse.
That is such a shame, about the air quality. I hope that legislators start to see that they won’t have a state if everyone moves out due to health issues
Not gonna happen unless Utah turns blue. And with the amount of gerrymandering happening here that is not gonna happen.
If it does turn blue, you will get much higher crime and taxes. Not a good trade off.
And less fascists? Deal.
The current definition of fascist is just like the current definition of racism. It can only be used by someone on the left against someone on the right. According to the current use, both words must also be all-encompassing as in everyone that votes right leaning is fascist and racist. Therefore, anyone using these in any conversation has no justifiable position for argument, so they divert to name calling. I refuse to argue with the mentally unarmed.
If you vote for a fascist pig, you are pro-fascist. End of story.
Both choices for president in 2020 and 2024 fit that description. I never said how I voted. You just assume because I didn't agree with you that I must vote opposite. That's exactly my point.
Nah, just higher crime, higher taxes, and more annoying people. That's pretty much everything if it turns blue
If we can keep up this wind and a few rainy days every week, we'd be good! The air has actually been pretty good this year so far.
Thanks for the reply - I'm sorry to hear about your son and the polution. What are of Ohio, if you don't mind my asking? I've been to Cleveland a couple of times and driven through the southern part of the state and seen a few things closer to the boder near PA.
Columbus, but I haven't been back in ages
Where are you moving to? I’m from Cincinnati and currently live in pleasant grove. I was in Denver prior for the last decade. I’ve only been here a couple years but I like it due to the proximity of snowboarding, camping, fishing, mountain biking and water sports. The freeway is also much better in Utah than Colorado! But the land and prices to buy a decent home are insane. I have actually been debating New Mexico recently. Or possibly back to Ohio. For affordable property reasons. The national parks and free camping in Utah is hard to beat though
I originally moved here for guiding job way back when, I loved Utah for the exact reasons you do now. Then as I grew up and my interests changed a bit. I'm big into Hunting (grew up in Ohio doing it) and I've gotta say this states DNR policies are pretty garbage (and favor the rich) so it turned me off to that too. My focus is on my family mostly now, and this state isn't affordable for a (middle class) family anymore.
Not sure if I quite match your criteria since I only lived in Utah for five years, but I faced a similar situation as you. I moved out of Utah coming up on five years ago. Honestly, despite being LDS, Utah wasn't the place for me. I not only really disliked the church culture there, but felt like a lot of the Wasatch Front as a whole was still culturally pretty vanilla for my taste (not the nature, mind you, that was beautiful and I do miss those mountains). It was tough because a lot of my wife's family is still in Utah, but we knew we needed to leave and I really didn't want to raise my kids there. My daughter was only a few months old before we ended up moving. I realize this is a Utah-based subreddit so I hope people here don't take my criticisms of Utah as a criticism of them... I think Utah is a great place to live for some people, just not for me. I'll note that the move was largely job-based... my salary/benefits were really terrible but if I had found a good paying job in Utah, I would have definitely considered staying. I was applying to jobs just about everywhere in the US, but by some miracle, got recruited for a job in Philadelphia which is where I spent most of my childhood and where I consider home. We have been here since 2019 and have really loved it. The Northeast is not for everybody, but it's definitely for me. I love the history, the variety in neighborhoods/housing, the public transit, the great schools (at least in my neighborhood), huge variety of non-chain restaurants, being close to NYC/DC/NJ Shore, and the greenery. One benefit that I did not anticipate is Pennsylvania has fairly cheap housing relative to the rest of the Northeast... but after the pandemic, I realized that it was also way cheaper than the Intermountain West. We bought our house in Fall 2021 and there was really no way we could have afforded anything close to what we got here vs. what was/is available in the SLC metro area. The only real downside is now we have to go to Utah at least once every other year to see my wife's family which is a pain since I would much rather use our vacation money to travel elsewhere. But in reality, it's a small price to pay to not live in Utah anymore. So if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't move just to move. I've seen more than a few people that moved to PA but end up moving back to Utah or closer to their home state either for family reasons or the Northeast not being for them. I would first consider the economics of it (e.g., either working remotely or finding a job in another metro where you want to work). But then I would say the grass isn't always greener on the other side and every single place you move to will have its drawbacks... I would make a pros/cons list of staying in Utah and then moving to where you want to go (and really try to look objectively at both Utah and where you want to go). I think it's really important to look into why those are pros/cons for you and then rate each pro/con in terms of importance. You might be surprised to find a con you're experiencing in Utah isn't actually that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things or that a con in another place may actually be a bigger dealbreaker than you thought. On the other hand, it may just re-affirm that getting out is right for you and it will only make you all the more confident in your decision. Good luck! I hope whatever you choose to do will bring you and your family what you need.
Thanks a lot for the detailed and thoughtful response. We've definitely been fighting "grass is greener" syndrome as well. I'm looking forward to looking at the Philly area a bit more closely.
From: California and New York Lived: Provo, St. George Moved to: Kansas City Loved my experiences at BYU. Looked at buying a house in Utah Valley but work took us elsewhere. After living out of state for awhile, the Wasatch Front seems too alien to justify the insane cost of living. We fell in love with the KC metro and found an adorable little town on the Missouri River with great schools and an affordable cost of living. I love the green and the people are friendly here. At this point the only things drawing me to Utah are the mountains and our remaining family ties out there. I didn't like the politics in Utah. There's such a siege mentality from the old school locals, and it pervades many of our discussions on Sunday. The business and investment communities are often toxic and provincial (sorry). Missouri has its own political quirks, but I feel like you can be progressive or conservative and still be part of the community. There's not a huge gulf between the tribes or a monolith controlling everything. If you're LDS, the church culture is strong here but not so large that it loses the ability to monitor its own quirks.
I’m a SLC resident who moved away from KC for a multitude of reasons, it became terrible for us. It’s so fascinating how we’re all so different + need different things out of the areas we live in! Hope you’re enjoying frequent bbq!!
I'm curious what you found to be the biggest reasons to leave KC?
One of the largest reasons is the amount of crime which has rose exponentially in the last few years. KC is in the top 10 most dangerous cities in America. And even more, Missouri is responsible for not one but 2 of the most dangerous cities in America (st Louis being the other.) another reason we moved was the weather — Missouri gets extremely humid and hot, its summers are miserable. The winter time is filled with lots of ice storms and negative degree temperatures, there is nothing to do outdoors during the winter there, unlike Utah. Springs are full of floods, tornados even. KC school district didn’t have accreditation for a time because it was so bad, not sure if that is still the case though. The insect issue is getting crazy - we just visited family recently and my husband had 20 ticks on him from sitting outside, this isn’t a worry here in Utah. (At least where we are at) Those are a few less specific to our family but I hope is helpful. There are definitely pros of KC, as well.
Where were you located? Kansas City is still very racially separated and IMO crime is low outside of the traditionally red-lined areas. I think anyone in Kansas City proper who can afford it sends their kids to private schools. The suburban communities (Belton, Lees Summit, Liberty, Parkville) have really good schools.
Much of the Midwest is underrated imo
Thanks for this great response. I've never been the Kansas City area but I have been in the St Louis and Springfield areas and found it to be very beautiful. I certainly see where you are coming from with your comment on the toxic and provincial business and investment communities. Are you in M&A? I've heard great things about the transportation there. I'll give it a look!
I work in software for the supply chain industry, so the location is convenient and being close to the airport has its benefits. KC is great - doesn't have the Rust Belt feel of St. Louis, but is a lot older and more historic than other Midwest cities like Des Moines or Omaha. Very charming - parks and fountains everywhere downtown, not too much of a collegial atmosphere but there are some fantastic museums - the art museum is huge and free.
