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Im a single female living in CA on disability and its far too expensive here so Im looking to relocate. Jobs are not my main concern as disability is my main income. I do enjoy time outdoors even if spend in my own backyard, so I dont want to live anywhere with horrible weather or a big mosquito problem. I understand that being from CA almost any other weather will be an adjustment. Being able to afford a decent house is #1. Enjoying being outside is #2. And having decent places to shop in a 30 min or less drive is #3. I dont have to worry about good school districts as I have no kids.
Im considering UT and OR and I have visited them both but only for a few days each, so any information you can give me would be great. My concerns with UT are the red air days and having so much snow. Ive never had to deal with driving in snow and UT sure gets a lot of it. My other concern is that Im not Mormon and I know a big majority of UT is and I would not want to be treated as an outsider for not having that religion. With OR my concerns are the mass amount of homelessness I saw. It made me feel very unsafe to see such a large number of drunk homless people on the street. This was Portland and its not one of the cities Im considering but I was told by locals that its a big issue in many cities in OR. My other concern with OR is having few stores to shop at. The main stores I go to are Sephora, Ulta, Target, and sometimes Walmart. It seems Oregon is agaist chain stores and resturants because they have sp few of them. But the reason we (in CA) like them is because you can buy a shirt for $5, as opposed to $25 at some unique botique. I much prefer my stores.
I like both UT and OR because they are beautiful, I dont mind the rain, I love how pretty they are outdoors, and they are both much closer to my price range for buying a house, and they are not too far away from CA if I need to visit. The cities Im considering are Redmond OR, suburbs of Bend/Salem or suburbs of Salt Lake City like Sandy/Midvale. I prefer suburbs to a big city because of less crime and less homeless people. Unless a big city has low crime and not many homeless but most big cities are pretty bad. Ive been working with a realtor and looking at homes online but Im still torn. Please help me decide which place is the best fit. I know that no where is going to be perfect but I would like to make the best choice that I can.
I'm only familiar with SLC so not qualified to address your whole post but I did want to volunteer some info about snow. Do not worry about it. The whole Salt Lake Valley does an excellent job of snow removal on the roads, or they did when I lived there. I moved there from Arkansas and had similar concerns. I was extremely impressed with how well the roads were cleared.
The air quality is something to be concerned with. You mentioned disability. I do not wish you pry into your medical issues but if it involves any breathing problems (COPD, asthma, emphysema, etc), I would be cautious about moving there.
OP, Salem and Bend don't have suburbs; they're too small. And Bend doesn't have rain, hardly, as it's on the edge of the high desert of eastern OR. If you don't mind an arid climate, low humidity, and winter snow, plus a small town atmosphere, Bend could work. It gets a lot of tourists, and is popular with retirees.
Salem is not quite twice the size of Bend, but is still a small town. It's more centrally located in Western OR, being right on I-5. There will be rain (rain is good, as the West becomes drier, especially the desert areas), higher humidity, and there's a pulp mill a ways out of town, but the worst one closed long ago. There's a huge outlet mall farther along I-5, which may be handy for someone living on retirement income. The Willamette River goes through town, and there are parks along the river. It's close to Portland, so you could go there for entertainment, concerts, Powell's Bookstore, etc. Salem can get weird weather phenomena in winter, like frozen shrubbery, hedges that look like a block of frozen spinach, lol. There may be pollen issues in the spring, and agricultural chemicals in the air in certain seasons, or smoke from fields burning after harvest. Bend won't have that. You can ask more about Salem and Bend on the OR forums.
Thank you EricNorthman. I did research A LOT of places before narrowing my search to OR and UT. Because my location does not revolve around kids or schools or a job I can go anywhere. But I want nature/pretty outdoors and a safe area (low crime/homeless population) and of course an affordable house. Since I dont want lots of humidty and mosquitos that ruled out a lot of beautiful/affordable places. I visited UT in the spring and it was snowing and cold which is something you never have here in CA. But aside from that, I really enjoyed UT. I looked at Midvale and Sandy and Murray (as I like to be near a big city for the ammenities without actually being in the city with the traffic and crime). Its good to know they clear the snow well. Is that everywhere, or just in salt lake?? I dont mind being cold from snow, but I dont want a car accident because of snow. I dont have any breathing problems (my disability is for back problems) but the red air days still really scare me. Anything more you can tell me is helpful. Thanks!
