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Non-Mormon considering Utah. I've been through it twice, love the scenery and the overall climate & seasonality. I've also looked at housing and it's CHEAP. No need for a mortgage for some of those homes as housing seems to be roughly 1/3rd the price for comparable houses in my neck of the east coast.
I'd also like to increase the amount of ski trips I take and would love to have that amenity close by, perhaps something that would even justify a season pass.
What's the economy like, and how likely is a skilled tradesman to find work? And lets be honest: it is possible to get by as an outsider & non-mormon with few connections?
[note: not limiting myself to Logan, but Northern Utah seems ideal, and I also might consider pursuing a masters degree somewhat later than "normal" age, so a bonus to Logan there]
Honestly, I would personally not move to Logan as a young-ish single person, unless you are attending the university. It can be extraordinarily difficult to meet people.
There is a small-ish mom and pop ski hill near logan, about 40 min drive. But I think the resorts near Ogden and near Salt Lake to have much more to offer.
Depends on what you think you might want to get your graduate degree in. There is also Weber State in Ogden and University of Utah in SLC, so there are other options.
Also how cheap housing is depends on your income. If you are selling a home and bringing your payout with you. it may make it easy for a down payment, but salaries are way way low, so even though housing is less expensive - its not significantly so for what you get, and also relative to income, it may or may not be more affordable.
I would not put Logan on the list, beautiful though it may be. It is one of the more good old boys Mormon club towns with little in the way to do (except the outdoors of course.). It is far from the airport and you have to drive through Sardine Canyon to go anywhere and it is treacherous in the winter. I would look at the Ogden area if I were you. You will have great access to more resorts, universities close by, a more diverse population, and it will be easier to find employment.
Logan, Utah is a beautiful area, though like any other place it does have its positive and negative aspects, depending upon your perspective.
Logan does indeed have a strong LDS influence and history, but this has changed over time. More non-LDS people are steadily moving into the area each year, and the university provides to the community a strong cultural presence that is decidedly not LDS-centered (as compared to, say, Provo and BYU).
Regarding living in Logan as someone not of the LDS faith, for most people it isn't much of an issue. Local residents are generally quite friendly and good neighbors. Some members of the LDS faith are friendly no matter what, some want to share their beliefs with you (like you share a favorite food with people you like, etc.), some figure you'd prefer space/privacy and don't want to offend or annoy you.
Outside of the university setting & social circles, Logan is generally a family-focused community. If you don't have a family moving with you (kids in particular), you may find socializing challenging depending on your preferences for nightlife. There are few bars (everyone knows of the "White Owl" because it is nearly the only old-school bar in town), though they do have sports bar-type establishments like Buffalo Wild Wings, etc. If you do plan to pursue a masters degree, though, you'd have plenty of opportunity to meet like-minded people involved with the university that socialize in whatever way you prefer. If you like hanging out in coffee shops, etc., there's a legendary place downtown called Caffe Ibis (yes that is the correct spelling!).
The economy in Logan is steadily growing (2.5% unemployment, 2.91% job growth), and fared quite well through the Great Recession, actually. Home building has continued to rise, as well as many other sectors. It would be worth researching by your specific trade to get more details, though, as it isn't a large city (~125k in the metro area) and could be difficult finding the right job if you are highly specialized. Also, depending on your trade, you will need to be prepared for potentially lower pay (goes with lower cost of living). College students (USU has 28,000 enrollment) do flood the job market for entry-level work, but it doesn't appear that that would likely affect you in particular.
Skiing opportunities near Logan are excellent, but whether or not they are the best the region has to offer... that depends on what type of skiing you prefer. Beaver Mountain, the nearest ski area, is a 25 minute drive from Logan up a winding canyon road. It is family owned and not a big resort, but if all you care about are low prices (season pass was only $325 for the 2015-16 season when purchased in spring! It's hard to spend that little skiing in Park City for one day), good terrain, small crowds, and great snow (400+ inches of powder), it fits the bill. Beaver has a dedicated following among locals and college students. Backcountry skiing near Logan is also quite good if you're interested in developing that skill.
If you prefer more resort-based expert terrain, spas, mid-mountain full service restaurants, and an overall BIG mountain, there are many world-class options. Wasatch resorts like Snowbird/Alta, Brighton/Solitude, Snowbasin, Park City, etc. are all within a 2 hour drive. Oh, and Jackson Hole is less than 4 hours north (get in the car at 5am, to the mountain base before 9!).