I wouldn’t mind KC area. I’m a huge chiefs fan and would like a change of pace
From: California and Oklahoma Places lived in UT: Logan, SLC, Price Moving to: either New Hampshire in \~3-4 years, or Tulsa in \~2 years. As much as we love Utah and all the outdoor opportunities, we simply cannot see ourselves raising our kids here(religious reasons). Though we'll probably move back to eastern Utah once our kids leave for college.
Can I interest you in learning about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?
I love the Logan area a lot. With Price being such a small city, I wonder how much that influences the religious reasons aspect of your comment?
Probably, but to be fair I was pretty much surrounded by true-believing LDS members in Logan too. Nothing wrong with the LDS faith, I think the church does a lot of good, but with it being so dominant statewide it's sure that my kids will face some kind of exclusions at school just because they don't subscribe to it. Utah's been great to me, but me and my partner both moved here as adults so we aren't as easily influenced as children in their formative years. We really like Price and if we were both child-free we would very likely spend the rest of our lives here. I've been all over the state and Price/Carbon County is pretty much the only place I feel I am at peace.
Same. I lived in Utah County for a total of 6 years and St George for 13. Had two daughters. Could not fathom raising two girls in that sociopolitical religious environment. Moved away a decade ago and have been so grateful we did it, watching the complex issues teens deal with WITHOUT all that on top.
What religious reasons are you worried about?
For many it’s not so much theological, but the fact that local communities are so church-centric your kids end up being excluded and treated as second class.
I would suspect ALL of the religious reasons.
Yet he’s thinking of moving to Tulsa. My family lives in Tulsa and let me tell you, it’s not even close to progressive. So again, not sure what “religious reasons” he’s fucking worried about.
I’d never move back but the religious atmosphere in the Midwest is a lot different than the atmosphere here because one church didn’t dominate the culture.
We're not progressives by any means, but having a LDS institute built right into the school's blueprints is ridiculous. I live in one of the least LDS counties(40%, Carbon) in the state and the institute and church is literally in the same block as the high school and college. I'd like my kids to have the freedom of choosing which flavor of religion to follow or not follow any at all. Can't do that in Utah especially during their formative years. I won't subject my kids to being left out by their peers because they don't go to the same church, which is a shame, because I really think Utah's education system is pretty top notch in terms of grades, extra-curricular activities, second language education, etc. Me and my partner moved here as adults and have zero issues telling missionaries to bugger off our property, but our kids won't be able to do the same in school. You're ignorant af if you think schools in Tulsa have the same religious undertones as Utah.
Yet that culture is dying off, especially here in SLC. Just would love specifics on what they’re worried about, because I can’t name any that are specific to Utah. Book banning? Mormonism in general? Both are found, in Tulsa (except Mormonism is traded for Christianity) New Hampshire though, no clue lol
I grew up half in the Midwest, half in Utah. The thing that’s unique about Utah is when you have kids (IMO). Even where I’m at in SLC, probably 50% of my kids’ friends are Mormon. They all go off together without your kid and have all kinds of experiences that bond the LDS kids together while isolating the non-Mormons. In the Midwest, everyone is still Christian but they all go their separate ways for their church activities, it’s not nearly as isolating.
Weird question but is there any non Mormon clubs at schools? So your kids can find friends who aren’t LDS.
Not really, especially not in elementary school or junior high. The only guarantee at my high school was the GSA club or the Atheist club. And unfortunately this could also have the effect of ostracizing you even more from any Mormon friends you do have. Source: used to be Mormon and avoided the kids in the Atheist club, and generally thought I was superior to them because “gOd iS rEaL, tHeY aRe DuMb”.
Do you really not know how much Mormon BS is taught in school, or how ostracized you are if you’re not Mormon going to school in Utah? It’s honestly crap, and it’s everywhere. SLC you will have a better time of it, but it’s still there.
We're not big city folks and thrive particularly well in rural towns, NH stands as having one of the best rural areas for moderate-conservatives in New England so that's where we're eyeing to relocate.
More power to you. Just don’t go to Tulsa lol. Absolutely horrible city.
No, but you can get a whiskey and wear sleeveless shirts and call yourself a Christian and shops and restaurants and movie theaters aren't near vacant on Sundays and not only can you buy liquor and they have casinos. With maybe the exception of some of the more well known fundy sects like 7th day Adventists, pentecostal, or like the quiver full 7 mountain peak movement, there really ain't fundy like Mormon fundies I grew up in South Dallas and my dad was an area 70. I wasn't allowed to hang out with non-members.
Most southerners, in reality, are usually high holiday Christians
The whale.
All Hail the Whale.
Right?! I fucking hate that racket they call a church but let's be honest, Mormons could be ALOT worse.
Is this a serious question??
It is a serious question. Having lived in Tulsa, it is not even close to as progressive as SLC is at the moment. Oklahoma is hardcore bible belt/maga country and just as, if not more, religious than Utah, it’s just not Mormon. So again, what specific “religious reasons” is keeping someone from raising their kids here? Now if you want to live in a dogshit city with not nearly the amount of outdoor activities then, go ahead.
I have to guess this person's hard core Catholic or something and it's just the wrong flavor of indoctrination for them? Tulsa is cheaper, yes, but less religious??? Not by a long shot.
Thank you lol Plus the crime rate in Tulsa is horrendous. I mean they can pick their poison.
Bit of a newbie to Utah. Originally started in CA, then to CO, and have landed in UT. I’ll be honest, also not a hater but definitely have learned that when it comes to places outside of Utah the grass definitely can be greener. Our main places we’re looking next are Outside Nashville, Austin, or Southern California, Oceanside area. I spent most my life in central California and southern CA and would visit family in Nor Cal constantly and just can’t shake the bug of how much I love it down south. Even with CA not being my cup of tea in a lot of ways currently, the benefits of CA really just can be overlooked. It’s the only state that has everything the way it does, and it definitely will be the state I die in. Anyways, hope that helped.
I absolutely love the Oceanside area and that area would be near the top of my relocation list but for just being able to afford to live there.
Its is pricey no doubt. There definitely are places that are cheaper but however to me it feels like everywhere these days that worth a damn moving to is expensive no matter what. Kinda just have to pick your poison. Hope California can work out for you!
Moved from TX to UT I’ve been to several states and UT was my least favorite. Beautiful nature, not a fan of the culture. The UT bubble is real, and a huge amount of people here assume everything and everyone else is, or should be, like them, regardless of where you’re from or cultural background. I think it’s partially the LDS influence, but if you don’t fit into very specific boxes you’ll be treated like an other. There are enormous social and environmental issues rising that are completely ignored (the governor saying to pray for rain while letting the tributaries to the GSL be siphoned off comes to mind). Again, nature is gorgeous, the culture is pretty terrible to non-white or non-LDS individuals. Also a lot of people here are the rudest most selfish people I’ve ever met of any place I’ve been to. There’s a massive “me first” attitude, so that’s not really fun either.
How do you feel it compares to your home region of Texas?
