St. George is located at the border of Arizona towards the northeastern side of the Mojave Desert. If you’ve driven from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas, you will have driven through this gorgeous city. With the desert on one side and the Pine Valley mountains on the other, the city has a gorgeous landscape and even better scenic attractions. St. George is the seventh-largest community in Utah and has gained popularity as a result of its economic growth in the past decade.
Formerly known as Dixie, St. George is an emerging city that offers you good quality of life, job opportunities, and a very hospitable environment to live and grow your family in. If you’ve been waiting to move to an urban city that offers you a lowkey and small-town life, St. George is the place for you. Here’s a guide that will help you know what life when moving to St. George UT would really be like.
See Also: Moving To Olympia, WA – Relocation Guide for 2022
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A Safe City To Live In
St. George, Utah has a crime rate that is lower than the national average. According to statistics from Neighborhoodscout, the city is safer than 48% of cities in the country. This is a pretty good score and means that living in St. George is quite safe.
Top-notch Higher Education
The city is great in terms of higher education i.e at college and university level. The quality of higher education here is top-notch and the city is home to some of the best-rated universities in the state. You’ll surely not be disappointed by the courses that these colleges offer at the affordable rates they do.
Plenty Of Outdoor Activities
In St. George, there are ample opportunities for you to explore the outdoors and engage in recreational activities. The Snow Canyon and Sand Hollow State Parks, The St. George’s Children Museum, and the temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are some places that you’ll have a gala time exploring.
Urban Environment Combined With Small Town Feel
St. George is a developing city that has a combination of an urban environment and amenities with a small-town vibe. You get good nightlife, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment experiences packed with a number of canyons, wildlife, fields, and beautiful scenery to enjoy.
Expensive Housing Market
The housing market in the city is more expensive than most cities in the state of Utah. And, the market is still rising towards a steeper margin. This makes buying or even renting a house in the city a bit expensive. Both the inner city and the outskirts are equally as expensive when it comes to buying or renting a house.
Urban Sprawl
The city of St. George has seen a rise in the population in recent years which has automatically led to sprawl in the city. You’ll see the older parts having tall trees and a beautiful view, while the newer parts of the city are more dense and crowded.
Flooding Is A Common Occurrence
St. George experiences about 10 inches of rainfall per year, which isn’t the most threatening amount of rainfall to cause flooding. But, the rivers in the city make flooding a very liable threat. Whenever there’s heavy rainfall, the rivers overflow and cause flash flooding in the city.
Nuclear Fallouts
In the early 1950s, Utah experienced a lot of nuclear fallouts from the nuclear testing period of weapon development. As a result, the city has experienced a significant increase in illnesses and diseases amongst the citizens.
St. George is located towards the outer end of the Mojave Desert which makes the weather in the city a lot warmer compared to most of the other cities in Utah. The city experiences extreme weather conditions where the summers are extremely hot, clear, and warm and the winters are freezing and cloudy. The recorded summer high in the city is 118°F while the low is -11°F. This is one of the most significantly extreme weather conditions to ever be recorded in the country according to Vittana.org.
The summers in St. George have average temperatures that reach around 87°F. For around 60 days during the summers, the average temperature rises to as high as 100°F. During the month of July, the temperature rises as high as 102°F as it is the hottest month of the year. This is the highest summer temperature recorded in all of Utah. Carrying a bottle of water and staying hydrated is one way to stay safe from the extreme heat that you would be experiencing here.
The winters in the city aren’t exactly mild and residents experience about 2 inches of snowfall on a yearly average. The winters begin from mid-October and end by the end of March. The average temperatures during this season hover around 29°F and the lowest drops to about 20°F in the month of January.
St. George experiences about 10 inches of rainfall a year. This is not a high amount of rainfall to cause flooding, but the rivers in the city highly contribute to the factor. On days of heavy rainfall, the rivers flow over and cause flash flooding within the city. You’d need to have your insurance covered just in case.
Buying a house in St. George does not come easy since the real estate market in the city is on the steeper end of the scale. The houses are expensive and are priced higher than the national average, thanks to which the race to buy a house is very competitive in the city.
Here’s a table curated with the help of Zillow that will give you a better look at the median home values in St. George, Utah compared to the national average.
| St. George, Utah | United States | |
| Median Home Value | $528,549 | $325,677 |
Just like buying a house, renting a house here has also become competitive and expensive. The high prices on houses are pushing some renters out of the market in St. George, even though rates remain slightly lower than national averages.
Of course, the houses on rent are comparatively much affordable compared to buying a house. You pay less on your monthly rent compared to the mortgage you pay for a new house you buy. Having said that, renting is not the most affordable either. No doubt the prices on rentals are consistently rising which causes a strain on the overall cost of living in St. George.
