Utah is one of the least understood states in America. There are some beautiful cities in the state, and some cities are filled with convenient amenities, plenty of places to dine, shop, and enjoy recreational activities. However, it is a state that is dominated by the LDS church with a right-leaning group, yet Salt Lake City has one of the largest LGBT populations in the USA. While some find support to enjoy the freedom of choice there are cities where conservativism can make life uncomfortable for those who do not conform to the beliefs of those around them. This tends to create a bit of confusion. Some cities make wonderful places to settle, but others that you should probably avoid. We’ve created a list of the 20 worst places to live in Utah based on a variety of factors affecting desirability. These include crime rates, housing, employment, cost of living, and where applicable diversity or the lack thereof. Each city or suburb in this list is one that has concerning drawbacks.
20. Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah
According to Area Vibes, Downtown Salt Lake City has a population of 3,273 residents. The small area has an A+ rating for its amenities, and an A- for public schools, but it goes downhill from there. The cost of living is high, and housing and employment opportunities are marginal at best. The combined violent and property crime rates in this part of the city have risen to 124 percent higher than the statistics for the national average. The odds are 1 in 18 of becoming the victim of a crime in Downtown Salt Lake City. The violent crime rates are 65 percent above the national average.
19. Rose Park, Salt Lake City, Utah
Rose Park has a population of 10,556 residents. The amenities are rated above average along with the cost of living. Housing gets perfect marks as it’s plenteous and reasonably affordable. The real drawbacks of living in Rose park include the sky-high rates of violent and property crimes and the sad condition of the public schools. Area Vibes gives the public schools an F rating, which is as bad as it gets. The violent crime rats soar to 98 percent above national averages and property crimes are 134 percent higher.
18. Arcadia Heights, Salt Lake City, Utah
Arcadia Heights is a small community in Salt Lake City with just 841 permanent residents living there. The neighborhood gets A+ ratings from Area Vibes for Employment, Amenities, and public schools. From this point of view, it sounds like the ideal place to live and raise a family. The real problems with living in this neighborhood are the terrible ratings for the cost of living, crime, and housing. All three are given an F, which means that it’s pretty bad. Violent crimes are 102 percent above the national average and you have a 1 in 23 chance of becoming a crime victim.
17. People’s Freeway, Salt Lake City, Utah
5,805 residents are living in the community of People’s Freeway. This neighborhood gets high marks for housing and amenities. It’s easy to find a place to live and there is plenty to do for entertainment, but these are about the only benefits of living in this area. The cost of living is fairly high, few available jobs allow you to earn a livable wage in the area and the schools get an F rating. That’s not the worst of it though. The violent crimes are 133 percent above the national average and overall crime rates are 218 percent above the national average. The odds of becoming a crime victim are 1 in 13.
16. Poplar Grove, Salt Lake City, Utah
Poplar Grove is a moderate-sized suburb of Salt Lake City with 14,748 residents living in the area. Area Vibes gives the neighborhood an A+ rating for housing, but you’re going to pay a high price for that housing as the cost of living gets a B minus. The schools received the lowest possible score of an F rating. It’s difficult to find gainful employment in the area and the crime rate is through the roof. Violent crimes are 183 percent above the national average and property crime rates are 304 percent higher. The odds of becoming a crime victim in Poplar grove are a disturbing 1 in 11.
15. Westpointe, Salt Lake City, Utah
8,426 people are living in the Westpointe suburb of Salt Lake City. The only good rating that this community has received is the A for housing. It’s not the kind of place you’d like to move your family, and it’s no better to live there alone. The public schools have an F rating, It’s above average for the cost of living, but employment gets a D minus, and the crime rates are so high that the odds of becoming a crime victim are 1 in 11.
14. Glendale, Salt Lake City, Utah
Glendale is a community that has 13,656 residents living within its borders. The available amenities get above-average ratings, but there isn’t much more to look forward to if you live there. Violent crimes are 309 percent above the national average and property crimes are 449 percent higher. The schools get a failing grade, and there are not many opportunities to secure gainful employment in Glendale.
13. Park City, Utah
Only in Your State lists Park City in their living of the worst cities in Utah for 2021. Although Park City is a gorgeous mountain town, it has a small population. It doesn’t take many crimes to qualify for a crime wave in this upscale village. Park City’s population is 8,491 residents, but in 12 months, law enforcement recorded 225 property crimes and 51 violent crimes. Behind the beauty is a violent place where you’re in danger of becoming a crime victim.