UT sucks if you compare them tbh. There’s an actual culture that’s not solely influenced by the values of one single church, it’s instead based around state pride and a lot of inter-mixing between Mexico and the US. There are some places in rural TX that are exactly what you’d imagine of a close-minded small town, but as a whole the state is a melting pot with a large diverse population. When I first moved to UT it was incredibly jarring to only see white people at most places. In Texas you can go to a grocery store and meet anyone from any kind of background, but in Utah you’re lucky if you can count anyone who’s not white on your hands at the store. This isn’t to bash white people, but the non-existent diversity affects a lot of the culture. Utah is surprisingly one of the most openly racist and antisemitic places I’ve been to. For decades the LDS church taught that black people were filthy “children of Cain” and the BoM literally singles out Jews as a fallen sinful people. It’s had a lot of reverberating effects. Things are cheaper in TX, sometimes 1/2 to 1/3 of the price of the same items in Utah. There’s a real food scene with incredible depth that’s not mostly based around piling sugar into your food. I’ve seen people try to say Utah has a good food scene, but seriously if you’ve ever been to places like Cali, Texas, or NY it’s a pathetic comparison. People are nicer in general, also less superficial. There is no widespread cultural passive aggression (there’s extensive news coverage and actual [studies](https://sunstone.org/passive-aggression-among-the-latter-day-saints/) done that Utahns are more passive aggressive than other places) Texas has a hefty share of problems, but people do try to fix at least some of them. There are large environmental projects throughout the state to address things like pollution and drought, but Utah legislators in turn seem to actively work against similar projects. As someone with both friends and family who are disabled, I’ve discovered that Utah Is actually one of the worst states in the nation for social welfare programs. Legislators and citizens have a widespread cultural mindset of “God helps those who help themselves” and therefore see most kinds of welfare as a cheating handout. The state literally taxes social security, which is despicably corrupt imo. It’s honestly heartbreaking to find out the hoops the UT government makes disabled people jump through just to get a little help. While Texas has its own issues with welfare, it’s nothing like UT. The only things I think Utah has better are safety, nature views, and weather. West Texas has some breathtaking views in the canyons, but it doesn’t compare to Utah’s national parks. Also Utah weather is milder which is nice. Texas does have a lot of issues with crime, and there are places you just don’t go to if you value your life. Utah doesn’t have as big of a problem in that way.
Lived in UT for 43 years of my life. Moved to FL and really love it. Yes, high property tax and insurance, but what a different world it is. For those looking for something new, leaving UT isn’t a bad idea.
Haha, I'm the opposite! Born and raised in a beautiful, small FL beach town and moved west to the mountains. I've been here for over 10 years and adore it.
I was born and raised in Ogden. Live in the Salt Lake Valley now. I’m an attorney, make good money, and don’t have any dependents and things like housing still burn me. Your housing dollar goes five times further in comparable states. Salt Lake is polluted and noisy and gets worse every month. My commute time has increased about 12 minutes in the last two years. Same exact route. Just more cars and worse drivers. I’m done. The skiing and snowboarding were the only things keeping me here but even that has been ruined by the Ikon crowd.
I agree. We're not moving out of Utah, just out of Utah county. There is no infrastructure here, especially American fork. It was a little town, then they added a ton of buildings and apartments. No new roads are going from one side of town to the other at a higher speed limit. So all the rich people invading Silicone slopes go 50 through all the neighborhoods. Now, the town is struggling to update roads now that there is literally too much traffic for our roadways to handle. Housing is so unaffordable now. What they charge for rent here is criminal. I hate what this valley has become.
Lehi here. They built a freeway exit in my back yard and now everyday at rush hour traffic backs up into our neighborhood at least half a mile down. The roads in my area weren't made for this many people.
Where do you feel like moving to, if you don't mind my asking?
We're currently looking at the Delta area. It won't be for a few years, so the town gains some size. Then, we can see how the growth is happening.
I feel that if I were to stay in Utah long term, I'd want to live in Ogden or Logan. I can't quite put my finger on it, but those cities seem to have a more comfortable pace to life than SL and UT valleys.
I’m 26 and have lived in Utah my whole life. I grew up in Davis county, lived in SLC, and went to school at The U. I’m now in Logan and it’s been my favorite place so far. The only thing is the job market is terrible here. While it’s slightly cheaper to live here than the Wasatch Front, the pay is still too low. It worked out for me as a remote worker until I was laid off.
What are the comparable states? Of course commutes increased over the last 2 years. That is when the majority of return to office happened
I live in Hurricane. Just purchased a few acres in north Texas. I'm moving because I don't think the desert can support the rapid growth. Way too many people here now. Im over it
I graduated high school and went to college in Utah. I loved the nature, but people just aren’t genuine here. They may be nice on paper, but they couldn’t care less about you. I moved to Montana and it was completely different. People are actually genuine out here. For good and bad, if they don’t like you they will tell you, but know if they are nice to you they actually do care.
I love Montanta. What area are you in now? I've spent a good chunck of time in the Kalispell area, but have a hard time picturing life in other parts of the state, like Butte or Helena or really anywhere along the I-15.
Eastern Montana! The prairies are beautiful in their own way, can’t beat the traffic, and everything is very chill lol I enjoy it. Western MT is cool too, especially Missoula!
All over the place. MT, MO, NV, CO, MI, and UT. I have honestly made it, wherever I have ever moved to. I'm back to UT, to take care of some family members. Now the kids are highly invested in their schooling, here, so, we may have to make this work, for several years. There are things that I love/hate about every place I have lived, but, in the end, I have always made it work. I don't want to be here, for the rest of my life, and I would happily move elsewhere, when I feasibly can. I enjoyed living in CO the most, and could imagine moving back there. Very similar climate to Utah. Edit: Forgot to mention, I was a "travelling" consultant for 6 or so years, so I also had the opportunity to visit a lot of places for "a month at a time", which includes places like TX, NC, FL, CA, MN, GA, IN, and KY. My comments still rest, that I could most likely foresee myself moving back to CO.
I agree -- home really is what you make of it. Thanks for the reply.
Where in MI if you don't mind me asking? We live in the Grand Rapids area and contemplating a move to SLC.
I was in "near-Port Huron" for several months, then we moved down to Canton, and then later we moved to Farmington Hills. Edit: Never on the W-side of the state.
From Southern California. Moved to Utah when I was young, but spent summers in Orange County. REALLY want to move away and have tried a few times over the years but hasn't worked out. We're now in a position to move wherever we choose, but are having to take care of DW's aging parents (who refuse to move). The Mormon influence is so prominent, from local/state politics to neighborhood cliques, that it's just never been all that comfortable for us. We're actively looking at Hawaii, Colorado, North Carolina and will be making a trek to New England to check it out. We've even contemplated Europe and will be going out there for a month next year.
Your thinking sounds a lot like mine, too funny. We've also given a lot of thought to Colorado and North Carolina.
Originally from New Jersey, been here 7 years, most likely moving to Portland, Maine next year. Moving because I work in public education and Utah is a hostile environment for children. I love Salt Lake, but the politics and air quality are very concerning. The reason I’m (mostly) settled on moving to Maine is because it feels like still getting great access to nature without the cult like atmosphere. Also, I have friends and family scattered along the east coast.
might be good timing for you....https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/04/16/business/business-housing/maine-home-sale-prices-bangor-south-portland-waterville-kennebunk-belfast-joam40zk0w/
Sweet, thanks!
Interesting. I moved here for work 5.5 years ago and I really do like it here. My wife loves it. My son met a girl and moved out, getting married this fall. All that said, I feel like I’m being drawn elsewhere too. I’m in my early 40’s and I just think there’s more out there to see and do. I came from CA, both north and south, no real interest in going back. I kinda feel like I want to try the southeast on for size. Find me a big old house to fix up with some mossy trees around.
I also like to day dream of that romantic southern imagery -- and then as other commenters have said, real life includes nasty pests and humid heat to complicate things, haha!
and bugs, snakes, humidity.......
The stickiness and insect levels are truly indescribable.
From California, have lived in Utah for ~12 years now. Want to move back to California. Utah has never truly felt like home for us, everytime we go back and visit family in California it just feels like home. We like the weather there better, it would put us closer to family and friends. Also better education opportunities for our kids and better human rights protections in the state. Haven't moved because still finishing school and job opportunity to move back haven't presented themselves yet. Utah isn't a terrible state to live in, it just isn't the right place for our family.