Thanks for the input Ruth4Truth. Oregon is one of the prettiest places Ive ever been. Originally I looked at Tigard and Lake Oswego because I wanted to be driving distance to Portland without dealing with all the homeless in Portland. Portland seemed very dirty. I was totally in love with the Portland suburbs but homes were far too expensive there. Which led me to explore Salem, Bend, Redmond (at the realtors sugestion). I like the rain so I think Salem weather would work well for me. There still is a huge lack of stores compared to CA and almost everywhere else Ive researched. This is my main issue with OR. Having to drive like 60 miles to get to the stores I like! I normally would not go for bend since it has “desert climate” but it was beautiful from what I saw. But no store I shop at is anywhere close by. I dont shop at outlets because they are for people who want to pay less for brand names, and I could care less about brand names. I like Ross, Target, TJmaxx, Home Goods, and for my vegan and cruelty free make up and skincare I go to ULTA and Sephora. You said that Salem and Bend are too small to have suburbs. Does that mean there is less crime/homeless?? I currently live one hour outside of Los Angeles. Its perfect because Im away from crime/traffic/homeless/smog but Im a close enough drive to get to resturants, stores, basketball or football games or concerts. There is still lots to do. Thats what I would like to find, but without the California price tag. Homes here easily cost $1 million. Im sick of it. You cant find anything in the $300s. Having parks and walking trails is also really important because walking helps my back. Oregon seems to have a lot of outdoor opportunities. Plus even though its cold, you still have beaches like Seaside and Brookings. Any OR info you have would be great!
Thank you EricNorthman. I did research A LOT of places before narrowing my search to OR and UT. Because my location does not revolve around kids or schools or a job I can go anywhere. But I want nature/pretty outdoors and a safe area (low crime/homeless population) and of course an affordable house. Since I dont want lots of humidty and mosquitos that ruled out a lot of beautiful/affordable places. I visited UT in the spring and it was snowing and cold which is something you never have here in CA. But aside from that, I really enjoyed UT. I looked at Midvale and Sandy and Murray (as I like to be near a big city for the ammenities without actually being in the city with the traffic and crime). Its good to know they clear the snow well. Is that everywhere, or just in salt lake?? I dont mind being cold from snow, but I dont want a car accident because of snow. I dont have any breathing problems (my disability is for back problems) but the red air days still really scare me. Anything more you can tell me is helpful. Thanks!
For nature and pretty outdoors, the SL area is wonderful. In fact, that was my favorite thing about living there. I grew up in Arkansas Ozarks in a town of 1000 people. I loved being outdoors. Nature was like my church. However, I had always wanted to live in a city. Salt Lake was perfect. It is a city but not too large or overwhelming. The mountains surround the city and in 20 minutes you can transition from being in the city to being in a mountain canyon where you feel like no one is around for miles. I get the feeling you'll enjoy the same mix.
I understand your desire for suburbs instead of the city. I caution you about the Mormon influence. The city of Salt Lake City is nothing to worry about. The farther you away you get, the stronger the church feels. I don't find Mormons scary. Technically I am one, though I haven't been to church in years. Other people feel the church influence is a little too much for them. People looking to date or who have children seem to feel this the most. There is plenty of info about non-Mormons moving to Utah in the Utah forum.
In my experience, snow removal was excellent throughout the entire Wasatch Front area, not just Salt Lake City. If you wish to drive into the canyons, that is different. Salt Lake gets about 60 inches of snow a year. The area with the ski resorts gets up to 500 inches. Snow removal is still well done but adjust your expectations accordingly.
Low humidity and no mosquitoes? Utah is great for that. Not everyone appreciates the dryness I loved it. YOu said you visited in the spring. I think that is my favorite time of year there. The valley has turned green while the mountains are loaded up with snow so you have the snow capped mountains all around you.
Check out the Utah and Salt Lake forums on here. There are some wonderful, very informative posters who can direct you on neighborhoods to check out. I've been gone long enough that I don't feel confident about trying it since neighborhoods can shift over time.
