Jon Warner and Amanda Szabo. Photos by Braden Latimer.Utah’s population is booming—growing by 2% between 2015 and 2016, compared to nationwide population growth of just 0.7%. In 2017, an estimated 27,000 people moved to the Beehive State, which is an extra 2,250 new residents every month.
At Utah Stories we know why we love calling Utah home, but we wanted to find out what’s bringing so many newbies to our state. To find out, we hit the streets looking for Utah transplants to ask about why Utah became their promised land.
Jon Warner & Amanda Szabo
Moved from Kirkland Washington, September 2014
It was the siren song of the Silicon Slopes that lured these high-tech pros (and their young daughter) to the Wasatch Front. Since making the move, they’ve added one more daughter to the crew and have found plenty of reasons to love their new home, even while struggling with some culture shock.
Utah Stories: What have you found most surprising?
Jon: The poor air quality and the high degree of door-to-door salesmen who regularly ignore our ‘no soliciting’ sign.
Amanda: How friendly people are. At work, in our neighborhood, at the ice cream parlor. People smile and say hello. It was a big shift from Seattle.
Utah Stories: What do you like the best?
Amanda: Mountains, ease of getting around (very little traffic), and abundant parking everywhere.
Jon: Access to the mountains and the affordability.
Utah Stories: What do you like the least?
Jon: The ever-present influence of the LDS church on laws and culture.
Amanda: Poor air quality. I miss clean air.
Utah Stories: Any other tidbit you want to share about your move?
Jon: Yes. It’s been really difficult to find good medical care and reliable service companies in Utah. We’ve been let down by folks time and time again for some very basic things.
Amanda: Contrary to what we heard prior to moving here, we were happy to find a thriving community of local artisans crafting delicious coffee, beer, and spirits.
Suzi Brzezinski
Moved from Traverse City, Michigan, September 2017
Suzi loved the beauty in Traverse City, but there just wasn’t enough opportunity to grow her career. When she started looking for a new place to move her young family, Salt Lake City popped up as a place with a lot of opportunity. And it didn’t hurt that SLC came with built-in family and friends who were already here.
Utah Stories: What have you found most surprising?
Suzi: I knew it was a great place to raise a family, but it still amazes me how much there is to do as a family—from outdoor outdoor activities to museums.
Utah Stories: What do you like the best?
Suzi: The mountains. Everywhere you look, it’s beautiful. I also like the major change in weather each season. Winters can be cold and snowy, but you know that a hot summer is around the corner.
Utah Stories: What do you like the least?
Suzi: The liquor laws. Understanding when and where you can buy certain alcohol was a challenge when we first arrived. Also, the laws for restaurants and bars. We are never sure what we are walking into and if we can just get a drink.
Utah Stories: Any other tidbit you want to share about your move?
Suzi: The biggest challenge we found was finding housing that was affordable and family-friendly. Landlords were more willing to accept tenants that were there in person rather than working with someone looking to relocate. We ended up having to send my brother and sister-in-law to meet with potential landlords.
Stephanie Newton
Moved from Bend, Oregon, September 2017
Once again, it was job opportunity that brought this Oregon native to the Rocky Mountains. Stephanie says people call her crazy for leaving Bend, but she received a job opportunity she “simply could not refuse to pass up.”
Utah Stories: What have you found most surprising?
Stephanie: Other than finding out that grocery stores only carry low-point beer and happy hours don’t exist, there are so many things to experience around the Salt Lake area! It feels comparable to Portland and Bend with the amount of events, activities and public markets to attend.
Utah Stories: What do you like the best?
Stephanie: It’s so easy to escape to the canyons or to catch a movie before noon on Sundays at a discounted rate. There’s always something to do or see. You’re also just hours away from so many national parks. Oregon just has one awesome national park, but Utah has five!
Utah Stories: What do you like the least?
Stephanie: It’s a mixture of the air quality and the state’s politics, but I knew what I was getting myself into. Utah isn’t Oregon, but you can still find plenty of like-minded folks.
Utah Stories: Any other tidbit you want to share about your move?
Stephanie: I had no idea that the Sundance Film Festival was open to the public and that they showed films in Salt Lake City as well as Park City. It was really neat to watch a feature film before it was released!
Sources:
The Salt Lake Tribune, “Utah population booming—fueled by job seekers and babies”
Deseret News, “Utah is top state for population growth, but not just because people are moving here”
