So for those wondering about life in the mountain west, I thought I would post a brief review of life in Utah vs the PNW. Starting with pros / cons compared to Oregon / Washington. Though this mostly applies to Utah, some of the discussion will apply to ID, MT, WY as well.
Pros:
- All of these states are constitutional carry, no need to worry if you have your permit if you can already legally carry a gun, it doesn't matter if it's under your shirt or not. Oregon it's technically a crime to carry in public without your permit.
- Epic place for the outdoors man / woman... my impression of a good number of people here is that they are "dyed in the wool" outdoors people. You will find both men and women in the outdoors enjoying fishing, hiking, hunting, etc. Some of the best trout rivers in the world are in Northern Utah, ID, and MT.
- Low unemployment. Utah has the second lowest unemployment rate in the nation, outside of Salt Lake City life is pretty safe, people work hard and want to be self sufficient if at all possible.
- Out of ID, MY, WY, and UT; Utah has more services in the region in terms of healthcare, shopping, jobs etc. Tech people, look into Lehi, UT...
- You will find far fewer weirdos here, than in Oregon or Washington.
- The politically leadership has been squarely opposed to the Covid mandates, including the Attorney Generals filing suit on a number of occasions.
Cons:
- The housing boom has been going on for a while, and continues. Expect to pay far more than people could have imagined 4 years ago for a property.
- The lack of water is big deal, Utah is the second driest state in the nation. I don't go anywhere without a gallon of water in the car. The water is also very hard, so to be comfortable in the winter you'll need at least some humidifiers if not a whole home humidifier, as well as a water softener system.
- Despite this lack of water, the population influx continues...
- This is not a place for foodies; if you have a passion for cuisine you will have to search long and hard for that gourmet meal compared to the west coast. For some people this isn't a big deal.
- People drive faster and more dangerously than the PNW,, though I feel like PNW drivers are pretty passive. I feel this is actually more "normal" considering living in most of the United States
- During the Winter the pollution can get pretty bad, like LA due to the pressure inversions that happen.
All in all there are plenty of good places in the region to move, if I were a little younger, single, I might consider somewhere in Wyoming actually, near Jackson Hole... or someplace less crowded in Montana. Hope that helps someone evaluate what it's like living somewhere east...
Pros:
- All of these states are constitutional carry, no need to worry if you have your permit if you can already legally carry a gun, it doesn't matter if it's under your shirt or not. Oregon it's technically a crime to carry in public without your permit.
- Epic place for the outdoors man / woman... my impression of a good number of people here is that they are "dyed in the wool" outdoors people. You will find both men and women in the outdoors enjoying fishing, hiking, hunting, etc. Some of the best trout rivers in the world are in Northern Utah, ID, and MT.
- Low unemployment. Utah has the second lowest unemployment rate in the nation, outside of Salt Lake City life is pretty safe, people work hard and want to be self sufficient if at all possible.
- Out of ID, MY, WY, and UT; Utah has more services in the region in terms of healthcare, shopping, jobs etc. Tech people, look into Lehi, UT...
- You will find far fewer weirdos here, than in Oregon or Washington.
- The politically leadership has been squarely opposed to the Covid mandates, including the Attorney Generals filing suit on a number of occasions.
Cons:
- The housing boom has been going on for a while, and continues. Expect to pay far more than people could have imagined 4 years ago for a property.
- The lack of water is big deal, Utah is the second driest state in the nation. I don't go anywhere without a gallon of water in the car. The water is also very hard, so to be comfortable in the winter you'll need at least some humidifiers if not a whole home humidifier, as well as a water softener system.
- Despite this lack of water, the population influx continues...
- This is not a place for foodies; if you have a passion for cuisine you will have to search long and hard for that gourmet meal compared to the west coast. For some people this isn't a big deal.
- People drive faster and more dangerously than the PNW,, though I feel like PNW drivers are pretty passive. I feel this is actually more "normal" considering living in most of the United States
- During the Winter the pollution can get pretty bad, like LA due to the pressure inversions that happen.
All in all there are plenty of good places in the region to move, if I were a little younger, single, I might consider somewhere in Wyoming actually, near Jackson Hole... or someplace less crowded in Montana. Hope that helps someone evaluate what it's like living somewhere east...
