From Denver to Salt Lake City, the US Rocky Mountain region has its share of high-profile destinations where you might consider building a life and home. Yet if you are looking to put down roots in the area, overlooked and unassuming southwest Utah has several advantages, including solid communities, a range of convenient activities, and relative affordability. So whether you aim your moving truck toward St. George or need to set valuables aside in some safe Cedar City storage units, the aggravations of relocating can be easily offset by the comfort and excitement of discovering this underappreciated region and its invitingly cool, semi-arid climate.

Solid communities

What makes a solid community? Two prerequisites are good schools and a low crime rate. Southwest Utah public schools are among the best in the nation. Charter school Success Academy, in Cedar City, was recently ranked in the top 20 in the US and was number one in a list of best schools for low-income students. St. George public schools also have high graduation rates. As far as post-secondary opportunities are concerned, Cedar City’s Southern Utah University is ranked second-best in Utah, and the tuition is dramatically reduced to well under $10,000 for in-state students. In the southwest Utah city of St. George, crime rates, including violent and property crimes, are even lower than state’s already relatively low rate.

Solid communities also tend to be small to mid-sized population centers with both history and opportunity. Towns with major historic districts and well-preserved Main Streets tend to be civic-minded. And those offering an array of cultural festivities champion diversity and inclusion. These each create and enrich communal spaces. Cedar City (population: approximately 30,000) does both, for example, celebrating its heritage as an old iron-mining town while supporting artistic talent through two major theater festivals (one for Shakespeare, naturally, and the other named for Neil Simon). Its nickname: Festival City, USA. Meanwhile, St. George (population 85,000) is spending on downtown revitalization projects.

Convenience and Activities

Whether you prefer a getaway filled with the decadent delights among the throngs of Sin City or the secluded peace of breathtaking natural vistas, the range of convenient activities and experiences in the area is nearly boundless. Las Vegas, which needs no further elaboration, is under two and a half hours’ drive from St. George, while the Salt Lake City metro area is under three and a half hours, a straight shot up Interstate 15 from Cedar City. However, southwest Utah, with its endless, exquisite hiking choices, is a dream region for those outdoorsy adventurers. Should you so desire, you can tour the mountainous Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches and Moab national parks in the same weekend, though the Grand Canyon takes a little over five hours to drive through it. Alternatively, if you want a more relaxing outdoor experience, St. George, with its moderate winters and slew of golf courses, has been dubbed the Florida of Utah.

Affordability and opportunities

This region has a healthy real estate market with homes that are built well and situated in compact neighborhoods. Housing prices have been steadily rising but remain affordable. The median house in St. George is about $50,000 less than in Salt Lake City. Cedar City’s cost of living index is 10 percent lower than the Utah average. As a center of tourism and small manufacturing, as well as education and the arts, the population continues to grow in southwest Utah. Management and construction opportunities abound between these two key cities, while the unemployment rate sits around 2 percent. Southwest Utah University also happens to be the fastest-growing college in the state.

Southwest Utah might not get a lot of attention or even sound particularly sexy, but its wealth of benefits, from culture and community to mountains and moderate weather, have made the area a hidden gem (well, hidden for now) to settle down in.