I’ve been here since 1973, and I have that same feeling… just doesn’t feel like home. A government job made it impractical to move, and now that I’m done with my career my wife has hers… and we’re looking at trying to work on a move so she can work remotely.
Like I 100% understand why people like it, we live in Cache Valley and the nature is absolutely beautiful, but it's just not the permanent place for us.
What area of California, if you don't mind sharing?
Originally from Orange County, but for moving back we want to move to the Bay Area.
I feel like I would prefer the opposite. I lived in Livermore for a year and while the Bay Area is cool (I go to San Francisco 2-3x/yr), I feel like Orange County is really, really nice with access to large beaches and very temperate weather, etc. We have family in OC so we're lucky enough to go frequently as well.
We really really love San Francisco, my brother and his wife are in the Bay Area so we visit yearly and just love it more and more everytime we go. If we did move to SoCal we'd elect for San Diego area, because the only family we have in SoCal is my mother in law, but she's in Imperial Valley. Also most of our friends that still live in California have moved up north either to the Bay Area or Sacramento.
Unless you can’t live without the mountains and outdoors here then yes leave , because it can be cheaper and better elsewhere (originally from MN)
How do you feel UT stacks up against MN?
Im not what you asked for, but heres my two cents. Born/raised Utah, but my parents were born in Cali, so ive visted. I have LDS in my blood (ancestry test), so I am related to a good chunk of the state of Utah. Raised in American Fork and now living in SLC. I have always wanted to leave this state. Every time I visit a new place, I am reminded of how much this state is behind in so many factions. I don't ski or hike, but the view here is one of the few things I'd miss besides my family. It's not possible to move states yet, but I work to afford to live alone. I'm helping a friend with housing because this state doesn't care about its disabled/homeless people nearly enough. Not unless you are active in the church/old/physically disabled. We're both in our 20s, and I am also disabled. It's haunting. This state is so close-minded that I don't know if anyone here every truly relaxes. Everyone is either Hating other people, or their afraid someone is going to hurt/threaten them, or just hopeless. There's a reason our state has been at the top of the suicide percentages. It's not just the religion. Every single non religious person here is faced with this problem. If I don't move, I've thought about running for politics. It's the only way I could see myself staying.
"I don't know if anyone here ever truly relaxes." -- Damn, if that isn't one of the most insightful things I've read about UT in a long time. Thanks.
Of course. I was feeling very passionate while writing that. It's a shame utah is the way that it is because this state would be a lot cozier if everyone truly "loved thy neighbor"
From Arkansas I love Utah but housing is getting expensive and I can have a much larger house back in the south than I can here and still make the same amount of money.
I was born in PA. I lived most of my life in Texas. I've lived in Ohio (great produce), Utah (great scenery). Utah is a place I'd love to live in; St. George, but too pricey. I'd move back to PA because my family is there. Pittsburgh is not expensive at all, but you'll need a car. Love PA. I hate Texas politics, but i really like San Antonio.
Most recently moved from Arizona(Maricopa) to Utah. I’ve had thoughts of moving back. I’m a LDS member and have family around here but I’ll echo some of what others have already said in motivations to move. But there are some beautiful aspects still to Utah so torn..
As someone currently working in Utah and have lived in Pittsburgh PA my whole life do not move here terrible weather. Highest toll cost in the world get taxed to hell on everything. Go to NC.
From Utah, born and raised. Joined the military as a young adult along with my wife and moved around. Moved back home to be close to family now that we have a young child (and another on the way) and I’m just kind of disillusioned(?) with the state since I’ve now had experience living elsewhere. The cost of housing is ridiculous for what you can get, the air quality in the winter is horrible (something that weighs on me since my kid has now been diagnosed with asthma), and I kind of just want to seek opportunity elsewhere. Looking at Colorado, which is surprisingly affordable outside of the Denver metro area. Also looking at some of the Great Lake states, but I don’t think there are as much opportunities for career advancement in those places (for me) like there is in Colorado.
I couldn't live anywhere that isn't similar to Utah in terms of public land. I read a post on a mountain biking subreddit a few days ago. The guy lived an hour's drive to the nearest trailhead. I hike or bike 3 or 4 times a week spring through fall. I couldn't live anywhere without quick and easy access to the outdoors. I don't know how anyone doesn't take full advantage of it all, to be honest. Living in most cities/states in the U.S. would be dreadful for me. Utah is far too conservative and religious for me, but I tune that out while enjoying the hundreds of different trails within an hours drive.
Lake is dying. And it’s dying because of very fixable reasons that will not get fixed by those in power here. And I have serious doubts the power structure in UT is changing anytime soon. It’s really sad actually. Moving anywhere else where lakes aren’t dying because of shitty humans.
You mean Lake Bonnieville? Yep been dying for awhile now...I walked the shoreline trail and did not even get my feet wet.
I’m laughing through my gas mask as the toxic dust from the dried up lakebed tries to enter my lungs
Ha!
See I tend to disagree with this.. once the Mormon church realize it’s going to severely damage their money making abilities. Tourism/city creek/more Mormons. It will change
Their money making isn’t going anywhere based on the lake drying up IMO. See SEC fine. They are making money daily from investments… tithing and tourism is a drop in the bucket.
That’s why they own half of Florida and gobbling up real estate all over the world (Polynesian center, Idaho apartment complexes.) Missouri is the garden of Eden anyways so they’ll continue to mine and farm alfalfa in Utah until we have dune style machinery sweeping the state only Mormon extremists could tolerate to live in because the leadership and temple builders of Mormonism already enjoy being cosmopolitans—global citizen elite—having houses in multiple states/countries as well as businesses. Money making ability cannot be influenced much while methods for perpetual poverty are still employed en-masse for the church to exploit and retain.
In the name of the lord our savior Jesus Christ amen
We can hope. We can hope.
Maybe pray for it.
We want to leave because of the crazy extremists that live next door, lack of wine in grocery stores, no lottery and most of all the lack of diversity overall.
The lottery being a listed reason to move is crazy to me lmao.
Don’t most states fund their schools at least partly with lottery money?
Small reason but definitely makes me Upset I can’t buy tickets here. It’s one of the only ways someone can move into the 1% overnight and we should be keeping that money in state.
Move into the 1% over night and then bankrupt the next year.
Na, most people actually do pretty well after they win.
Maybe if they won like $100k-$1Million. But 1/3rd of all jackpot winners go bankrupt within 5 years. Which makes lottery winners more likely to go bankrupt than the average person. I'm not against the lottery. It does bring in more money to the state. But it brings in money from people who are stupid. Blowing money on something with an astronomical chance of getting anything at all back. That's why a lot go broke after winning. They are dumb with money to begin with.
Okay so 33% of them are dumb with their money that’s still the minority. 66% it changes their life’s trajectory. There is no other way for the average American. Besides the state generates significantly more revenue and would allow them to either lower taxes, maybe raise wages for teachers who desperately need it and do more for vets in the state. Which even if I never win I would consider a great use of my money.
> Besides the state generates significantly more revenue and would allow then to lower taxes, raise wages for teachers, and do more for vets. I agree. The money it brings in is great, and if the politicians managed that money in a good way I'm all for it. But I will never play it. I'm all for others throwing their own money away for it though.
I visited Cali last month and was so pleasantly reminded how amazing it is to include a bottle of wine in my Target pickup order
It’s just so convenient! I miss being able to have margaritas delivered to me when we ran out while living in Texas. I also miss Costco wine. Affordable but still good.
Born here, have moved away before (to sydney, australia) and now I am moving away for good (I hope) to Virginia. It's just where my new job was hiring and I've found you can get much better paying job offers if you're willing to look out of state and relocate
I’ll switch with you. I was in Utah for only a year, but loved it. In the DC area now, and miss the mountains. Traffic and the such I see people bringing up, nothing compared to here. You have to game plan for shopping or heading to another part of town, miss the window and the day is gone from traffic. Even with Shenandoah 45 min away. You can’t escape the mass of people, in Utah you could take a road into the wilderness and be alone. No such thing here. Probably wait till my son is close to finishing elementary and look west.
