Moving to Utah from Texas: A Comprehensive Guide to the Big Move!

What’s going on everybody? This is Brandon Hansen, your favorite Utah Realtor. 

On today’s blog post. We’re gonna talk about what it’s like to move to Utah from Texas. 

 

Now in full disclosure, I’ve never lived in Texas. However, I have been there several times, and I also have friends that have moved to Utah from the Houston area and I also have family that lives in the DFW area. I’ve talked with them in depth and, I know there are a few pretty clear differences between living in Utah versus living in Texas. 

 

If you’re planning a move to Utah head on over LivingInUtahCounty.com to download our free relocation guide.

 

 

Weather

One of the main differences between living in Texas vs Utah is the weather and the climate. Texas is much more hot and humid on average while Utah is going to be more dry. Utah is considered a desert.  

 

In Utah you will have all four seasons meaning you will have snow in the winter and hot dry climate in the summertime Utah. In fact, look at what we have outside today. This is our second snow storm this year. 

 

The snow started on Tuesday night and continued through Wednesday and yesterday. It’s Friday today. We tend to get a lot of snow and so throughout the winter and you’ll have to plan extra time some days to deal with shoveling your driveways and the sidewalks. You’ll also need to plan extra time driving on the roads in icy and slick conditions. 

 

Today is 25° and are currently under a winter storm warning, but we deal with it and the kids are still in school. The forecast over the next few days will consistently be in the 30°s. 

 

So make sure to have plenty of winter clothing, and a good show and a good snow shovel or two and maybe even a snowblower.

 

 

Altitude 

The second thing to be aware of is the altitude. Altitude is something that not a lot of people consider, but it’s something you will have to get used to.

 

The elevation in Dallas is about 430 feet above sea level. Right around sea level in Houston and about 662 feet above sea level in San Antonio. 

 

The highest point in Texas is Guadalupe Peak, which is right around 8751 feet above sea level. The lowest point is right at the Gulf of Mexico.

 

However, the elevation in Salt Lake City is 4,327 feet above sea level in Provo it’s 4,500 feet above sea level and if you get up into the mountain towns near Park city and Heber and some of those towns in the Wasatch range you’re looking at elevations around 7000 feet. And if you are hiking or biking then the elevation only goes up from there. 

 

The highest point in Utah is Kings Peak, which is right at 13,500 feet above sea level. In fact, Utah has over 50 peaks that are over 9500 feet in elevation so if you come here and wanna hike and get outside just be prepared to deal with the elevation and prepare accordingly. Drink lots of water, make sure you have proper nutrition and stuff like that.

 

Culture

Another thing to think about or to be aware of is the culture. Utah was founded by Mormon Pioneers in the 1800s and that pioneer heritage and culture still is strong today. In fact we have a special holiday in July called Pioneer day to celebrate the early Mormon pioneers.

 

 

Bad Utah Drivers

Driving in Utah is quite different as well. I’ve driven in Houston, Dallas and northern Texas even up into Oklahoma, and drivers are much better in Texas than they are in Utah. 

 

Utah is notorious for having bad drivers. 

 

When you come to a yellow light, most people around the country will slow down and stop at the yellow lights but not in Utah. 

 

For a Utahn, the yellow light means to hit the gas and speed up to get through the intersection so you don’t have to stop. If you come to a yellow light and you do hit your brakes to slow down, there’s a good chance you’re going to get honked at by the cars behind you if you’re within about a car length distance of the intersection. Also, if you’re a driver waiting at a red light and then the light turns green, take a second and look through the intersection before you go because there’s a good chance a car or two will be coming through in front of you.

 

If you’re looking to go to a grocery store or shop or to the mall on Sunday you’ll find that most places are closed, however, that’s changing and there are more and more businesses that are open on Sunday. 

 

There still won’t be a lot of people out on Sundays as most people are attending church and spending time with their family.

 

Political 

From a political standpoint, Utah, Texas are fairly similar. Utah is a fairly conservative state, however, neighborhoods and areas closer to Salt Lake tend to be more liberal than the rest of the state. 

 

Overall, Utah does have a very unique culture and lifestyle and if you come with an open mind, I think you’ll tend to really enjoy living in Utah with the people in the amazing scenery that is all around.

 

Housing

Now from a housing standpoint, the median home price in Utah as of October 2023 was $553,000 which was up about 4.8% compared to the previous year. 

 

The number of homes sold was also up 2.1% year-over-year with around 2600 homes sold just October 2023. 

 

With home prices going up, naturally the number of houses sold has naturally gone down. With interest rates, hopefully coming down over the next 12 months that should mean an increase in the number of houses sold and hopefully make homes a little more affordable. 

 

From what I can see online the median home price in Texas was around $370,000 or about $176 per square foot which is down from about $420,000 back in September 2023.

 

From a cost of living standpoint, and according to multiple sources I saw online, the cost-of-living in Texas is estimated to be more than 1.5% more expensive than in Utah. 

 

Childcare is about 7 1/2% more expensive in Texas as well as sports and entertainment and other activities like that. General cost of living in Dallas, according to Google, was about 19.5% higher than Salt Lake City. 

 

And the cost of living in Houston is about 8% more expensive than in Salt Lake City. 

 

According to wallethub.com Utah has the second best state economy in the nation but Texas is not far behind with the ninth best state economy so either state is very strong economically.

 

Whether or not you are moving to Utah from Texas or somewhere else we welcome you and know that you’ll enjoy living in the Utah mountains. If you haven’t already, please subscribe and like this video as it motivates me to continue to produce similar content. Also head on over to LivingInUtahCounty.com to download a free copy of our Utah relocation guide which will give you everything you need to know about relocating to Utah.