The following table will give you an idea of what renting a house in St. George is compared to the national average. This data was collected from Bestplaces.
| Apartment Size | St. George, UT Average Monthly Rent | U.S. Average Monthly Rent |
| Studio apartment | $776 | $950 |
| 1-Bedroom Home | $835 | $1,050 |
| 2-Bedroom Home | $1,010 | $1,278 |
| 3-Bedroom Home | $1,435 | $1,680 |
| 4-Bedroom Home | $1,728 | $1,950 |
When it comes to taxes in St. George, you would be happy to know that the city has tax rates that are on par with or lower than the national average tax rates. It’ll be one expense that you won’t have to worry about when moving to St. George, UT since it’s relatively affordable compared to most other US cities.
The income tax in the city is 4.95% which is lower than the national average. The sales tax, on the other hand, is 6.25%, which is also lower than the national average rate. But, the property tax in the city is 1%. This rate is quite on par with the national average rate and is one of the many reasons why real estate here is a bit expensive.
The overall living expenses include your utility bills, food and groceries, and also healthcare expenses. All of the combined make up for a large sum of expenses that you need to pay off each month. Let’s have a look at the breakdown of each of your expenses when living in St. George for your knowledge.
Your utilities in St. George Utah are 11% lower than the national average according to Payscale. You’ll spend about $170 on your utility bills here on a monthly average; this includes the heating, electricity, water, garbage, and cooling bill. If you want to throw in a decent internet connection, that would be an additional $70.
Your food and groceries would also amount to a large sum that adds to your cost of living. Luckily, in St. George, food and groceries cost 2% lower than the national average according to Payscale. You pay $1.90 for a gallon of milk while a loaf of bread costs you $3.36. You can take a trip to your local Costco or other grocery stores for your grocery runs.
Healthcare expenses are also very important expenditures that add to your cost of living. Your average healthcare costs are 7% lower than the national average in St. George. Visiting the doctor’s office would be an average of $103 and a visit to the vet would be $49 on an average here.
You would be happy to know that the crime rate in St. George is lower than the national average, making it a safe city to reside in. It is safer than about 48% of the cities in the country according to Neighborhoodscout. The average overall crime rate in the city is 13 per 1000 residents which is lower than the national average.
When it comes to violent crimes, the city has a crime rate of 1.56 which is lower than the national average of 4. Living in the city, you have a 1 in 640 chance of being a victim of a violent crime.
The property crime rates in St. George are also low. Compared to the national average of 19, the property crime rates in the city are 11.03 according to Neighborhoodscout. This makes your chance of being a victim of theft and burglary 1 in 91 people.
Most neighborhoods in the city are very safe to raise a family or even just live by yourself if you like. Shadow Mountain, Green Valley, Stone Bridge, and Spring Estate are some of the safest neighborhoods in the city that you can live in.
The economy of St. George is one of the fastest-growing economies in the state. The city has certainly seen an increase in overall economic development in the past decade. According to Fred.stlouisfed the GDP of St. George was $7,295.477 million in 2020. This is a huge leap from the GDP of $3,376.773 million in 2010. Education, manufacturing, retail, tourism, healthcare, and hospitality are some of the industries in the city that have largely contributed to its economic growth.
In the past decade, there’s been an abundance of job opportunities in St. George. The improvement in the economy and the emergence of multinational companies in the city have improved job opportunities. This led to a decrease in the unemployment rate which was as low as 1.5% in December of 2021 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. An average resident of the city earns about $82,100 per year. This has increased the standard of living and quality of life for many.
Some of the top employers in St. George are Comfort System USA, Ken Graff, Leavitt Group, Natural Grocers, Intermountain Healthcare, SkyWest Airlines, Falstaff, Squatty Potty, Busybusy, Dixie State University, Reid-Ashman Manufacturing, Washington County School District, Purewine, and Trade Star. If you’re on the lookout for a job, you may want to check for some opportunities that these companies offer you.
If you’re going to be moving to St. George with your family and children, you need to look at the quality of education that the city would offer you. St. George is one city that is known for its top-rated universities and affordable higher education. The city is not so great in terms of education quality at primary levels of education. The schools aren’t the best and moving here for your child’s primary years of education wouldn’t be such a good idea.
But, you’ll definitely come across a few schools that have proven to be up to the mark in the past years. There are a handful of schools in the city that have good rankings and provide good education. You can enroll your child in these schools to reap their every benefit; just make sure you pick the right neighborhood!
St. George offers quality education for university students with a wide range of courses, and you won’t be left disappointed. In fact, a large number of students fly here from all over the country to gain quality education at affordable fees. Let’s have a look at some of the best schools and universities in and around St. George according to Greatschools.