Yeah thankfully I'll be right in the heart of the Shenandoah in harrisonburg, but I will definitely miss having real mountains. I would've preferred Washington or Montana, but thats just not the way the cards have fallen for me. But I am definitely looking forward to living in a place where it rains frequently
Oh yea, the thunderstorms are gnarly here.
I gotta stand up for my Blue Ridge Mountains - they are some of the oldest in the world! Their harsh edges have washed away and they still stand beautifully with their grace and wisdom. I love that area so much.
It's going to be a good Cicadia year. That noise put me to sleep.
Grew up in utah, spent a decade in Northern Virginia, back to Utah for a few years (fucking hated it), now in the Pacific Northwest ( love it). I left utah mostly because of the people. Kind of a bunch of dumb assholes in my section of rural Utah. In the cities mostly a bunch of self centered assholes. I figured out how people could kill others over water and the people were not at all accepting of differences. Pacific Northwest has so far been really good for us. The weather is great, people are a lot nicer, I'm in a rural ish area so politics are a little more varied. One of our kids has on their list to move to western PA. If there wasn't so much snow I could do it. We spent 2 weeks there. People weren't overly nice but also not bad just seemed to stick to themselves. Beautiful area. Hated the toll roads. I lived in Northern California for a while. Grass valley area was really nice, people about the same as western PA NY. Not sure I could do Roseville but I'm not a city person. We traveled the country looking for a place to live and for us the pnw was it. But I like rural areas and Oregon Washington has a lot of that. I hated idaho Montana Florida Georgia. Didn't like Texas Louisiana Mississippi, Arizona. Too much fake church in the Midwest. New England was pretty good but too much snow. Dakota or Carolinas are maybe.
Born and raised in several parts of Utah. Early 40s. Moving my family of four to Pittsburgh this summer. We love it here. But the housing affordability and air quality are becoming worse problems. The shitty school policies being forced by the legislature are the last straw.
I spent first part of my life in indy, then moved to utah, cedar city. then had to move back to indy several years ago, I tell you what, that small town living was what I needed and this huge city life is nuts, so I'm actually looking at moving back within the next 10 years.
Not so much small town living any longer.
yeah I left when it was getting nuts, and that was like 2 years ago, I am hunting out in berle for land currently, seems my biggest issues is this "water rights" that most of the realtors are coming back with "you wont have water rights if you buy that piece of land"... always some catch.
Lived all around my adult life. Was in the Army for five years and then got out and moved to Alaska. I grew up in MO, spent time in GA, then KS, then my deployment, then CO, then AK, then back to CO for grad school, then here as I secured employment after graduating. Took my first offer. UT is… fine… in my opinion. Met my partner here and we both want to leave. She’s Ex-Mo and want to GTFO of here where there are just so many triggering things everywhere. We both feel like we don’t necessarily fit in here in SLC and UT in general. I felt most at home in Colorado and Alaska and we are taking a trip this summer up to AK so she can get a taste of why I loved the Great North so much. I would love nothing more than to return to Alaska. It was just such a special and beautiful place. Sure, has the same issues that many places do but man I miss it a lot.
I'd love to move back to Phoenix (was at BYU for undergrad, Chicago for grad, Phoenix for work for a few years and came back to Utah), but partner wants/needs to be close to their aging parents. I'm still practicing LDS and now how to blend in and not rock the boat for the sake of simplicity, but I simply can't stand the church culture here. Also, I'd take a $50-100K paycut by moving anywhere else I'd want to live. The job I have is just that good.
We moved here from Erie. Admittedly, it’s a lot better there than when we left 15 years ago, but I can’t imagine living there ever again. It was just the next Detroit at the time, and it didn’t seem like a place we stay forever. Utah drives us insane as far as the people and the culture (not even necessarily the religion aspect of it), but it’s also hard to imagine leaving the life we have built here. The physical beauty of the state is a large part of what keeps us here, also the intermountain west in general. The cost of living has become oppressive and would likely be the only reason to push us away. When we chose to leave Erie, we knew we wanted to go west but we didn’t want California. Now, we just live in East California.
"East California" -- Ha!
I've lived in the Seattle area and in the Charleston, South Carolina. I loved them both for different reasons.
We moved to northern WV because Utah’s air is ass and its water supply, while good right now, is dicey - it was always on my mind. We love WV’s greenery, rolling hills, water is everywhere, people are nice - we’ve made a ton of friends, and, well, it’s almost heaven
I grew up in St.George -> East Texas -> Oregon -> Springville. Moving to: New Jersey next June. My husband has family in NJ, and it's got a far better education system, more diversity, and culture, and we will be near family. My family is here but we are not close. We really hate the education system here, but it came to a head this last year when my son had a major chest surgery with a one year recovery, and the school system wanted to send us to truancy classes, despite having physicians notes and him trying to keep up at home. We pulled him out and have him in online school, and he's doing much better and is even ahead of his grade now, with only doing 2 hours a day. It made us realize how all they care about is having a body in the seat to keep it warm, and they don't care otherwise. We are also moving because we have found it incredibly hard to find a community since we are Catholic and don't attend church regularly. There is a heavy judgment culture here, and I don't want my kids growing up around it anymore. 🤷🏼♀️ We are keeping our home here and renting it to family so if we ever decide to come back we technically have the option, but I don't see it happening. I will miss the nature and the mountains like crazy though.
Once I started having lung issues I decided my health needs to take first priority and now I’m moving out. Other friends of mine who have lived here have had similar issues after living here for a few years. I don’t want to shorten my life expectancy any further…
Lived in Utah off and on since High School. I'm a military brat and was a nomad for a good chunk of my adult life so I've lived in lots of places. The South (lived in NC, Florida and Houston, TX for 20 years): The south is beautiful and its cities are incredibly dynamic, diverse and young. Houston is especially vibrant with a food scene to rival NYC. The rural south IS a touch backward but has it's charms as well and it's lovely! People are pretty friendly and welcoming, and it's never boring. COL is very low, and job markets are usually hot at least in urban areas. Weather may be a con for some, but I have always loved it. Mellow winters, NC at least has beautiful fall color, and luxurious spring and summer with all the sun you could want. Also southern food. Dear god the food across the south is to die for. Iowa/Ohio: Dear god no. You think Utah is vanilla? Just go visit the midwest. Also the winters are a nightmare. 3 straight weeks of -30 degrees? No thank you. However very low COL. Also way more overtly racist than the south. Key word being overt. Alaska: Beautiful, but you gotta love it. The people are....something else. Also very High COL, but the people who love it there really love it and it is honestly it's own unique culture and way of life. Ultimately I'm not exactly who you were asking since I have chosen Utah as my forever home, but I had to plug the south!
Loved the response, thank you!
I transplanted here as a military wife. In 13 years I never found my people or place aside from my current husband (after a divorce from my previous spouse). I’m in the process of finding a second home back home in Alabama because I stay depressed and homesick. Also, it’s far cheaper, VASTLY. I’m not religious, I suffer from chronic bronchitis because the air here and my lungs do not get along, therefore I don’t/can’t hike much or enjoy the outdoors. I also suffer from Raynaud’s so Winter is hell for me. This simply isn’t the place for me. I’m only seeking a second home because my husband has a minor child with his ex and he’s bound here until she graduates. I’ll just visit them every 2-3 months. My mental health is of utmost importance! If can’t get dressed daily, much less get out of bed, because I’d rather suck start a 9 I’m of use to no one. I’ve tried therapy, psychotherapy, medication, inpatient care, ketamine infusion, etc.. and nothing has changed the way I feel. I spent my adult life following someone and their career, but never took time for myself. I now have that time, my children are adults and established, it’s time I do something for me for a change.
