Relocating from KY? (Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Ogden: transplants, houses, construction)

[JerzeyBoy]

Hi,

I was looking into possibly relocating to Utah. I've been looking into places to settle down and just researching place. I've never been to Utah but it seems like a nice place. I use to be in the Army and heard soldiers say the Utah military school was beautiful. Seem like a beautiful place from the outside.

I'm not from KY but moved here for work. Sorry to say KY has not been a good experience. It's not everyone, but the rudeness is off the charts. Amazingly TN people are extremely friendly/polite compared to KY. I don't know what is up with people. Housing is cheap, wow.

I'm single, 30s, Black, christian, into technology and work as graphic/digital designer. Looking for some like minded people. I don't want to be in the city but within driving distance (30-45min). An area that has a good number of jobs for a digital artist. I'd like to be around friendly people. I'd like to be near an African american community. I don't have live in one just in distance for cultural connection reasons. I'd like

I don't make a lot of money yet. I could be making a lot more money in the area compared to KY. Are there any areas in Utah region that fits? Money and friendliness is the top priority, lol. I'll figure out the rest. I'm tired of making little money and being around unfriendly people.

-jB

[kletter1mann]

It pains me to say it, but honestly Utah doesn't sound like a great fit.

First, Utah is notorious for low wages/salaries. Whatever the field or profession, Utah is going to be on the low side of the mean for compensation. Many people relocate here and accept that because of the unmatched access to outdoor recreation. That's the trade-off.

Second, there is virtually no black community in any real sense (I say this as a New Yorker). According to Wikipedia only 1.1% are black. And many (most?) of them tend to resettled refugees form Somalia etc, not native African Americans.


Third, there's the issue of friendliness. This point gets a lot of debate on this board. Many say Utah is very friendly, particularly visitors and tourists. Others will say that, apart from service workers who are being paid to be friendly, genuine friendliness is a facade and that people just want you to join the LDS church. My own view is that the prevailing social culture is not particularly friendly. Southern hospitality and charm are not part of the program. It's very common to pass people on the street and get no greeting (or no response if you say "hi"). Many avoid eye contact. You can search this board to find stories about this stuff.


Regardless, your greatest acceptance would be in Salt Lake City itself, not the far flung suburbs. Understand too that the SLC region is really quite small. The downtown area is tiny. In 5 minutes you're into single family houses and lawns - in other words "suburbs" (though older ones). You should make every effort to visit and see for yourself. Good luck in your search!

[berger12345]

Originally Posted by kletter1mann

It pains me to say it, but honestly Utah doesn't sound like a great fit.

First, Utah is notorious for low wages/salaries. Whatever the field or profession, Utah is going to be on the low side of the mean for compensation. Many people relocate here and accept that because of the unmatched access to outdoor recreation. That's the trade-off.

Second, there is virtually no black community in any real sense (I say this as a New Yorker). According to Wikipedia only 1.1% are black. And many (most?) of them tend to resettled refugees form Somalia etc, not native African Americans.


Third, there's the issue of friendliness. This point gets a lot of debate on this board. Many say Utah is very friendly, particularly visitors and tourists. Others will say that, apart from service workers who are being paid to be friendly, genuine friendliness is a facade and that people just want you to join the LDS church. My own view is that the prevailing social culture is not particularly friendly. Southern hospitality and charm are not part of the program. It's very common to pass people on the street and get no greeting (or no response if you say "hi"). Many avoid eye contact. You can search this board to find stories about this stuff.


Regardless, your greatest acceptance would be in Salt Lake City itself, not the far flung suburbs. Understand too that the SLC region is really quite small. The downtown area is tiny. In 5 minutes you're into single family houses and lawns - in other words "suburbs" (though older ones). You should make every effort to visit and see for yourself. Good luck in your search!

I agree with most of klettermans points. I will say that the south salt lake area is 10% black according to census estimates, that’s the closest to an area with a larger black community that your going to get. There are also pockets in Salt Lake City and West Valley City, but I agree, if you do come here stay closer to the city center for more diversity.

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fa...h,US/PST045219
This is from the census. According to 2019 numbers Salt Lake County is:
70.3% white
18.8% Latino
4.6% Asian
2.2% black
1.8% Polynesian
1.4% American Indian
2.9% mixed race.

You can go to that website and plug in any city, state, or County in the country to find demographics regarding the area.

[berger12345]

I will also say there are some local organizations in Utah where you can connect with the local black community.
Here are some links posted below.
https://utahblackchamber.com/
https://www.blacklivesmatterutah.com...ompanies-.html
http://diversity.utah.edu/centers/bcc/
https://www.calvaryslc.org/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.des...nspire-educate

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by JerzeyBoy

Hi,

I was looking into possibly relocating to Utah. I've been looking into places to settle down and just researching place. I've never been to Utah but it seems like a nice place. I use to be in the Army and heard soldiers say the Utah military school was beautiful. Seem like a beautiful place from the outside.

