The Best Places to Live in Utah
River Heights, Kaysville, Provo, and American Fork are just some of the best places to live and buy a house in Utah.
Written by Emily Maracle
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
Great schools, affordable cost of living, and a thriving economy make cities like River Heights, Kaysville, Provo, American Fork, South Ogden, Nibley, Providence, and Centreville some of the best places to live in
Utah
.If you’re looking for a new place to call home, look no further than Utah. The state is currently ranked number three among the best places to live in the United States, according to U.S. News. The state is number one for economy, meaning there is plenty of stability and potential and ranks high for fiscal stability, low crime, and infrastructure.
While these are all things you want in a home, it doesn’t necessarily make your decision any easier. To help give you a bit of insight into the best places to live in Utah,
Jerry
, the licensed broker
that saves you money on your car
and home insurance
, has put together a list based on preferences and needs when looking to move, buy a home, or start a family.Keep reading to find out where you should live in the Beehive state!
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What makes a good place to live?
While we all want to live somewhere we like, there is far more that goes into finding a new home. Accessibility to what you need is essential, including grocery stores, public transit, shops, and other needs, and impacts whether an area is the best place to live for you. Everyone is different, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all when it comes to buying a new home or renting a new apartment.
To relieve some stress, we’ve researched eight towns in Utah: River Heights,
Kaysville
, Provo
, American Fork
, South Ogden
, Nibley, Providence, and Centreville. We’ve included cities and more rural areas in our list, and we’ve used the following factors when researching these locations:- Cost of living
- Crime rates
- Median household income
- Median home price
- Quality of education and schools
- Average commute times
- FEMA Risk Index ratings
With these, we’ve determined the best places to live for families, the most affordable places, and the best places to buy a house.
The best places for families to live in Utah
Whether you’re looking to settle down and start a family or looking for a new area to live in, education, crime rates, and community are all important factors. We’ve narrowed down our list to three towns that are the best places to live in Utah for families.
River Heights
Location: Cache County
Population: 2,162
Median household income: $71,750
Median home price: $252,600
While River Heights is a smaller suburban area, residents can enjoy the best of both worlds. River Heights offers plenty of green space and room to stretch your legs, but a quick drive gives you access to plenty of shopping, restaurants, and coffee shops.
If access to education is essential, River Heights offers several of the best public elementary, middle, and high schools, with the Cache County School District ranking as one of the top school districts in Utah. And River Heights boasts a 96% high school graduation rate, which is higher than the Logan Metro and Utah averages.
Beyond that, the crime rate in River Heights is very low compared to national averages for violent and property crime.
Apart from exploring the wider Logan Metro Area with your family, be sure to visit the Stokes Nature Center and Ryan’s Place.
Kaysville
Location: Davis County
Population: 31,494
Median household income: $99,597
Median home price: $339,500
Located 30 minutes outside of
Salt Lake City
is Kaysville. While Kaysville is significantly larger than River Heights, it’s actually more rural, and there are plenty of places to explore the great outdoors. Kaysville has plenty of access to quality education with Jefferson Academy ranking in the top ten best public elementary schools in Utah.
Crime rates in Kaysville rank low to very low, but its proximity to larger cities, like Salt Lake City and
Layton
, does increase property crime in the surrounding area. And if you don’t feel like commuting out to the city every weekend for fun, Kaysville has plenty of fun attractions, including Boondocks: Food & Fun, Cherry Hill, Lagoon Amusement Park, and USU Botanical Center.
The most affordable places to live in Utah
With the cost of living rising, finding an affordable place to live is essential. It’s no fun living somewhere you love if you can’t afford to leave the house! That said, Utah is considered the middle of the road for affordability in the U.S.
U.S. News ranks Utah as #34 for affordability, with BestPlaces ranking the state at 110.8 or about 11% higher than the U.S. average.
With the cost of living in mind, we’ve managed to narrow it down to the three most affordable places to live in Utah based on the overall cost of living and the average commute times—or how much you’re likely to spend on gas.
Provo
Location: Utah County
Population: 116,886
Median household income: $50,072
Median home price: $298,000
The overall cost of living in Provo is lower than Utah’s average and only slightly higher than the national average at 105.7. While Provo is more affordable than most places in the U.S., the median home cost and housing costs tend to reduce its affordability.
That said, commute time in Provo is lower than the U.S. average at 17.8 minutes, so you won’t have to spend all your money just trying to get to work. You can also expect to spend even less insuring your car, as the average cost of car insurance in Provo is $176 lower than the state average.