See Also: How to Find a Good School When Moving
The transportation system in St. George is not the best in the state. It lacks a single mode of transport that runs consistently throughout the city. They do have the Suntram and the Rent-a-bike systems, but they’ve not been the best in contributing to smooth transit here.
The city has Suntram which is its local public bus system. The Suntram runs on extensive routes across the city and at fixed times. You can get your tickets on the app or even buy a ticket when boarding the bus. It’s an economical and comfortable transportation system in the city. The only issue is that they do not run on schedule and you’ll simply be waiting for a long time until the bus arrives.
Bike rentals and Spin Scooter are other ways of covering a limited and short distance within the city. They are available for rent in some parts of the city across limited locations. You pay a minimal fee and take a ride alongside the breezy roads of the city. You need to use the app to pay the fee, rent the scooter, and drop it off at its spot.
Overall, the transportation system in the city isn’t up to the mark. Despite the low traffic, it fails to meet the needs of people both in the city and on the outskirts of the city. So the best way for you to get around would be getting your own vehicle. A car or even a bicycle (to cover short distances) would be a good idea.
Also Read: How to Transport a Mattress in a Car
Bloomington is a relatively bigger neighborhood in the city, located in the southwestern parts. The Bloomington Country Club is a popular location within the neighborhood that people from across the state visit.
The neighborhood is known for its extensive estate properties and luxury living. You’ll find houses here that were built in the 70s and 80s and have the character to them but also find some newly-constructed family homes and apartments. It is one of the more diverse neighborhoods in St. George and is sure to be warm and welcoming.
Population: 10,053
Median Home Value: $556,700
Monthly Median Rent: $1,925
Annual Median Household Income: $83,254
Little Valley is a popular suburb in St. George that is located a few minutes away from the city. It’s the perfect small-town setting with the advantage of urban amenities. You have ample parks and playgrounds along with restaurants and decent nightlife. This neighborhood is appropriate for singles and professionals who want to live in a secluded area but also have a pleasant outdoorsy experience at the same time.
Population: 45,709
Median Home Value: $814,100
Monthly Median Rent: $2,200
Annual Median Household Income: $83,254
Green Valley is one of the safest neighborhoods in St. George. It is the ideal place to raise a family and has the amenities for the same. Along with great school options, playgrounds, and parks, there are also restaurants and shopping centers for you to explore. The community is welcoming to new neighbors and you will find ample family homes in this neighborhood. Most people in this area are families with children.
Population: 42,578
Median Home Value: $465,500
Average Rental Price: $1,711
Annual Median Household Income: $71,627
Santa Fe At Red Cliffs is a unique neighborhood in St. George. It has a very standard range of homes that are very unique to the neighborhood. Each area within this neighborhood has a very different vibe that you’ll feel when moving around. You have parks, playgrounds for children, and outdoor activities that you can engage in here. The community is diverse, welcoming, and close-knitted. You’ll have a good time exploring new places around Santa Fe.
Population: N/A
Real Estate Price: $348,718
Average Rental Price: $1,792
Annual Median Household Income: N/A
Summing Up
St. George is one of those urban cities that also offers you the amenities of a small town. From good and safe neighborhoods to live in to good higher educational opportunities, low cost of living, and great job opportunities, it’s definitely one of the underrated cities in Utah.
Yes, of course, the city lacks the best transportation and doesn’t have the best schools either but, your living here will never get monotonous. You have ample places you can explore and outdoor activities you can engage in. St. George is a strong contender if you are planning on moving to a new place.
St. George Utah is the seventh-largest community in the state. With a strong, growing economy and safety, it happens to be one of the best places to live in Utah. The standard of living is high and the cost of living is low. It makes for the perfect place to call home.
St. George is known to have one of the lowest crime rates in the state of Utah. Both the property and violent crimes in the city are lower than the national average. This makes St. George a safe city to live in and raise a family in.
St. George is known for its low cost of living. The utility bills, groceries, transportation, and healthcare all combined and individually are lower than the national average. This makes the city an affordable one rather than an expensive one.
Despite being a hospitable and warm city to live in, St. George has some cons as well. The expensive housing market can cut a deep hole in your pocket for starters and the education for primary levels is not the best in the city. If you are planning on moving here with younger children, it wouldn’t make much sense to enroll them in mediocre schools here. This is one big reason why moving to St. George would be a bad idea.
Winters in Utah are cold and cloudy at times. The average winter temperature here is usually 29°F. This temperature usually lowers to 20°F in the month of January as it is the peak winter season and also the coldest month of the year.
Alex Sherr is the founder of My Long Distance Movers, a blog that provides moving information and resources for people who are relocating. He has more than two decades of experience in the moving and relocation industry, and he is passionate about helping people relocate smoothly and efficiently. When he's not writing or blogging, Alex enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children.
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