Meet your friendly Wasatch Front communities
With the real estate market continuing to stay hot, more people are considering a move in the near future. Like other growing communities, the Salt Lake City area and towns along the Wasatch Front are welcoming new companies, families and young professionals looking for a dramatic change of scenery, healthy work-life balance and friendly, sustainable cost of living.
The long, narrow Wasatch Front is a metropolitan region in north-central Utah, consisting of a contiguous chain of cities and towns abutting the beautiful Wasatch Range of mountains. Home to approximately 80% of Utah’s population, the Wasatch Front spans from Nephi in the southern region to Brigham City in the north, including the larger municipalities of Salt Lake City, Provo and Ogden.
As more prospective homebuyers consider putting down roots in Utah, Rize Homesource realtors regularly walk prospective buyers through the locations, amenities, benefits and lifestyle features of each special community along the close-knit Wasatch Front. Here’s a look lovely neighborhoods and small towns we call home:
At 13.5 square miles and just over 13,000 households, Bountiful features a quaint Main Street with locally owned shops, and lovely rolling neighborhoods lofted to the east in the Wasatch foothills. While considered a bedroom community to Salt Lake City, Bountiful is full of its own character and charm, including annual events like the historic Handcart Days, which celebrates some of Utah’s first pioneers. For those who may be commuting to Salt Lake City, the FrontRunner rail line is one of the Bountiful’s most appealing hometown amenities.
This 20-year master-planned community in South Jordan continues to grow and attract people looking for newer, turnkey homes and accessible shopping and entertainment. When completed, it will contain more than 20,000 residential units and over 9 million square feet of commercial space. While all new, Daybreak was inspired by Salt Lake’s traditional neighborhood design, currently featuring eight distinct villages, homes with big front porches and alley-loaded garages, as well as excellent walkability: all properties are 5-minute walk or bike ride to a local park, lake or retail development.
Named for Mormon pioneer John Holladay, this Salt Lake County community’s roots run deep. It’s considered the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in Utah and the town’s legacy is alive and well. Holladay is also known for its lush springs and ponds, something unique to the arid climate and landscape often associated with Great Salt Lake. A family-friendly area with excellent access to activities and employment downtown, Holladay, at approximately 26,000 residents, offers a small-town feel close to the big city.
Located 40 miles north of SLC, this village in Davis County. Counting Ogden-Clearfield as its closest “city,” Kaysville first began as a farming province. Bordered by Layton, Fruit Heights and Farmington, Kaysville is as Americana as it gets. The small town’s website describes the community vibe as highly active and filled with residents who appreciate traditional values—baseball, apple pie and a rich sense of belonging.
Named after a prophet in the Book of Mormon, Lehi is part of the Provo-Orem metro area in Utah County. Situated in the northernmost part of Utah Valley, near the head of Utah Lake, Lehi features a well-preserved downtown, whose Main Street is on the National Register of Historic Places, and landmark Lehi Roller Mills. One of just 50 left in the country, the family-owned mill, which produces some 100,000 pounds of flour each day, was made famous with a feature in the movie Footloose. At a population of just under 50,000, Lehi is transitioning from an agricultural-based community into a hub for technology, welcoming a variety of tech and software companies in the last decade.
Magna is a picturesque township situated at the base of the northern Oquirrh Mountains. From beautiful Coon Canyon, Coon Creek flows north and west through Magna to the Great Salt Lake. After maintaining its status as one of the most populous unincorporated communities, Magna embarked on a decade-long journey to securing township status, which is helping to support major growth in the area. Top area attractions include The Great Saltair, a historic resort turned modern-day concert venue; mining museum; and local events like the annual Magna in Motion 5K, arts festival and famous Fourth of July celebration.
Noted for its central Salt Lake Valley location, this community of approximately 46,000 residents is the state’s 14th largest city. Alongside Little Cottonwood Creek, Murray City Park, featuring natural wooded areas and sports venues, is the recreational crown jewel of the town. Two lines of UTA’s TRAX light rail provide convenient transportation options for Murray residents to downtown Salt Lake City, Draper, the University of Utah and the Daybreak community in South Jordan.
This walkable neighborhood in northwest Salt Lake City, one the most ethnically diverse, is named for the way the community was first laid out: The streets form the shape of several roses, with main thoroughfare American Beauty Drive representing the flower’s stem. With downtown Salt Lake City just 5 minutes away, Rose Park is an exceptionally convenient home base for professionals. Smaller brick homes built in the 1940s and 50s are now being renovated by young families moving to the area, part of the revitalization of this historic enclave.
With over 100,000 residents and counting, West Jordan is a rapidly growing Salt Lake suburb, the fourth most populous city in the state. Scenic West Jordan is framed by the Jordan River on the west and the foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains to the east, making it an outdoor lover’s paradise. A regional center unto itself, the community includes four significant retail centers and Jordan Landing, considered one of the largest mixed-use planned developments in the Intermountain West.