Future College Graduate Interested in Taking a Job in Utah (Logan: buying a house, buying)

[jmmcnally]

Hi,

I am a college student, who is about to be married and adopt a 2 year old. I am majoring in wildlife management to get my certification as a wildlife biologist. I want to work for the government and am interested in taking a job in Utah.

I just need to have a few questions answered.

1.) Is Utah a good place for a newly graduated student to take a job and live?
2.) What are the prices on property? Taxes?
3.) Is Utah a good place to raise a child?

Here are other states I am interested in moving to:
Alaska
Montana
New Mexico
Colorado
Nebraska
South Dakota
North Dakota
Wyoming


I really appreciate the help!

Jessica

P.S. We love the idea of mountain life and would prefer cooler summers. We are very tired of the heat here in Texas.

[momof2penguins]

I have lived in New Mexico (didn't like it), Colorado (when I was a kid), Wyoming (for 2 years, i liked it there), and I grew up in South Dakota. I like Utah the best out of all the places we've lived. It's a great place to raise I child, I think. We are in the mountains almost every weekend. I don't know about the cool summers though, it's 90 here in central Utah today. Up in the mountains though, it should be nice and cool.

[Lmejh]

Utah is a very good place to raise a child, if you haven't heard already

[jmmcnally]

Yeah. My list is now...Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, South Dakota, and Utah.

[coolcats]

Originally Posted by jmmcnally

Yeah. My list is now...Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, South Dakota, and Utah.

I've spent time in all those states. Here are my opinions.

South Dakota -- you have 90 percent of the state that is flat and plains. The Western part is very isolated. The Black Hills are nice, but don't compare to the Rockies.

Wyoming -- The very western part is spectacular with the Grand Tetons, Star Valley, Yellowstone and the Wind Rivers. My brother-in-law is a wildlife biologist based out of Jackson. They can barely afford to live there in a rented house. Forget about buying a house. Outside of the nice part of Wyoming that I mentioned, the rest of the state is pretty barren and unappealing, to me at least.

Montana -- pretty much the same of Wyoming, with the far western part being spectacular. Missoula is really nice. I haven't been to Glacier, but hope to soon.

Alaska -- some people are made for it. If you live in Fairbanks or Anchorage, you have the ammenities of the lower 48. If you live outside of those areas, be ready to drive two hours one way for a supermarket. The wildlife is spectacular, and it seems like each resident could have their own mountain range, there is that much wilderness. Summer is great with it never getting dark. Haven't been there in the winter.

Then there is Utah. If you live along the Wasatch Front, you have all the amenities of a large city, and the mountains are just minutes away. If you live down south, it is more desert-like, which is its own kind of wilderness. The weather ranges from hot to really hot in the summer. Winters aren't too bad except high in the mountains.

[jmmcnally]

I really don't mind the heat as long as it only lasts from June to September. I want real seasons.

So, does your brother enjoy his job or is he miserable because he can't afford to live there?

Anything's better than what I am living on now, though. So I would feel a lot better with more pay.

I hear North Dakota is great too.

[coolcats]

Originally Posted by jmmcnally

So, does your brother enjoy his job or is he miserable because he can't afford to live there?

He loves it. He wouldn't want to do anything else. After all, he gets to be in the woods all day looking for lynx poop (they track lynx populations in the West), while the rest of us sit in our cubicle prisons all day long. But they probably won't stay in Jackson much longer. There are cheaper towns to base the research out of. They'll never be rich, but the lifestyle is great for them.

Also Utah has real seasons. The heat, even when it is 98, isn't that bad given the dry air. I'd rather have 98 and 10% humidty than 85 and high humidity.

[jmmcnally]

Me too! (On the humidity thing.)

From the research that I have done, he would make more money if he goes back and gets a masters degree and some government jobs will pay for any further education while you are in the job.

I really don't know what it's like to own property, pay taxes, and raise children, but I think I would be better off trying to do it on a $50,000/year income than on what I am now.

[coolcats]

Originally Posted by jmmcnally

Me too! (On the humidity thing.)

From the research that I have done, he would make more money if he goes back and gets a masters degree and some government jobs will pay for any further education while you are in the job.

I really don't know what it's like to own property, pay taxes, and raise children, but I think I would be better off trying to do it on a $50,000/year income than on what I am now.

Yes, he's actually finishing his masters at Utah State. He commutes back and forth from Jackson to Logan, UT. When finished I think they will move.

[Aerorick]

I've lived in North Dakota and worked in Alaska. And there are two things a married couple really has to think about. The winters in Alaska are dark and very cold 24 hours a day for awhile. And a wife with a child can be alone and isolated during that time while the husband is out working. North Dakota is just plain COLD! in the winter. Often colder than Alaska and can be quite dicey to venture out in.
Just my two cents.