Trying to decide between moving to SLC, Rapid City, Grand Junction, Vegas or Tucson. Any advice?

For the GJ list I’d say you’re rather spot on except for #1 and  #3. Housing in GJ is one of if not the lowest in the state. As for crime, drugs, and homelessness- It’s not that bad. In fact the occurrences of those things are below the national average.

Also I wouldn’t say the climbing in town is good. Unaweep is 45-60 minutes away and that has really good climbing The mountain biking in town is world class though. 

The Junk is hillbillies and meth bro..

Hank Caylorwrote:

The Junk is hillbillies and meth bro..

Fruita NIMBYISM trying to scare people away.   

Two friends moved to Rapid City, they lasted a year. Really, really dreary small town. 

SLC air is killing people and the canyons are too crowded to enjoy at any time of the year.  SLC also hates your dog.  

I don't see St. George listed as a consideration for OP. That would be one of my top picks based on the criteria listed. Great climbing access locally, plus reasonably close to the Vegas climbing also (without having to live in Vegas). New climbing gym. Mid-range cost of living. It may be full of LDS retirees, but at least they don't steal your catalytic converter (as compared to tweakers).

Go Back to Super Topowrote:

Stay in Bend

Can't afford it anymore, hence the move. I realize it sucks having a bunch of refugees, so to speak, from other areas moving to your city, causing problems, but with how expensive housing is getting there's really no choice.

JCMwrote:

I don't see St. George listed as a consideration for OP. That would be one of my top picks based on the criteria listed. Great climbing access locally, plus reasonably close to the Vegas climbing also (without having to live in Vegas). New climbing gym. Mid-range cost of living. It may be full of LDS retirees, but at least they don't steal your catalytic converter (as compared to tweakers).

I was looking at Saint George, but it was another one of those cities like Lander and Flagstaff where it seems like single bed room housing is impossible to find. Not gonna risk living with people I don't know well. I'll take another look though. Thanks.

WF WF51wrote:

Two friends moved to Rapid City, they lasted a year. Really, really dreary small town. 

Appreciate that info. That's something I was worried about with RC. I was there in Summer once, but winter sounded rough.

Zachary Ottwrote:

Could be less than full time. Or like 50% of his income after taxes, which i would definitely consider "most of my monthly income" if it happened to be going to a single basic necessity.

I don't think Rapid City is undervalued. I just don't think it has what it needs to be a considered a climbing town. Personally I don't get as stoked on the Needles as on other stuff. Fwiw, I'm pretty sure you can still get Fairweather winter days and climb in the sun at either spearfish or the needles.

<2 Hours...

Devin Scheidwrote:

I was looking at Saint George, but it was another one of those cities like Lander and Flagstaff where it seems like single bed room housing is impossible to find. Not gonna risk living with people I don't know well. I'll take another look though. Thanks.

Sensible point. Appropriate housing stock is definitely an important requirement. Single family zoning really ruins some towns and makes it hard to move there. Especially for people who don't have 2.2 children and a golden retriever, and don't want/need/afford a 3 bedroom house.

Flagstaff will be a lot cheaper once half the city burns down in a forest fire

Kristian Solemwrote:

<2 Hours...

I know where Devil's Tower is, and it doesn't change my opinion of Rapid City. 

People who live in SLC are in serious denial about the bad air quality. Smog in the winter, ozone in the summer, particulates year round. And the comment about "you've just got to get above/out of the inversion" always made me laugh. The only way to do that is to contribute to it, by driving. I've been away five years now, but everything I hear is how the canyons are just getting overcrowded and blown out. It's not cheap. Your taxes pay for a lot of stuff that's hard to stomach. They're about to ruin Little Cottonwood with the gondola.  

LL2wrote:

People who live in SLC are in serious denial about the bad air quality. Smog in the winter, ozone in the summer, particulates year round. And the comment about "you've just got to get above/out of the inversion" always made me laugh. The only way to do that is to contribute to it, by driving. I've been away five years now, but everything I hear is how the canyons are just getting overcrowded and blown out. It's not cheap. Your taxes pay for a lot of stuff that's hard to stomach. They're about to ruin Little Cottonwood with the gondola.  

Yeah after looking into that a bit more, it seems like it is really not worth it for the health issues alone. 

I realize now though that the entry fees and reservations only apply to the Red Rocks loop and not Calico Basin itself, at least for now.

I'm going with Las Vegas for now or Tucson if I can't find housing that suits me in Vegas. 

Thanks for all the info everyone.

Landed in Tucson in 93 been here pretty much ever since, laid back, not too big, not too small it's the Goldielocks of cities to me. People bitch about the traffic, but you can easily get around town on a bicycle if your fit. Rents are going up but I should think cheaper then LV. 

The Hill's are great, never considered RC lived in Custer, Hill City, and didn't care for the everybody knows everybody small towns. I am sure the climbing community is great still, I see they still have their annual TR fest at Rushmore. Southern AZ also has a climber fest at Cochise every year, there's a huge variety of climbing, Tucson is big enough to have most everything you might want in a city without being obnoxious like Phx. 

Best of luck wherever you end up. 

Tucson for the win.

But before we make too easy for you to decide I'd toss Albuquerque into the mix. Another fan-flingin-tastic town with as much to offer as the others you listed. Not only are 1000'+ tall cliffs, tons of sport climbs/bouldering, and easy access hot springs, there's Humble Coffee and roadside tamales! These last two are reason enough to move to here alone :)

Nate Grygowrote:

Is there world-class climbing in large amounts near SLC?

SLC is a good jumping point to access world-class climbing year round (driving 3-6 hours), but the local climbing itself, while abundant, isn't destination worthy for most people.

American Fork and Maple Canyon are an hour and 90-ish minutes, respectively, from SLC. Logan canyon is 100 minutes north. Some would argue that the climbing in LCC is indeed world class.

Just pass over Nevada and Utah and end up in Colorado.

It's not too late to get a roommate.