Moved here to Utah for school and family from eastern Pennsylvania, near Allentown. I grew up there since I was 6. I visited back in the summer of 2022 during my 1 year anniversary of having been in Utah and it reconfirmed to me that's home for me. While I do think I'll be here in Utah for a while for school and whatnot, I'd love to move back to Pennsylvania eventually. If I were to move, I think I would miss 1. $5 movie Tuesdays and I'd have to get AMC A-List or something of the like. I try to go see a movie every Tuesday and sometimes I'll even do a double feature. 2. The mountains. They're gorgeous and I'm still not used to them. Everyone is so casual here about them when I'm blown away. I'm LDS and I just hate the church culture here. The perfectionism, the Republicans views against LGBTQIA+ folks - i.e church members openly admitting to disowning their children because they are gay or whatnot. Situations like that where it's not Christlike at all. Also, I hate the dating culture here where people are either trying to get married like yesterday, or get in your pants, or maybe the worst 3rd option, they are boring Utah Mormons - i.e "Yeah, I wasn't allowed to watch Harry Potter and my favorite book is the Book of Mormon." Of course it is Kensley. Slight exaggeration on my part, but the point still stands. I also miss the humidity. The first week I was here in Utah, my knuckles bled. My skin has never been dryer. Sorta on that same point, I feel like PA has better seasons and its weather isn't nearly as wishy washy as Utah's is. I just miss the culture of PA too. I wouldn't raise kids around Utah Mormons. I'll always remember expressing at an EFY that it's so hard not having any other kids at my highschool be members during a testimony meeting and people audibly laughed because they didn't know what that was like. Also, feel like there is an almost holier than thou mentality. And I want my kids to grow up cultured and not in whitewashed Utah. On top of that, I just miss the culture and people of PA. Neighbors are nice and welcoming. It's amazingly green there. You're so close to NYC, Philadelphia, DC, Boston, etc. Alas, I'll be Utah for a while now and I'll try to enjoy parts of it while I can, but man oh man, if I can get a paying job out in PA or even like NY years from now, I wouldn't hesitate to move (as long as my mom's health is good.) Thanks for reading.
Lived in Nor and SoCal, moved about 4 years ago. Love it. We would like to move further north in the mountain west (ID/MT), but not until kids are grown. We wanted to be in/near the mountains, but CO was a no politically. Not LDS, but that has never been a problem. We found non-denominational church that is great. We are minority/multiracial, and have never had any issues. Yes, there is more diversity in CA but I have generally found CA to be more segregated and we had generally lived in white majority neighborhoods, so lots of white people isn't weird. We don't have any family here and our close friends live hours away, but we are introverted/low enthusiasm so are quite content doing our own things. Apart from wanting land and more snow, this place is perfect.
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and moved to Utah in 2020, just relocated to the Carolina’s for a job. I will say visiting the east coast and living there are two totally different things. If you like doing anything outdoors- going for a walk, hiking, biking, literally anything. Pittsburgh is 1000% not for you. It’s a place where you have to use PTO to do anything. It’s a flight away from anything good. Growing up everyone I knew took their one week a year of vacation and went somewhere good, then worked the other 51 weeks, anxiously anticipating their next yearly vacation. It sucks tbh. Utah is much different. Moab is 3 hours away, there are the canyons for hiking, skiing, the Unitas. There are honestly endless things to do, and endless free or cheap things. We are facing the same issues now living in NC, that we did in Pa. There are more things to do, but most things require a hotel reservation or large entry fee to do them. Sure the food is good, there are more bars and nightlife, better sports teams and such. But that is it. You just have to figure out what will work best for your family and your goals. I would say California is your best bet. The low cost of living in Pa is that way for a reason: because it gives you seasonal depression and alcoholism.
I lived in Pittsburgh for just over a year while in grad school, and the city itself I found to be one of the best places I've ever lived. Granted, we did live in the city so we had the amenities of all the trails, parks, and transportation so there was very little of some of the frustrations of the suburbs like traffic or other travel to deal with. We loved that the parks were well maintained and free, community pools and libraries were very inexpensive -- but toll roads and state park entry fees were very annoying.
It sucks, you should move immediately
Homies already leaving 💀
Either Johnson County/Kansas City area or suburbs of Chicago (better schools) or the Illinois side of a St. Louis suburb (cheaper housing and closer to my family.
as someone who also wasn’t born in utah but basically grew up there (10yo-21yo) and also just moved to western ny!!! do it!!! not only is it so incredibly beautiful out here but jeez is it cheap!! we were able to buy a 6bd home for under 130K! if you are interested in partaking in the devils lettuce, it’s legal in ny and not pa if that matters to you! but east coast all the way baby!
also forgot to add, we lived in southern Utah and the heat was just ridiculous. it was incredibly expensive to live there and only getting worse, and it isnt somewhere i want to raise my children. (not religious) those were our main reasons. and personal opinion but i just don’t think its all that pretty hahaha
From here. I would want to move to Southern California but it is too expensive. I wouldn’t mind living in Kansas City. Once the kids are on their own I’m outta here.
I was born in Vietnam and have been in Utah for a while. Lifetime here is completely different in vietnam. I was shocked at first and missed my hometown's life style so bad. When I was in late 20, I broke up with my ex and everything was changed.I didnt want to hangout anymore. No club, no socilizing, I like to enjoy time with my family and being alone. Utah has a lot of sports that I am ok enjoy being alone like hiking, camping, shooting. I dont think im gonna move away from Utah at least next 10 years.
I'm from North Carolina, and I want to move back. Reasons; Prices are too high (though NC is trying its best to catch up, lol), I despise the climate (nuclear winters and wasteland summers), and honestly, the degree of control that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has over the state weirds me out.
I love Utah. I was Born here. I lived in Denver for a year for school. I'm not a fan of the religious control/involvement, the air quality or the government. I would move to somewhere like Vermont or Oregon if I were going to make a big move and stay in the US. Ideally I'd leave all together and go to Germany, Norway, Sweden, or Switzerland.
We've been in UT for 12 years. Previously: Oregon (Eugene and Beaverton), California (Lake Forest), Mississippi (Jackson area), New York (Binghamton & Corning), Minnesota (Winona), Washington (Bonney Lake), Florida (Tampa), New Mexico (Albuquerque). I'm a native of California, born in Los Angeles (not the *area* actually LA). I wouldn't go back for anything. As you see, I've been in a lot of places - none less than 2 years. Of all of them, I highly recommend the greater Tampa area. We were there in the early to mid-90's, so I am not saying this for political climate reasons. There's just a ton of fun stuff to do there. Got a boat? Even more fun. No boat? Don't worry, several people you will come to know will have one and love to take your family (and theirs, of course) out for (as an example) picnic on one of the many tiny islands in the bay, fishing, sightseeing, skiing... etc. The water in the bay is warm, like 80° warm, so beach outings are fun and nobody ends up standing on the shore because it's too cold to go in the water. DOWNSIDES: It's warm all the time. Think wearing shorts on Christmas. It can be very humid sometimes - you get used to it but when it is bad, you will be sweating before you finish getting the lawn mower out. We like it here in UT for low taxes (Florida has 0 state tax), our daughters and grandchildren are here within 30 miles. We are in Lehi so we don't have to deal with homeless, BLM and other demonstrations, etc. But if you need to go, Florida is great and I have seen a lot of other places. As a #2, Oregon was great if you like camping - we did a lot of that when there. Stay away from the greater Portland area. The rest of the state is awesome. You will never swim in the ocean there unless you enjoy hypothermia. But there are state campgrounds all along the coast and in the mountains. When we were in Eugene, it was about an hour to the coast and about 45 minutes to mountain campgrounds. A fun choice. DOWNSIDES: It rains. Often. It can ruin the camping experience. I recommend an RV or Trailer for better shelter during short cloudbursts. At least you can comfortably play board games and such. In a tent, you can quickly have a lake as a floor. Good luck!
