Cedar City Vs. St George (St. George, Brian Head: neighborhood, school, university)

[City Girl]

My friends husband is dead set on moving to Utah. My friend does not want to move there at all. Can you tell me anything about these cities? I want the good the bad the ugly and the pretty.

When reading about the economy I noticed in Cedar City men made more money than women? About 10,000 more a year. I wonder if that is education related or is it a male dominated community?

In St. George I read about Dirty Harry in the 50's and the contamination it caused. There were cancer cases etc etc. Does that still effect the city today?

[coolcats]

There are quite a few differences between the two cities even though distance wise they are close together. Here are some key ones:

Cedar City
Smaller -- around 30,000
Much colder (Snow, lows below zero at times etc.), but nice in the summer
Close to Brian Head and mountains for that kind of recreation
Has a nice small university in Southern Utah University

Saint George
Larger -- well over 100,000 people in the area
Growing like crazy
Retirement mecca
Warmest spot in Utah (January highs average in the 50s, palm trees and year-round golfing, rarely snows), can get up to 115 in the summer
Most expensive housing in Utah
Red rocks and desert canyon type recreation, but the cooler mountains are not far away.

I don't think radiation is an issue in St. George. I don't know about the discrepancy in income, but both cities are going to be quite conservative. What is drawing your friend's husband to Utah. Where are you now?

[chazcrew]

If I had to choose, I'd pick Cedar City. I don't like the heat AT ALL, so St George is right out for me. Plus Cedar City has the Utah Shakespearean Festival every year, and has a college town vibe, while still being small and friendly.

St George is beautiful, and if you stay in with the a/c all summer, like they do in the southwest, then you might enjoy it. It's close to Zion National Park, and an easy drive from Las Vegas.

[City Girl]

I thank you both for your replies. I have shown them to my friend and it has helped so much. We are in California where it gets pretty hot in the area we are in. My friend and her husband are looking for a place to retire. He wants to go to Utah because he has family there.

Another concern my friend has is religion. She is catholic and she has been told by another coworker whom is morman that Utah is predominately morman. Her coworker said unfortunately some people in the morman community will not associate with you if you are not morman. She said they are nice people and will say hello and be friendly but they will not socialize with you or befriend you if you do not got to the morman church. Do you find this to be true?

[chazcrew]

Okay, you need to read through some other threads on this forum, in order to get a more complete reply. This very topic has been discussed quite a bit. My own personal take on it is that Mormons (of which I am one) are welcoming and friendly to all regardless of religion. However, I'm also painfully aware that I don't get to know my non-LDS neighbors very well most of the time, because I simply don't see them at church on Sundays, at church family parties, at meetings during the week, etc. That is where a HUGE amount of socialization takes place, and I know this leaves some people feeling left out. It's not a deliberate ostracizing, but it still happens. I would recommend that if your friend does move here, she seeks out opportunities to meet her neighbors. She should introduce herself, get involved in school and neighborhood activities, talk to her neighbors while she's in the garden, etc. It's harder because there is a built in social network that she will not automatically be a part of. But I also know that many, many members of the LDS church are trying to change that elitest stereotype. Seriously, read some more threads here, and you'll get a better picture of how people feel on both sides of the fence.

[City Girl]

Thank you Chazcrew,
That makes sense to me. I will let her know.