I'm not from KY but moved here for work. Sorry to say KY has not been a good experience. It's not everyone, but the rudeness is off the charts. Amazingly TN people are extremely friendly/polite compared to KY. I don't know what is up with people. Housing is cheap, wow.

I'm single, 30s, Black, christian, into technology and work as graphic/digital designer. Looking for some like minded people. I don't want to be in the city but within driving distance (30-45min). An area that has a good number of jobs for a digital artist. I'd like to be around friendly people. I'd like to be near an African american community. I don't have live in one just in distance for cultural connection reasons. I'd like

I don't make a lot of money yet. I could be making a lot more money in the area compared to KY. Are there any areas in Utah region that fits? Money and friendliness is the top priority, lol. I'll figure out the rest. I'm tired of making little money and being around unfriendly people.

-jB

Hey JerzeyBoy! I have a Black nephew just a little younger than you. He grew up in Salt Lake City but now works in Ogden. He bought himself a home a couple of years back in Layton. That's about 24 miles from Salt Lake City and 14 miles from Ogden. One of the reasons he chose that area (other than the proximity to both cities) is the fact that, being near Hill Air Force Base, it seems to attract a more ethnically diverse population than Salt Lake City proper and is still within an easy drive from the city. There really is no "African American" community, as such in Salt Lake as only about 2.4% of the population is Black. I'm not sure about the availability of jobs in the digital artist area, as that's the work my own son is in and he always had to do mostly freelance stuff. Salt Lake is nice, and you might like it very much. Just be aware that there would be a certain cultural shock that might take a bit of getting used to. If you're flexible and outgoing, though, it's certainly doable.

[JerzeyBoy]

Thanks for your insights. Wow didn't think wages were low. Shocked me when I learned that about Florida.

[markg91359]

Originally Posted by JerzeyBoy

Thanks for your insights. Wow didn't think wages were low. Shocked me when I learned that about Florida.

I'll just tag on to what others have said. I can understand your wanting to live in a black community. However, in addition to Utah having a small black population, most black people here would not live in the suburbs. They live in urban Salt Lake City. Perhaps, a smaller group lives in inner city Ogden. You've already indicated you don't want to live in a city. You just aren't going to find any sizable black community outside of these locations.

Wages here are indeed low. Most people think its largely a function of the fact that natives don't want to leave and will accept low wages as a trade off for staying here in the area. Also, we do have plenty of educational institutions and so there is no shortage of graduates in practically any area you can imagine.

I honestly would like a more diverse community and would like to encourage you to move here. However, given what you have stated as your desires for a new location, I can't really encourage you to move to Utah.

[forsheamountain]

The number of rude people in Utah has doubled since I graduated from high school.

[altajoe]

Originally Posted by JerzeyBoy

Thanks for your insights. Wow didn't think wages were low. Shocked me when I learned that about Florida.

One of the general problems in life is seeing the big picture. As they say, the devil is in the details. "Low wages" almost always corresponds to a lower cost of living. Coming from NJ, you are used to seeing rents/housing prices that would raise the hair on the neck. Equilibrium, as it is, it flows through the entire day to day cost structure.

Up where we are, the cost of housing is attracting loads and loads of Californian's who are giddy with the asking prices. You get a fantastic house for what a 1,000sf slab construction would get back in their home town. The devil in the details, if they think of finding a comparable job in Utah at the same wage structure in California, they are dreaming.

Conversely, leaving an area with a lower cost of living and moving to one with a higher one, creates real issues. That $350,000 house you sell in Utah and moving to NJ will create a massive sticker shock when you try to replicate your Utah house in Nutley, NJ.

While, it can be done, taking an apples to oranges comparison and converting it to an apples to apples one, is quite cumbersome. But, I recommend that you try. At least this way, you'll find comfort that a lower salary isn't the hit that you think it is. One that pops into my head right away is a lower national income tax bracket. That may become more important if the polls bear out.

[English Ivy]

Hi JerzeyBoy. You say money and friendliness are your top two priories.

My two cents: SLC will give you higher salaries compared to Kentucky. They say salaries are low here because they are comparing it to the larger cities in the US. Housing is more expensive than Kentucky, but everything else should be about on par. Jobs and the economy are strong. It's a business friendly environment, and there are a lot of start ups. And it is beautiful here. The people are friendly to *me*, but I am white, friendly, dress modestly, and do not stand out. I've been acquainted with several POC in the suburbs (mostly Asian and black, a few Indian) and I've never witnessed any racial tensions - I'm sure it's present, people everywhere are racist - but it's certainly not like the tensions Atlanta has. There are places in Atlanta where it's not wise to go as a white person, or as a black person. I can't think of any areas like that here. Transplants from CA and NY are generally less well received, but that's more of a cultural clash than a race thing.

There really isn't the diversity or ethnic community here that you find on the east coast or west coast. But hey, if you move here, you can help us out with that! :-)

Visiting would be a good idea - maybe focus on SLC area, Hill AFB area, and Ogden.

Also, what is keeping you from Tennessee? You mentioned liking the people there.