12. Price, Utah
Price is a small city with a population of just 8,201 residents living there. The problem with Price is that it’s small and there isn’t a lot to do so it gets a low rating for amenities. The jobs aren’t that plentiful and the crime rate is extremely high. For such a small place the 34 violent crimes were shocking, but nothing compared to the 486 property crimes committed.
11. Moab, Utah
Moab is a small town that has a low population of only 5,274 people living within its borders. The shocking thing about Moab i that just a year ago it ranked as the 20th most dangerous place to live in Utah. within the last 12 months, it has claimed to the 6th most dangerous with a homicide, 33 violent crimes, and 175 property crimes.
10. Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a larger city in the state of Utah with a healthy population of 87,616 residents. In the past 12 months, there were 417 violent crimes committed in the city, but the shocking number of property crimes would force you to live under lock and key. Ogden law enforcement reported 3,218 property crimes for the year.
9. Murray, Utah
Murray is a suburb of Salt Lake City and although it’s quiet, the city of 49,675 residents have had their share of violent and property crimes. There was one homicide, 216 violent crimes, and 3,027 property crimes. It’s listed as the 8th most dangerous place to live in Utah.
8. West Valley City, Utah
West Valley is a larger city with a population of 137,132 permanent residents living there. The crime statistics are enough to make anyone want to avoid this city. The statistics for violent crime recorded 945 events, 8 of which were homicides. In addition to this, there were 4,915 property crimes committed.
7. South Salt Lake City, Utah
South Salt Lake is a suburb of the larger city of Salt Lake City. The community is home to a little over 25,000 people. within this smaller community, there were 242 violent crimes with six homicides. The property crime rates were also high with 1,796 reported. There are much safer places to live than South Salt Lake City.
6. Taylorsville, Utah
Road Snacks recommends staying away from Taylorsville when you’re looking for a place to live. It’s rated as the 4th most dangerous, the 22nd highest unemployment rate, and overall, we give it the ranking of 6th worst place to live. The median home value for this community of 60,138 residents is $239,400. It ranks 8th for being the most populated but we couldn’t get past the crime rating.
5. Midvale, Utah
Midvale has a residential population of 33,318 residents. It’s ranked by Road Snacks as one of the worst places in the state to live with the 4th highest crime rate in the state. Law enforcement points out that for the crime of robbery alone, residents face a 1 in 13.4 chance of getting mugged. There were multiple attacks, rapes and murders reported. There are much safer places to live in Utah.
4. Hurricane, Utah
Hurrican has a population of 17,212 residents. It has an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent. The average combined family income is $55,190 annually. We were shocked to learn that the number of people living below the poverty line is a whopping 12. 4 percent. The crime rate is also high with robbery being one of the most prolific crimes.
3. Grantsville, Utah
Grantsville has a population of just 11,021 residents. The unemployment rate is tied with Hurricane at 5.4 percent. The median household income is a bit higher in Grantsville but it still has a high unemployment rate of 5.4 percent. It’s safe to say that those who have jobs make good money but it’s tricky finding one in Grantsville. The median home value is $254,700. If you live in Grantsville, the odds are that you’re worried about getting robbed or becoming a violent crime victim.
2. Tooele, Utah
Tooele is a moderate-sized city with a population of 34,535 residents living within its borders. The unemployment rate is fairly high at 6 percent of the population out of work. The median home value isn’t good either. The median home value is $195,999. Violent crimes and property crime rates are high, making this one of the worst places to live in Utah, especially if you’re looking for a job that is close to home. It’s better to find a place to live that has a sunnier outlook for employment opportunities.
1. Roosevelt, Utah
Roosevelt is a small town in Utah that has a population of just 7,041 residents living within the parameters of its borders. There are a few reasons why you should consider passing on setting up a home in Roosevelt. The economic outlook alone is enough to make many think twice about living here. The unemployment rate may be one of the most disconcerting factors. It’s frightening when 8.7 percent of the population of this city is out of work. This in turn raises the poverty rates for the town. The median home value is just $199,600. When the home values are lower, it is a sign that there isn’t much demand for them because more people are moving out of Roosevelt than there are moving in. The combined household incomes, which means every worker in the house, are a mere $63,479 per year. For a family of four or five, this can make it hard to stay afloat. The crime rate is one of the worst ten percent of all of the cities in Utah. This is no doubt fueled by the high unemployment rate and high rate of poverty. There are many more prosperous places to live in the state of Utah.
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