Even better, if you use
Jerry
, you could save even more every month. With all that extra cash, you’ll be able to road trip around and see the peaks of Provo, no problem! American Fork
Location: Utah County
Population: 31,636
Median household income: $78,690
Median home price: $322,500
A quick trip north brings us to our next most affordable place to live, American Fork. While American Fork has a slightly higher cost of living at 112.3, it’s still affordable. Like most of Utah, the housing market and housing costs are what drive up the overall cost of living, but you can expect to spend less on things like groceries, utilities, and transportation.
Your average commute time in American Fork is reasonable as well, at 20.5, which is under the national average of 26.4. Another way your cost of living is reduced in American Fork is your car insurance!
American Fork residents pay an average of $143 per month, which is over $400 cheaper than the state average. And, since American Fork is considered a suburb of Provo, you’ll have plenty of ways to enjoy your savings.
South Ogden
Location: Weber County
Population: 17,080
Median household income: $70,552
Median home price: $225,600
The final affordable place to live on our list is South Ogden. Located an hour outside Salt Lake City, South Ogden offers residents a small-town feel with modern accessibility.
South Ogden’s cost of living is 100.3—lower than the state average—and on par with the U.S. average. It also has the lowest median home and housing costs on our list.
And while commute time is low at 19.7 minutes, you will end up paying slightly more for car insurance. Thankfully, with reduced home and housing costs, you shouldn’t notice too big of a disruption should your rates increase.
“Jerryhandles everything from finding quotes to signing on new policies right in the app. No more filling out hundreds of forms! Thank you, Jerry, for helping my move to a new state feel hassle-free.” —Dolores T.
Best places to buy a house in Utah
Before investing in a house, there are quite a few things to consider, including the area’s housing market and climate. To help find the best areas in Utah to buy a house, we looked at Realtor.com’s housing market summaries and the FEMA Risk Index.
Nibley
Location: Cache County
Population: 6,819
Median household income: $91,372
Median home price: $399,100
Eight minutes south of River Heights is Nibley, one of the places to purchase a home in Utah. While Nibley is by no means large, it offers easy access to several other larger cities, ensuring you always have what you need.
The median home price in Nibley is a steal by Utah standards, and once you purchase it, you can expect it to appreciate—homes are currently up 23% in value. You’re getting a deal by purchasing your home and investing. If $200,000 to $350,000 seems scary, the current median list price for homes in Logan is $517,500 and rising.
The FEMA Risk Index for Nibely is relatively low, at 8.19. While this is lower than the national average of 10.60, it’s slightly higher than the state average of 7.27. The biggest risks are winter weather and avalanches, with other events ranking relatively low to low.
As a homeowner in Nibley, you may see slightly higher home insurance premiums if you live in an area prone to avalanches, but otherwise, your rates shouldn’t increase much due to weather-related risks.
Providence
Location: Cache County
Population: 8,051
Median household income: $64,561
Median home price: $428,800
Right in the middle of Nibley and River Heights in Cache County is Providence, another great place to buy a home.
While median home prices are higher in Providence than in Nibley, they’re still significantly lower than in other parts of Utah and Logan—the nearest metro area.
You’re also facing the same FEMA Risk Index, so you can feel safe as a homeowner and enjoy your investment!
Centerville
Location: Davis County
Population: 17,530
Median household income: $76,478
Median home price: $490,900
20-minutes north of Salt Lake City, you’ll find Centerville. Known for its parks and the Bountiful Davis Art Center, Centerville is a great place to settle down.
Median home prices in Centerville are currently about $100,000 less than in the nearest metro area of Ogden-Clearfield, and your risk as a homeowner is very low.
Centerville and Davis County rank at 6.93 on the FEMA Risk Index, lower than the U.S. and Utah averages. The largest risks you may encounter are lightning and earthquakes.
Even so, those risks shouldn’t impact your home insurance rates, as Centerville residents pay $313 less on their car insurance alone compared to the rest of Utah.
How to find affordable homeowners and car insurance in Utah
No matter where you decide to land in Utah,
Jerry
can help save you money on home
and car insurance
. A
licensed broker
that offers end-to-end support, the Jerry app gathers affordable quotes, helps you switch plans, and helps to cancel your old policy. Even better—Jerry will help you bundle your home and auto policies for maximum savings.“It was my first time buying insurance. I expected the worst, to be honest. And then I foundJerry. It’s an amazing app that’s super easy to use. It saved me so much time and energy.” —Simon M.
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