Overall, Logan is a great place to live, in my opinion. It is a small town (relative to urban areas across the country), but is only a 1 to 1.5 hour drive from an international airport and metro area of 2+ million people (Wasatch Front). It is consistently at or near the top of the list of US metro areas over 100k population for lowest crime rate, has 4 seasons, has a good economy, a quality university that brings in various cultural events and influences, and is an excellent place for people that enjoy the outdoors. Besides skiing, there is mountain biking, climbing, blue-ribbon fly fishing, hiking, camping, bird watching, the list goes on and on. All of these activities are available within a 5 to 25 minute-drive from downtown Logan. About the only major "outdoor" type of attraction it lacks is the ocean.
The biggest knocks I've heard about living in Logan are that it is a small town with a heavily-influenced LDS culture and people not liking the cold, intermittently smoggy air in winter. The former is a non-issue for most people, especially because of the university. The latter deserves a little explanation...
Logan's winter inversions occur because it (like the Wasatch Front) is essentially sitting in a mountain bowl (in Logan's case, within Cache Valley). When high pressure weather systems sit over the West, the colder air in the valley cannot escape. Particulates accumulate in the air and can get oppressive (causes irritation/can make you cough if you're outside for extended periods of time, much like seasonal allergies) if a storm hasn't blown through for many days. It's not present for any of spring/summer/fall and most of the winter, and it generally looks worse (mostly fog) than it is. A quick drive up Logan Canyon to ski/snowshoe/snowmobile, etc. is all you need to do to get out of it. During the worst of winters it can stretch for up to a few weeks at a time, others it hardly occurs.
Regarding winter inversions as a general heath issue, you'll hear many different opinions. As far as measurable data is concerned, though, there are 2 cases: for those that are susceptible (you have heavy asthma or some other lung disorder, are elderly with failing health, etc.), it can affect you negatively. For the rest of us, and in large part because inversions only occur intermittently, studies can't seem to find any proven long-term negative side effects. Longtime Cache Valley residents have an exceptionally long life expectancy and low incidence of chronic disease (see this study from USU, Duke University, and Johns Hopkins University: Cache County Study on Memory Health and Aging - The Center for Epidemiologic Studies - www.usu.edu). This does also appear to have to do with the low incidence of smoking, drinking, drug use, etc., but it's useful to keep in mind that winter air quality in Logan and along the Wasatch Front is better now than it has been for over 50 years, and continues to improve each decade despite the population growth.
Wooo, thanks for the replies, especially to Awilk. That will be a lot to digest.
I am considering options and have been looking into Ogden today. Logan still pretty good, and yes I have driven through Sardine canyon from the Salt Lake airport up into Idaho for a ski trip, so I get that it can be bad during a blizzard.
I'm a non-smoker and a mild drinker, and I'd actually consider a young LDS woman if/when I do arive. As for being close to university (and there are some good choices anywhere) I'd like to be close for if I do decide to attend and I'd like to keep open the possibility of renting out rooms or an "in-law suite" to college students.
But as for work I am not yet specialized, but am more skilled than someone just coming out of high school. And I'm a veteran, so I hope people in Utah will be more appreciative of that than east coasters.
On the plus side, I'd say that Logan is more picturesque and scenic than many other Utah towns. (Purely subjective, I know). However, I find the community to be far more insular and much less diverse. If you're going to USU, that's one thing, but I'd think hard about choosing to live there just because I might want to go back to school someday.
IMHO, Ogden and surrounding towns share the same low cost of living but offer more jobs, more diversity, and better skiing close by. I can't compare Weber with USU for master's degree programs, but it does offer a limited number of graduate degrees. The presence of Hill Air Force Base and several defense contractors helps bring jobs and a welcome outside influence to the area.
I do agree that you will find an acknowledgment and respect for our veterans throughout Utah. Thank you for your service!
Last edited by elcee499; 08-21-2015 at 07:33 AM..