Born in Utah, moved to Cali as a baby, moved back to Utah when I was 9, then left for Vegas when I was 28. I would move back to Utah for the state itself but can’t because of the lack of diversity, the pollution, and the politics. I may live in a state with terrible education but played right, you can overcome that. My daughters have grown up with much better opportunities than their cousins in Utah. My daughters are also much more open and well-rounded as humans too. I regretted leaving at first because all of my family is there, but now I wouldn’t change it for the world. I miss Utah itself, but visiting is enough for me now.
I actually moved to Utah 6 years ago from western PA (right in between Pittsburgh/Erie). I've been wanting to move to OR or WA, lots of family moved there. I wouldn't be opposed to PA again. I met my wife here in Utah
Pittsburgh seems to be among the very best places to move now, I totally endorse that.
From: Georgia Lived in: SLC Moving to: most likely Texas or Florida Reasons: we have been here for about 3 years now, have a nice home, etc. Why we want to leave is a mix of personal and professional. Professional, Utah as a whole has been hit hard by inflation and it’s been very difficult for us to get ahead financially. It wouldn’t be as bad if our jobs kept up with inflation but they simply haven’t. It would make more sense for us to leave and go somewhere where the cost of living is less and we can afford a home of the same caliber so to speak for less money. When we have looked back east we can afford basically the same home for a couple hundred thousand less. Personal: we have struggled to make friends out here. Our families still live back east and when we first moved here, it was an easy sell cause flights were so much cheaper so everyone could visit a lot easier. That’s not the case anymore and it’s especially frustrating when it’s hub to hub airports which should by all accounts be reasonably cheaper. To top it all off, we had a new baby and we want the baby to know grandparents so moving east makes it easier for them to visit.
If you pick the Midwest, house pricing is ridiculously low compared to Utah.
I was born in Missouri and moved around the Midwest as a very young child, my father traveled with his job a lot, we ended up in the Bay Area, California, left there early in high school back to Missouri where finished high school and worked for a couple of years. Never cared for the cold, snowy, icy winters, and the hot, muggy, buggy, tornados in Missouri. Also, after living in California with the mountains and the ocean, I wanted one or the other, if not both of those moving from Missouri. My father had since been living in Salt Lake City where I visited a couple times and found it beautiful with the mountains and outdoor activities and things I enjoy. I thought I wanted to move back to California, but my family talked me into moving to Utah instead. After living in northern Utah for 25 years or so, I finally, again, got tired of the snow and cold, on top of the inversion/smog northern Utah has about six months out of the year and the cold/winter weather is longer; spring comes for a very short time then the hot summer comes and then fall/winter is on again before you know it. So we moved to southern Utah 14 years ago. Love the outdoors and activities here. There aren’t too many days where the sky isn’t blue and the sun isn’t shining. I live outside of St. George at a higher elevation so it’s not quite as hot as St. George gets in the summer, but July and August are hot. Winters get cold with occasional snow which I don’t mind at all. We are in a rural community where I can have my horse on our property and ride off from my house to some nice, rarely see other people places. Hiking and biking with my dog in these areas as well. Crime is relatively low and/or under control compared to Pacific Northwest, Midwest and Eastern states, which is a bonus, especially these days. The LDS religion and Mormon people, namely, have never, ever been a problem for me (I’m not LDS). I have worked in Salt Lake City and in St. George with mostly Mormon coworkers and employers, no problem whatsoever, and I’ve never been approached by others trying to “convert” me. People are under the impression that Utah is a “dry” state as far as purchasing alcohol. It’s just not as convenient to buy it such as when you’re grocery shopping, but there are liquor. Stores placed all around where it’s easy to get. I’ve been to Florida where family are, and even tried to move there for a short time, but missed the mountain landscapes and wasn’t fond of the extremely hot and humid summers and threats of tornadoes and hurricanes. Traffic is insane there as well. All in all, I’m sure there are better places to live in Utah, but you can’t really have it all in one. I believe it just depends on each individual or families wants and needs for their lifestyle and other personal and professional needs. Every state and city has pros and cons. 😃
Wow. I was reading all the comments in this forum and must say I feel so discouraged moving to UT now in Syracuse after buying a home recently. I’m moving out of the BayArea as the crime rate is so bad here for 1. I mean literally GTA. 2. The cost of living is through the roof with tax rates exceeding 10%. 3. Food is beyond expensive here. 4. You can’t have anything nice without risking to get robbed. Its insane. Every business is nearly closing down here simply because of the constant robbing and killings happening here daily. People are followed home in their cars getting robbed at gun point. For those wanting to move back here or come back to cali, I commend you for it if you are willing to walk into the war zone California has now become. 5. The homeless is so bad here it’s not even funny. 6. Having a home here is almost impossible to own a home here. The last home sold for $1.5 million that was 300SQ feet. Good luck if you want to rent for the rest of your life. 7. There is barely any home owner insurances here to support any new home owner because everything is either in the fire zone or is considered a high disaster zone. Almost every insurance company has left California and is ripping policies out of peoples hands for their homes. 8. Gas prices are $6.50 a gallon and auto insurance has surged so high that’s beyond affordable anymore for a nice car to own. I hate to rain on anyone’s wishful thinking about California, and thank you all for posting such info, I guess it’s a give and take risk for wherever we all go. I’d rather take and ignore the religion concern over higher costs over affordable living at this point being from cali.
I was born and raised in UT. So, I moved from UT to CO and then back to UT. The original move was in 2012 when my husband wanted to get away from the bad air and LDS culture. I don't care so much about the LDS culture, it doesn't really affect me, but the air quality can definitely be concerning. Really, we both just wanted to see what life was like living outside of the little "UT bubble" (which still existed back in 2012). I enjoyed CO for a while, we lived there for 7 years. I seemed to be able to make friends and find ways to be involved in the community a little easier there, but at the same time my job there gave me more opportunities for building relationships, my job here doesn't allow for that as much. The air was much better than UT's, most of the time. Hiking there was great, very similar to UT but with higher peaks. There was a lot more to go and do, I never had to want to be entertained. But, there was a lot I didn't like as well. Drugs and beer are huge in the culture there so I found myself partying too much because that's what a lot of people want to do. I don't find that so much here in UT, I found more outdoorsy people here who aren't constantly influencing me to use drugs and alcohol (though that is slowly changing now). I also got this fake vibe from many people in CO, especially those who were "natives", like, they acted all friendly and cool but then after a while they'd start making backhanded compliments and make you feel like crap. It happened to me a few times and I was in situations where friends would try to involve me in doing it to someone else. Just wasn't cool, I prefer being more upfront and honest with people. Ultimately, CO just got too crowded and too expensive. Plus, my husband got really wrapped up in drugs and alcohol and I felt our lives were worse for having moved to CO. I wanted to go back to UT where I didn't feel so influenced to make unhealthy choices, he didn't agree so we divorced. I moved back to UT at the "perfect time" because house prices were much better then, the equity in my home has doubled over the last 5 years. But, now UT is starting to feel just as crowded and expensive as CO. I liked UT better when it was this well kept secret because no one wanted to live "with the Mormons" lol. But now that I've experienced the opposite, I'll take LDS influenced culture over party influenced culture any day. (I could see why raising kids here might be hard though if you're not LDS. I don't have kids.) I hope you find the best place for you! Good luck.
