Posted in Utah
October 25, 2016
13 Reasons To Drop Everything And Move To This One Utah City
As an alumnus of the University of Utah and a lifetime resident of Salt Lake City, I love my hometown like no other. But…as I started the research for this article, I quickly found that another Utah city is consistently ranked above our capital city, receiving accolades from many national news sources, for many reasons. So, while I won’t be packing my bags and heading to Utah County, you might take a closer look at what Provo has to offer.
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
The magazine cited Provo's proximity to outdoor recreation, such as hiking trails, lakes and rivers as one of the main reasons for its ranking. Other factors included Provo residents' healthy eating habits and number of bike lanes and green spaces. Read the article here.
Residents of Provo only work an average of 30.9 hours per week, and have only an 18 minute commute to work. Of course, BYU students have a large impact on that number, since they're conceivably working part-time (if at all) while attending college. Still, with a bookstore as cool-looking as Pioneer Book, there's plenty of opportunity to blend recreation, relaxation and work in Provo. See NerdWallet's rankings here.
The city has occupied a space on Forbes' list of Best Places for Business and Careers for years - in 2016 it claimed the number two spot (right behind Denver). See the whole list here.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that Provo ranks ninth amongst mid-sized cities for cycling. A large number of bike lanes and bike paths certainly helps. Provo ranked higher Salt Lake City, which came in number 11.
Is there anything better than shopping/dining/being entertained in businesses occupying gorgeous, historic buildings?
The company looked at cities with populations of less than 1 million people, and a growth rate of at least one percent between 2012 and 2013. Take a look at their list here.
According to the U.S. Census, the unemployment rate for Provo was just 3.9 percent as of June 2016 (Omaha, Nebraska is the lowest, with 3.5 percent).
According to the website SmartAsset, Provo is the number one most affordable city for renters - welcome news for BYU students and young families (and BYU students with young families!).
According to this report from the Brookings Institution, 132,000 of the approx. 154,567 households in the Provo metro area have broadband Internet subscriptions.
There are many reasons why Provo is one of the best cities in Utah.
I’m sure readers have a lot to say about this – what are your thoughts? Do you live in Provo? If not, would you enjoy living there? I can’t wait to see your comments!
Let’s not forget that Utah has many charming small towns. Check out these 15 pretty towns where life is still slow-paced.
