Why St. George Is A Great Place to Retire

By Yolande: Topretirements Member

Thank you Yolande for sharing your observations about retiring in St. George. This compliments her other piece for Topretirements, which addresses the question: “Is St. George a Good Place to Retire?” (not for her!)

Positives:

1. Very strong and responsive police forces, there are numerous agencies here to support anything happening. Sirens are rarely heard due to the low crime rate.

2. Iron Man competition held here annually usually in October bringing lots of visitors and revenue to the area.

3. Strong sense of community with a very friendly welcoming environment. Some areas still have farm land with animals you can see driving by them, especially in the City of Washington. Adds to the rural feel of the area.

4. Bluest skies any where in the South West that last all day. NO SMOG in our skies which is incredible when you really think about it! Dark Skies law in place to allow viewing of stars at night with limited artificial lights. Very clean air 99.99% of the time, cloud cover is the only thing that changes it. Very little rain, very dry climate, 4 seasons experienced with mild to very hot or very cold in some cases depending on your comfort level. No humidity! Can be very windy and the temperature changes quite a bit throughout the day.

5. Summer temps can range from 100 to 115 several months out of the year, due to us being at the edge of the Mojave Desert, making it perfect for those escaping harsh winters. Also creates great energy for those wanting solar power. Fall/winter temps are in the low 30s and can go as low as 20 degrees with some very light snow fall that does not stick on the valley floors, only in the mountains. My favorite time of the year.

6. Hot air balloons in the sky most of the year due to the mild weather and clear skies

7. Minimal traffic making it easy to get around. Traffic is heavier during rush hours like most cities, and during events bringing in visitors. Freeway can be the same. There is road construction going on in some areas. It’s still not as hard to get around as larger cities which could take hours to get from point A to B. Here you’re still under 20 to 30 minutes depending on how far you’re going.

8. Very low crime with a community watching and willing to step in fast not just video tape. Usually they’re committed by people from out of state not locals.

9. The Virgin River runs through the entire area of St. George and can be seen from certain areas including some bike paths.

10. Paved bike paths and beautiful parks throughout the entire city of St. George

11. Situated at the top of the Virgin River Gorge, bordering Arizona with the most spectacular breath taking views of mountains layered over one another, for a 360 degree view with reds, browns and green colors.

12. Red Hills Parkway near the 15 freeway and just up from St. George Blvd. is a short drive that leads to a look out point where you can park your car, or hike up a short cliff for the best view of the entire city of St. George. Continue on the road toward Santa Clara/Ivins for a view of even more spectacular red mountains in the Snow Canyon area, which is a short distance away offering even more spectacular red mountain views and breath taking scenery.

13. The best thing about St. George is most any where you drive you see minimal over building but beautiful carved mountains, rolling hills, the bluest clearest sky, expansive land views giving that feel of rural living and no over crowding.

14. Population is roughly around 5,000 it hasn’t been updated with the new growth yet but remains well under 6,000.

15. Cedar City is about an hour away which offers much cooler temperatures than St. George especially in winter and summer.

16. National parks such as Zion are about a 2 hour drive, the others could be about 5 hours.

17. Hurricane (pronounced Hurri-can) and Washington cities are adjacent to St. George offering less expensive housing. Hurricane is known for being extremely windy a lot of the year, so take that into consideration prior to moving there.

18. Driving the Virgin River Gorge to Mesquite, NV or Littlefield, AZ for shopping or a day of golfing invites the most awe inspiring views of the canyons. You’ll see one view going toward Littlefield and an entirely different one headed back to St. George. The drive is about 20 to 30 minutes to Littlefield, and an additional 15 to Mesquite.

19. Las Vegas is 2 hours away, Salt Lake City is over 300 miles away.

20. St. George airport is a short distance away for convenience but limited flights available

21. Shuttle service to Las Vegas is available in St. George

22. Infrastructure is slow to catch up with the rapid growth experienced in the area

23. Transplants from all over the country are making their way to St. George creating a diverse mix of personalities to meet.

24. Quiet skies, no police or traffic helicopters or air planes over head most of the time. So noise from the sky is very, very limited and makes living life peaceful.

25. No nearby train tracks avoiding spills or crashes which assists with the quiet environment

26. There are no large area malls here for shopping, the only mall in town is limited on stores and very small, Red Cliffs Mall.

27. Santa Clara, Enterprise, Snow Canyon and Ivins are all short drives from St. George.

28. Switching out your license and registration plates is a cinch. The DMV is not over crowded and getting in and out in less than 30 minutes is very possible. Best to make appointments to be prepared with required paperwork. Rates are less expensive than many states including NV. You’re greeted by some of the friendliest people at any DMV I’ve ever gone to. The service level is top notch and very knowledgeable. You receive everything within 30 days. The driver license and registration divisions are next door to each other in nearby Hurricane. Easy to find!

29. No overly tall buildings blocking the views of the expansive landscape and beautiful sky line. Definitely a small town feel.

30. Some areas of St. George and Washington allow dirt bikes and ATVs to be driven around the city. They can be noisy so be careful to avoid those communities where it’s popular.