ST GEORGE, Utah

What It Is Like to Retire in St george

Saint George, Utah is the 7th largest city in the state, one of the more popular places to retire there. Located in extreme southwestern Utah, it has spectacular red rock bluffs overlooking the town, a mild climate in winter, and terrific recreational opportunities such as hiking in the nearby Zion National Park, and many golf courses. The population of the city grew by over 80% since the year 2000, to over 95,000 people in 2020 -  The Metro area is  one of the fastest growing areas in the U.S. Our innkeeper at a recent stay was a transplant from Los Angeles. Though in her 40's she raved about St. George as a place to live, both for younger people and retirees. The vital downtown, pleasant streets, plentiful restaurants, many active communities with their golf courses, low crime rate, and bustling new airport were just some of the reasons why she chose to live here. One reason why St. George has attracted retirees is that religiously it is more diverse than most other locations in Utah, except for Park City. Although there is strong Mormon presence, people of other faiths are also here in significant numbers. St. George is called Utah's Dixie because of its southern location and the cotton traditionally grown here. For more information about how to retire in Utah or towns like Park City.

In 2023 Yolande wrote an article for Topretirements: "Is ST. George a Good Place to Retire."

Watch this short Youtube video presented by Utah.com

Where to Retire in St george and Home Prices

Developers of active adult communities are targeting Saint George. According to Zillow, the Home Value Index was $505,544 in mid-2023.

What Is Special about St george

Brigham Young spent the summers in the last few years of his life here. Mount Zion National Park;  8 nearby golf courses; miles of hiking and biking trails; Tuacahn outdoor amphitheater presents 3 broadway productions each summer and concert series which bring big names in music; tree-lined streets; St. George is the regional health care center; Red cliffs provide outstanding scenery and beautiful blue skies with occasional puffy white clouds and clean air. The downtown has some good restaurants and shopping areas.

What Is Not Special about St george

This area is growing so fast that not all of it has been attractive. Although winters are mild, summers can be very hot. If you are not LDS, it might be off-putting that more than half of the population is of that faith.

Who Will Like Retirement in St george

Retirees from all over the country are moving to Saint George for its warm climate and beautiful scenery. It is particularly popular with outdoors oriented people. Although the majority of residents are LDS, there are least 24 other churches present in the area and many faiths are now represented. Active planned communities like Entrada and Sunriver do not have a majority of practicing Mormons. Residents are of all faiths.

Local Economy Is Driven by

Construction and healthcare are the biggest factors in the St. George economy. St. George Chamber of Commerce. St. George Craigs List

Climate and Physical Environment

St. George is located at 2,840 feet above sea level in an area of spectacular red cliffs and bluffs. Mt. Zion National Park is nearby. Winters are mild and summers very hot.  However, it usually cools off at night and the mornings are beautiful.

Restaurants & Cultural Scene

There is a local 4 year college. St George has an outstanding Professional Theater in the Tuachan theater. There is a celebrity concert series in the Spring and fall. The St George Musical Theater is a civic theater with major productions each year. There is an Opera House although we couldn't tell how active it is. St. George is home to Dixie State College of Utah, a four-year institution with some cultural events. And there is always Vegas, just 2 hours away for every imaginable entertainment and Mesquite Nevada is only 30 minutes away with 3 nice casinos.  Virtually every chain restaurant franchise you can think of is represented in town.  Downtown some interesting local eateries include George's Restaurant, the Painted Pony, and the Pizza Factory

Crime

The crime rate in St. George is about 200 vs. a national average just over 300.

Medical facilities

Dixie Medical Center is the main hospital for this part of southern Utah.

Transportation

I 15 runs through town. The nearest airport of any size is Las Vegas, 115 miles to the south.  3 Shuttle services run multiple trips to and from the Vegas airport. The brand new St George airport is very convenient and services LAX with United Express and SLC with Delta Express. Las Vegas Airport is 2 hours away.

Valuable Links

St. George Chamber of Commerce