When people think of retirement cities they usually think of Phoenix, Palm Springs, or a city in Florida. But what if there was a magical place that had the same mild winters as Phoenix, but wasn’t as hot in the summer? Or that was just as sunny as Florida, without the humidity or the hurricanes? What if there was a city that had similar amenities to Palm Springs, but wasn’t as expensive to live? That magical place is real, and it has a name – St. George, UT!
Located in the desert of Southern Utah, St. George boasts over 300 days of sunshine a year and winter lows that reach only 31℉ (without the snow). This isn’t your typical desert, though – instead of just tumbleweeds and cactus, we have beautiful red sands that are unique to St. George. Enjoy the outdoors without the humidity of Florida and without the air pollution of northern Utah.
St. George is the perfect in-between of small town and big city living. With a population of almost 85,000 people, St. George still has a small town feel and is a short 90 minute drive to the big city lights of Las Vegas. St. George has plenty of amenities like spa resorts, athletic clubs, farmers markets, restaurants, community events, and even musical theater shows. If you still like the amenities of a big city, those are still easily accessible with multiple shuttle services that run daily between St. George and Las Vegas.
Living in a small town doesn’t have to mean small town living. Destination spas are not usually synonymous with ‘small town’ but here in St. George, they are. There are four destination spas here in St. George – Red Mountain Resort, Movara, Amira Resort and Spa, and Deep Canyon Spa. So if you make the move here, don’t be worried about giving up your big city luxuries.
Tuacahn Center for the Arts is an outdoor amphitheatre set in the mouth of a canyon – a beautiful backdrop for their musicals and concerts. Their 2019 season will include The Little Mermaid, Disney’s When You Wish, and The Sound of Music. They also hold other events like a year-round Saturday market, and Christmas in the Canyon where they have a live nativity, train rides, and even ice skating. Enjoy a local musical and attend a Broadway show in Las Vegas in the same week if you’d like!
If the outdoors are more your thing, we’ve got you covered. Zion National Park is a 50 minute drive from downtown St. George, and has become more popular than parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone. USA Today posted a list of the most popular parks in America and Zion National Park ranked 3rd, right below the Grand Canyon. Speaking of the Grand Canyon, St. George is only a 2 1/2 hour drive from the north rim, and 4 ½ hours to the south rim. Right here in town we have Snow Canyon, a popular local spot for hiking, biking, and camping. There is also no shortage of trails all over town – paved and not – that have a wide variety of landscapes to enjoy and explore. Sand Hollow State Park is the most popular reservoir here where you can boat, fish, dive, go off-roading, camp, and there is even a resort and golf course down the road.
Some of the biggest events that happen every year are The Huntsman World Senior Games and the St. George Marathon. The Huntsman World Senior Games draws thousands of visitors every year and has won the award for Best Sporting Event of the State for the past four consecutive years. The St. George Marathon is a Boston Marathon qualifier and one of the Top 20 Marathons in the USA.
St. George may be considered a small town, but there are plenty of events and activities to keep you occupied all year round. Retire in affordable luxury. Retire in St. George!