Utah - A Pretty Great State

Not only does Utah have "The Greatest Snow On Earth", but where else in the world can you combine 11,000 foot snow crusted peaks, mountain biking along flower filled meadows, fishing crystal clear streams, water skiing on a lake of glass, rafting down a 1,000 foot high gorge, rappelling into a Zions Canyon paradise, and enjoying an evening at the symphony all literally within hours a couple of hours of each other. This state has everything, except the beach.

Utah was the 45^th state to join the Union. It was a pretty rough for Utah as the Mormon Pioneers that fled religious persecution in Illinois were fleeing the country they felt had abandoned them. But, we're not going to focus on a Utah history lesson here. For that check these links for a great online history lesson on Prehistory, The American Indians, Explorers & Trappers, The Mormon Settlement, Territorial Days, The Crossroads of The West, Mining & Minorities, The Fight for Statehood, and Utah and The Depression. Another great source for Utah history is "The Utah History Encyclopedia". There you will find more than you can imagine on any topic and any region of Utah you want.

Utah took it's name from the Ute Indians who inhabited the state at the time the pioneers began their migration. The Ute meaning of Utah is "People of the Mountains". Utah is the 11^th largest state in geographic size but 34^th based on the population count in the 200 census.

Utah has 29 very diverse counties throughout the state.  But, over 75% of the population is based within 4 contiguous counties (Weber, Davis, Salt Lake and Utah) located along a relatively narrow valley known as The Wasatch Front.

Here is a link each of the county websites (that has a website):

So what makes Utah "A Pretty Great State" to live in?

Part of the reason is certainly strength and stability of the states economy. Utah is one of the fastest growing states in the country. Though it is 34^th in the nation for population size we have the highest birth rate and the second lowest death rate. In addition to the high fertility rate, net in-migration accounted for over 12% of Utahs growth rate in 2005 and is expected to continue at the same record pace over the next 30 years.

• Lowest median age of any state in the country at 27.9 years of age.
• Highest persons per household in the country at 3.13
• Highest Literacy rate in the nation
• 4th highest percent of high school graduates
• 11th highest percent of college graduates
• 7th lowest violent crime rates
• 3rd longest life expectancy
• One of the lowest heart disease and cancer rates
• Utah's growth is attributed to natural increase (88%) rather than net in-migration (12%)
• Net in-migration occurred for the 15th straight year

Real Estate has seen a significant increase in Utah over the last couple of years as has the rest of the country. However, while much of the country is seeing a correction in their markets and fear the real estate bubble is bursting. Utah continues to see healthy increases. For the calendar year 2006 Utah ranked at the top of the country with a statewide increase in home values of 17%. With one of the lowest unemployment rates,  the highest rates of new job creation, and one of the fastest growing states in the nation our real estate market and home values are only going to increase.

So, if you need a job and are looking to make a good investment in real estate. Move to Utah and buy a home!

Finally, even though we don't have the beach. Utah is a pretty great state to live. If you're looking for any additional information or just want to talk about what a great state it is come and visit us at http://www.saltlakespeaks.com/ or drop us a line at Keith@WeMoveSaltLake.com.