Thank you EricNorthman. To be clear Im not afraid of Mormons and I have attended the church actually. Im Christian and Ive studied with all sorts of people. I just dont like to belong to one religion over another. Its all the same God, right? But I just worry when it comes to dating or making friends that Mormons might be stand-offish to people who are not members. Plus I have tattoos so.... if you judge a book by its cover Im out of luck. But Im a very nice person if you take the time to know me. I volunteer at the animal rescue here and would continue that where ever I move to. I would attend a non denominational church (if I can find that!). And possibly work a part time job for extra income, if I can get one. I just want to make sure people will be kind/friendly. When I went to Seattle to explore that option I experienced the the “seattle freeze”. Only one person talked to me the whole time I was there. Although I visited in fall and it was beautiful. How are the summers in UT? I dont like when its too hot to go outside. Is it enjoyable to go walk outdoors? I have not visited there in summer or winter time.
Thank you EricNorthman. To be clear Im not afraid of Mormons and I have attended the church actually. Im Christian and Ive studied with all sorts of people. I just dont like to belong to one religion over another. Its all the same God, right? But I just worry when it comes to dating or making friends that Mormons might be stand-offish to people who are not members. Plus I have tattoos so.... if you judge a book by its cover Im out of luck. But Im a very nice person if you take the time to know me. I volunteer at the animal rescue here and would continue that where ever I move to. I would attend a non denominational church (if I can find that!). And possibly work a part time job for extra income, if I can get one. I just want to make sure people will be kind/friendly. When I went to Seattle to explore that option I experienced the the “seattle freeze”. Only one person talked to me the whole time I was there. Although I visited in fall and it was beautiful. How are the summers in UT? I dont like when its too hot to go outside. Is it enjoyable to go walk outdoors? I have not visited there in summer or winter time.
I'm a native Salt Laker and a Mormon, so I'd like to weigh in. I don't have any knowledge of Salem or Bend, so I can't make any valid comparisons. I believe I am a pretty good resource on Salt Lake, though.
Salt Lake City proper is probably about 50% Mormon. The Greater Salt Lake City area is more like 58%. Since these percentages reflect the number of people who were baptized into the faith, as opposed to those who remain practicing into adulthood, the number of "active Mormons" is undoubtedly less than those percentages would lead you to believe. You'll find a number of non-denominational churches in the area. I don't think you would have any problem here in terms of fitting in. I would not describe Mormons as "standoffish to people who are not members"; they may, however, come across that way because full involvement in the church really leaves little time for anything else. This, to me, is very unfortunate, and it can send a message of unfriendliness that really isn't an accurate indicator of how people are feeling. That doesn't mean that you can't become friends with Mormons you associate with. On my street -- I live in Cottonwood Heights, which is kind of a bedroom community adjacent to Salt Lake City proper -- there are twelve households. Four of the eight are occupied by "active Mormons." The other eight are occupied by non-Mormons or completely non-practicing Mormons. Of the non-Mormon households, one is Muslim and one is Jewish. We have Caucasians, Hispanics, Asians and Middle-easterners. They range in age from their mid-20s to their mid-80s. Every summer for the past three years, we've had a neighborhood barbeque, which always has an excellent turn-out. Nobody cares who's what.
My son (38) and daughter (36) were both baptized LDS, but neither of them currently practices the religion. My sister is agnostic and my brother-in-law an atheist. We all get along just fine and have a wide variety of friends and associates. My son is in the process of saving his money for a full-arm tattoo. I'm not crazy about them, but I've got to admit that he'll fit in just fine with the overall population. I see tattoos everywhere I go.
Summers in Salt Lake (July and August) can be pretty hot, but not humid at all, which makes a huge difference in how the temperature actually feels. Plus, it cools off nicely in the evenings.
We're a pretty pet-friendly place. I have two dogs and two cats. There are also plenty of opportunities to volunteer in the animal rescue arena here. I don't know how familiar you are with Best Friends, but you ought to check it out. If I can answer any more questions for you, please let me know.