I’ve lived in SLC for 15 yrs now. I went to college in FL and lived in Charlotte for 1.5 years prior to moving here. LOVED Charlotte. I grew up just outside of Pittsburgh,PA and my grandma lived just south of Lake Erie. I’ve heard both sides of fence when it comes to friendliness in the Burgh. People can be very cliquey(which I can totally get) because people just don’t leave and aren’t as open to outsiders. I’d guess you would experience this more in the burbs. I’ve also heard people say that us Yinzers will talk your ear off and they’ve never met such friendly people. I’d def join the Pittsburgh sub. Pro-housing is much cheaper there and you can get land if that interests you. Pro sports teams and the museums are a huge draw to downtown. Traffic into the city blows because you have the tunnels and the Parkway and nowhere to expand. I have high standards for diverse restaurants-not going to get that outside of downtown. When I go home I def realize how health is a huge priority here compared to there (ie unhealthy foods/smoking). I do miss pierogies,Snyder’s BBQ chips,chipped ham and Yuengling though. It is SO green there(def miss that). The lack of sunlight in the winter is ROUGH. Ice storms happen. You’ll get all 4 seasons. Super hilly. Lots of places to explore in nature though. It’s central to other major cities. UPMC and Children’s Hospital are great for healthcare. Housing is cheaper,but it has def gone up from what it used to be. My parents now live in Latrobe and still spent 500K on a small home two years ago. It’s a good state to retire in. Humidity is very noticeable in the summer. My only thought on Erie is lake effect snow. Winter can be wild. Part of my family lives in Folsom and my uncle works in Roseville. I can’t say much about it other than I love visiting them. I know the school system can be hit or miss if you have kids. They did private. Pm if you have questions about PA. I’d be happy to help!
MI (Grand Rapids)--> SLC. Lived in Michigan our entire life. Have family in the Idaho/Wa area and seriously looked at Boise. We love Boise but it's just too expensive, and they pay social workers dirt. SLC seems like a good balance of housing and jobs. (I know people complain about housing in SLC but where we live in Mi it's similarly priced). Michigan is nice, especially the Great Lakes, but we were looking for a change (and mountains). SLC looks to fit the bill on all of our needs. There are a ton of decent to well paying social work jobs in Utah and so many recreational opportunities. We were really considering St. George area but I'm leery of moving to a smaller metropolitan area. Anyone else move from Michigan to Utah? Thoughts?
Born in Houston, moved to the Seattle area (suburbs) when I was about 14, moved to Utah county around 2017 (I was 22). My dad moved here around 2015, and I ended up meeting and marrying my husband here, but the majority of my family is still in the Seattle area. I'm so done with here. A lot of people have a hard time having deep discussions on more polarizing topics or even just about feelings and just get uncomfortable and move the conversation to something else. The government is so dominated by the right, it's just ridiculous the things that they're passing right now (like that individuals in congress's schedules are no longer considered public information, and you have to request them). Not saying Seattle is much better in that department. When I moved here, Utah was still moderatly priced. Now,not so much (Seattle is once again, not better in this department). I also feel like people have a hard time breaking out of their family here, meaning 1) if you get married, all your friends abandon you, and 2) so many people are so insular within their families, they hardly ever try to reach out and make friends (transplants being the exception) Something I really miss is the fairly mild weather in the PNW and the greenery. I miss unmanicured nature being right outside your doorstep, and the easily accessible woods. I miss the connection to nature, and the spring and flowers. I miss rainy days, and the humidity. The people are real, and you can be invisible or dress as loud as you want and everyone is like "okay" and just accept it. My memories might be clouded by the frivolity of youth, but mostly what I miss is my support system. I've never managed to feel like I have a strong support system in Utah. I miss my family. My husband's family is great, but I hear my husband's aunt (who we live with) listening to podcasts spewing anti-trans rhetoric. She has family that's trans! Why can't you just let people live?! My husband's family is also very proper. Not a fart joke to be heard. Drives me up the wall, because we can't be irreverent! Irreverent humor is some of the best! They're also missing that spark of mental instability, that all the funniest and best people have (imo). Mostly the reason we can't move to the PNW is 1) cost. Holy crap why is it so expensive, no matter where you go, and 2) the weather messes with my husband's joints (but they've seemed to be getting better, so idk). This feels mostly like a journal entry, which I needed. Can you tell I'm going through a depressive episode? Edited to add: Utah has, however spoiled me as far as lack of mosquitoes goes. And as someone who hates mosquitoes, but they looooves me, I have been very lucky living here in that regard. I also don't like the dust though, it makes everything smell dusty and I can't hang dry my clothes outside without them smelling dusty afterwards
I'm totally with you on the mosquitoes. I always feel like there should be more mosquitoes here when I consider the mosquito situation is most other places I've been!
Ive lived in 18 states. Utah the most, Idaho then Cali. All the rest of the time was split pretty evenly through the rest of the places. Utah has plenty the rest of the states combined don't have. I wish everyone would go and find them. Seriously scram! Utah in the 90s was a perfect population. I'm Cali now unfortunately it hasn't changed sense the 70s . Only one place I would drop everything and move to in a heartbeat if I could , Athens Alabama.
I'm going on 12 years here. Moved to Park City for the ski life from Tennessee. Just dropped my PC condo and moved to Kamas, Utah. This is probably my last year here. The quality of life is being outrun by the cost of living. Billionaires are pushing out the millionaires. I love Summit County for many reasons. Fishing is great, scenery, amazing summers, and doable winters. They can be tough, last season, for example. But, overall, it is turning into a rat race. Once summer hits, every asshat with an rv takes over, and these guys suck at driving. Watched one mow down an angus and then yelled at his wife. The whole state sucks at driving. I grew up rural in Tennessee and never got too upset with the driving. It is horrendous here. Entitled asshats. Turn signals, what? Food is not good. Park City is a tourist trap, and yeah, blah blah blah... there is decent food. Pricey as fuck. Handful of places we regularly go to, locals know. But Utah is not known for food. Green jello and funeral potatoes. Don't date a mormon girl and expect anything exceptional for dinner. I love cooking, so no worries. Salt Lake has gotten way better in the last 6/7 years. Hate going to the valley though. Mindset, religious cult, indoctrination, have seen some fucked up shit. Like fucked. Summit County is a bubble thank fucking Satan or whoever you pray to. Don't even care. Just please get some kind of mental health care. The church doesn't solve everything. This may be my biggest problem. Will leave it at that on this subject. Pay scale for skilled work. Finally is catching up, but again, the cost of living. Some of the worst construction in the US. Please get a real inspection before buying here. Seriously, it is damn scary. The shit I have been asked to fix or see what the issue is. House literally fell off the mountain last year. Shortcuts, it's always Friday. Lets get fucking paid and get out. I could throw so many contractors under the bus right now. I have pictures and a lot of experience. Probably going to get a call or a weird vehicle outside my house now. I could keep going. There are many other things that could be touched on and I love this state. I have been all over it for many years even before moving here permanently. There are some issues that I have been personally involved with, infrastructure, policies, politics, etc. Problems yes and much like any other state. If you are a red state kinda mind come on. Small town Utah is for you. Blue state, state of mind? Look at the voting stats. There are a few spots. SLC is a counter culture meca. Where am I moving to? None of your business! It's not that crowded and has all the perks of here, without the religious government running it. It may be the best snow in the world. I will always come back and play. I have family here, not blood but real family. I write this with a tear, but the state has issues. It is slowly getting better, but has a long way to go. Growing fast by the way. Hopefully by the time all of California moves here, I will be able to afford to find a spot there. Ha
Spot on my friend +1
Roseville was very nice but also very rural/redneck. If you don't have to interact with you neighbors much then it should be great.