Are you thinking about making the move to Utah? We moved to Utah in 2017 and it’s the best thing we ever did, we love it here! We lived in the big city of Atlanta, GA., for several years and had enough of the big city life and lack of outdoor scene.
Moving to Salt Lake City didn’t come without its challenges. We miss a few things in Atlanta (food options) that we don’t get here in Salt Lake City, but life is all around better in Utah. We considered moving to Seattle or Denver too, but when we came to Utah it felt like a place we wanted to be. It felt like home and we loved how close we could be to the mountains.
Let’s get into some of the top reasons to move to Utah:
1. Overall Quality of Life
Utah is the 4th happiest state in the U.S. It has to do with our close-knit family communities and vibrant outdoor scenes. People are generally pretty friendly and happy in Utah and easy to get along with. We moved here from Atlanta, so things like less traffic and fewer people are a big plus for us! There’s still traffic here in Salt Lake City, but it’s not like Atlanta or L.A.! Utah gets an average of 222 days of sunshine every year, more sunshine usually equals happier people.
2. The Outdoor Life
Utah is the outdoor recreation mecca of America! There is truly something for everyone here when it comes to the outdoors. There are 5 National Parks and 11 ski resorts along the Wasatch Mountain Range, all within an hour’s drive. Alta and Snowbird, two of the best, are less than 30 minutes. In the summertime, we have the best world-class mountain biking in the U.S. Cycling, hiking, trail running, white water rafting & kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, and rock climbing to name a few things to do.
3. Economy
Utah was named the Best State in America for 2023. Several categories are used by U.S. News Rankings, and Utah took the top spot for economy and fiscal stability. Utah’s economy is thriving and continuing to grow. Salt Lake City and its neighboring areas are commonly known as “Silicon Slopes,” a nod to the significant tech boom over the last ten years. Additionally, sectors like tourism, healthcare, and manufacturing provide a wealth of job prospects throughout the Wasatch Front region.
4. The Great Food Scene
Moving to Salt Lake City from Atlanta, a big-time foodie city, was tough for us at first and there are still things we miss about the bigger city options. But, in the last several years, Salt Lake City has come a long way!
There are pretty great options for whatever kind of food you’re looking for, whether it be Pizza, Thai Food, Italian or good bakeries and cafes… you can find it in SLC and more and more options are opening all the time.
Since Covid, there’s been a bit of a restaurant boom for sure. For us, one of the most important items before moving here was making sure there was an “Asian grocery store” lol. There are a handful and a new one just opened up. Soon, we’re getting an H-Mart!
5. Lower Taxes
You’ll save money living in Utah vs many other states. We have lower income tax, lower property taxes, and lower sales tax. We save quite a bit in comparison to what we were paying in the state of Georgia. Utah was also ranked the 8th best state for business tax. It’s a great place to start a new business.
6. Salt Lake City is a clean city
You’ll find clean streets and sidewalks around Salt Lake Cit and Salt Lake City recently ranked in the top 25 cleanest cities in America. While Utah does have some of the worst air quality in the United States during inversions, it’s still one of the cleanest cities in America.
7. The Views
After living here for 7 years, the views still don’t get old! Pretty much anywhere you are in the Salt Lake City Metro area, from up north in Ogden and south to Provo, and everywhere between, you’re treated with incredible views of the Wasatch Mountain Range. There are mountain views from every angle. From my house in Daybreak (South Jordan), I can see Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons to the peaks and even Mt. Timpanogos. It’s relaxing to be surrounded by these beautiful mountains and call them home!
8. You Get All 4 Seasons
In Salt Lake City, you get to experience rainy springs, hot summers, beautiful falls and snowy winters. My personal favorite is fall. Utah is so beautiful in the fall with the changing leaves and the mountains and I love the fall weather. After I lived in Atlanta for several years, I really started to miss having all four seasons and winter was one of the reasons we ended up moving to Salt Lake City.
9. Sports
Salt Lake City is home to the NBA’s Utah Jazz, MLS’s Real Salt Lake, MLB minor league team Salt Lake Bees, and NHL minor league hockey team the Grizzlies. There are even more sports coming too! Salt Lake City is currently in the running to bring an MLB team to the market. This is likely pretty far off, but it’s exciting to see the city grow and go after new sports teams to call Utah home. The Salt Lake Bees stadium is moving to Daybreak, which is exciting for us where we live and will bring more economic growth to our area.
10. International Airport
Salt Lake City’s International Airport was newly remodeled and reopened in 2020 and has continued expansion since adding additional terminals and gates. SLC offers flights to over 90 non-stop international destinations. If you’re a traveler, you’ll love the SLC Airport!
Final thoughts
There’s a lot to consider if you’re thinking about a move to Salt Lake Utah. It’s an amazing place to live and we couldn’t be happier that we ended up here. Of course, there are reasons not to move here, too! Read about the top 5 reasons NOT to move to Utah here:
5 Reasons NOT to Move to Utah
If you have questions and want to know more about moving to Salt Lake City, shoot me a text or give me a call. Use me as a resource, I’d be happy to help.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback, leave a comment below!