Hi Katzpur, thanks for the info. Ive attended the LDS church many times. My experience was that LDS were very friendly to me when I attended. However after they realized I didnt plan to stop attending other churches and become a member of theirs nobody really wanted to befriend me outside of church functions. I could be taking it the wrong way. Like maybe they are all just too busy. Thats possible. If I attend church everyone is still very polite, tattoos and all. I was just hoping to make some friends and it didnt work out that way. The other churches Ive attended didnt seem so concerned with my membership. But I dont have anything bad to say about LDS. And if I did, I probably would not even consider UT. Its really nice to hear everyone in your area gets together for a BBQ! Nobody is like that here where I live. Since Its mostly million dollar mansions around here the familys are always working full time plus overtime and dont really socialize with neighbors unless maybe their kids go to school together. And thats a shame. I like that small town feel of people knowing each other. Since you seem to know a lot about SLC let me ask this.... how is the housing market? Im looking for a 2 bedroom, possibly 3 bedroom at most in the 300s. Im not having great luck. Im finding a lot more options in Oregon. Why might that be?? I was thinking maybe its because maybe the homes are mostly 5 and 6 bedrooms over there? All the LDS families I know have at least 4 children but sometimes 5 or 6 kids... so maybe the homes are just bigger?? Or maybe all the 2 or 3 bedrooms are just taken and not for sale??
A somewhat strange combination of cities to compare. Salem and Bend, yes both in Oregon, but entirely different. Salem is a satellite of Portland, (I say satellite, because it is not a suburb...too far away and much open land in between thanks to Oregon zoning laws), but I digress. Bend is a different climate, a different mindset, and a different feel all around. Bend is hip, trendy, expensive. Salem is middle class, government center, and still somewhat affordable compared to Portland.
Salt Lake isn't like either of the Oregon cities in any way. While SLC is far more liberal than some expect, it still is the home of the LDS Church. The climate is sunnier and hotter in the summer, and colder than Salem in the winter. Perhaps similar to Bend in the winter. The posts above mention the air stagnation problem in the SLC Valley. It is real.
From an economic standpoint, all of these areas are somewhat expensive, though bargains outside of SLC can still be found. Both States are increasing population at a moderate level. Not explosive, but slow and solid.
A somewhat strange combination of cities to compare. Salem and Bend, yes both in Oregon, but entirely different. Salem is a satellite of Portland, (I say satellite, because it is not a suburb...too far away and much open land in between thanks to Oregon zoning laws), but I digress. Bend is a different climate, a different mindset, and a different feel all around. Bend is hip, trendy, expensive. Salem is middle class, government center, and still somewhat affordable compared to Portland.
Salt Lake isn't like either of the Oregon cities in any way. While SLC is far more liberal than some expect, it still is the home of the LDS Church. The climate is sunnier and hotter in the summer, and colder than Salem in the winter. Perhaps similar to Bend in the winter. The posts above mention the air stagnation problem in the SLC Valley. It is real.
From an economic standpoint, all of these areas are somewhat expensive, though bargains outside of SLC can still be found. Both States are increasing population at a moderate level. Not explosive, but slow and solid.
Thanks PNWguy2, you say bend is expensive... but compared to what? Salem and SLC?? Im from CA and all these cities are “affordable” in comparison. You also say bend is Trendy... how so? I would love to know more. Is it like Lake Tahoe (people just go there as a tourist spot for summer and winter sports and the casino and night clubs? And then the rest of the year its a ghost town aside from the retired people who live there?). I need help knowing the “vibe” because even though I vistied in person and saw how beautiful these places were, there is still a lot to know. I would say Salem matches my ideal weather the best. I like rain, Im intimidated driving in a lot of snow, and I dont like too hot of summers. But there is more than climate to consider. I know Oregon has lots of great hiking spots with beautiful views and a beach if I start missing the ocean. But I also like a “clean” looking place to live. Portland was totally run down looking and trashy by my standards. However Lake Oswego for example was one of the most pretty cities (sadly out of the budget) so I am hoping there is a part of OR that will be a good fit for me. The suburbs of SLC do offer the affordable housing Im looking for, although the selection seems to be very limited and I cant figure out why. You can buy a mansion there for under $500K that would probably cost you 5 million dollars where I live. Big difference! It was also very pretty in SLC when I went. The weather is probably my main worry as it would be my biggest adjustment. I dont have an issue with the 50% LDS population. Obviously there would be favortism. If they were hiring for a job who would they pick? The person from their church, or some non member?? But aside from that I think I could co-exist with just about any type.
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