Reason: grammar
I'm a non-smoker and a mild drinker, and I'd actually consider a young LDS woman if/when I do arive. As for being close to university (and there are some good choices anywhere) I'd like to be close for if I do decide to attend and I'd like to keep open the possibility of renting out rooms or an "in-law suite" to college students.
bwaahhaa. that made me laugh. I would consider reading up on the LDS faith a bit. Unless you are interested in joining the faith, not many LDS date outside their faith.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elcee499
On the plus side, I'd say that Logan is more picturesque and scenic than many other Utah towns. (Purely subjective, I know). However, I find the community to be far more insular and much less diverse. If you're going to USU, that's one thing, but I'd think hard about choosing to live there just because I might want to go back to school someday.
IMHO, Ogden and surrounding towns share the same low cost of living but offer more jobs, more diversity, and better skiing close by. I can't compare Weber with USU for master's degree programs, but it does offer a limited number of graduate degrees. The presence of Hill Air Force Base and several defense contractors helps bring jobs and a welcome outside influence to the area.
I do agree that you will find an acknowledgment and respect for our veterans throughout Utah. Thank you for your service!
^^ agree with much of this. Having lived in Logan as a non-college student for 6 years and having recently moved to the Ogden area.
I would not put Logan on the list, beautiful though it may be. It is one of the more good old boys Mormon club towns with little in the way to do (except the outdoors of course.). It is far from the airport and you have to drive through Sardine Canyon to go anywhere and it is treacherous in the winter. I would look at the Ogden area if I were you. You will have great access to more resorts, universities close by, a more diverse population, and it will be easier to find employment.
You actually don't drive through Sardine Canyon, you drive through Box Elder, Dry and Wellsville Canyons. All of which have a 4 lane divided freeway through them which is consistently the best plowed road in all of Cache County, when it snows, and an absolutely beautiful drive.
There are resorts in Wellsville Canyon and Logan Canyon, including Beaver Mountain which, while not luxurious, never has crowds and is super inexpensive.
Utah State University >>> Weber State University - honestly there's really no comparison. USU offers 40 PhDs and 90+ Masters degrees while Weber has 0 PhDs and 11 masters degrees. USU and the U of U are a better comparison.
Diversity wise - I think you underestimate just how liberal and diverse pockets of Cache Valley are. Remember that university with all of those graduate degrees? Well, people come from all over the nation to attend it or teach there. Places like Hyrum, Smithfield and Richmond have pretty much 0 diversity, but the University and Island areas of Logan are quite diverse.
In summary. Jessicarae1060 has likely never lived in Cache Valley.
Wrong!! I was born in Brigham City and went to USU for 2 years before transferring to WSU to get my nursing degree. I spent 2 years in Cache county and 22 in BE county. Sardine Canyon is certainly on the way into Brigham and on the way to Ogden. Yes they plow the whole area from Brigham to Hyrum but it is still dangerous. I lost 2 of my closest friends in a car accident coming down into Mantua from Logan.
In addition, I also worked for a home health company for 4 years and Cache County was my territory.
Location: God's Gift to Mankind for flying anything
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jessicarae1060
Wrong!! I was born in Brigham City and went to USU for 2 years before transferring to WSU to get my nursing degree. I spent 2 years in Cache county and 22 in BE county. Sardine Canyon is certainly on the way into Brigham and on the way to Ogden. Yes they plow the whole area from Brigham to Hyrum but it is still dangerous. I lost 2 of my closest friends in a car accident coming down into Mantua from Logan.
In addition, I also worked for a home health company for 4 years and Cache County was my territory.
Sadly, you are wrong Jessica, and Geo-Aggie is right !
Sardine Canyon is used as a *name* (even by locals !!) for that *trek* thru the hills,
but the real Sardine Canyon has not been used since the 50's.
It hugs the mountain called Mt. Serling (do you know where that is ?)
Yes, Sardine Canyon *was* the original canyon used around 1860
(I doubt you were around then ... but I may be wrong there ...)
You can still get there (illegally !! no public access !!) and ride it but not with a car,
since it is rutted and difficult to drive now ... (We have flown over it )
Back to subject ---
Assume you do settle in that area, due to the *outdoorsy* stuff you would like to do.
How many times would you be really doing *outdoorsy* stuff ?
You can always *go there* anytime you are *off* from work.
I would look more for where I can get a job, live around there,
have some *night-life*, and then go do *outdoorsy* stuff anywhere I want to go.
Almost anywhere from you would live, it is a hop and a skip to anywhere outdoorsy !!
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