Looking to retire to a charming town in Utah? Look no further than St. George. This pretty little city has about 78,500 residents – large enough to offer plenty of amenities, but small enough that you don’t feel overwhelmed by a big city. Why is St. George the best place to retire? Read on to find out:

Gorgeous Weather

Carl Berger Sr/flickr St. George offers mild temperatures during most of the year. During summer months, temperatures reach 100 degrees or higher, but you’ll find plenty of pools, shady trees, and of course, air-conditioned amenities.

Proximity to National Parks, Forests and Monuments

Steve Corey/flickr When you live in St. George, you’re surrounded by some gorgeous national parks. It’s less than 1 hour to Zion National Park, about 2 hours to Bryce Canyon National Park, 1.5 hours to the Dixie National Forest and 1.5 hours to the Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument.

Easy Access To The Salt Lake Valley

St. George Express/Facebook While living in St. George is wonderful, many residents have relatives who live along the Wasatch Front. It’s a four-hour drive to the Salt Lake Valley, or if you’d rather not drive, you can take the St. George Express shuttle, which costs less than $49 each way. Delta offers flights from St. George Regional airport to Salt Lake International Airport as well.

Excellent Medical Care

Dixie Regional Medical Center/Facebook Dixie Regional Medical Center is a Level II Trauma Center and is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

Fabulous Entertainment

Southwest Symphony Orchestra/Facebook Check out a show at Tuacahn Center for the Arts, or make the drive this summer to nearby Cedar City to attend the Shakespeare Festival. Attend a show at Brigham’s Playhouse in Washington, or check out Dixie State College’s theater productions. The city hosts plenty of festivals throughout the year, plus you’ll find lots of art galleries. Get your music fix from concerts offered by the Southwest Symphony Orchestra or the Southern Utah Heritage Choir.

Lower Cost Of Living

Carl Berger Sr/flickr While you can certainly find even lower cost-of-living rates in some of Utah’s smaller towns, St. George has a lower rate than many other popular retirement cities, including Tucson, Prescott and Phoenix, Arizona; Reno, Nevada; Denver, Colorado; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Salt Lake City. The median home price in St. George is around $200,000.

Readily Available Recreation

Utah Department of Transportation/flickr It’s easy to stay active in St. George. You’ll find dozens of bike trails, hiking trails, and horseback riding trails. The St. George Recreation Center offers classes for seniors, and of course, St. George hosts the annual St. George Marathon.

Where do you want to retire?

Carl Berger Sr/flickr

St. George offers mild temperatures during most of the year. During summer months, temperatures reach 100 degrees or higher, but you’ll find plenty of pools, shady trees, and of course, air-conditioned amenities.

Steve Corey/flickr

When you live in St. George, you’re surrounded by some gorgeous national parks. It’s less than 1 hour to Zion National Park, about 2 hours to Bryce Canyon National Park, 1.5 hours to the Dixie National Forest and 1.5 hours to the Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument.

St. George Express/Facebook

While living in St. George is wonderful, many residents have relatives who live along the Wasatch Front. It’s a four-hour drive to the Salt Lake Valley, or if you’d rather not drive, you can take the St. George Express shuttle, which costs less than $49 each way. Delta offers flights from St. George Regional airport to Salt Lake International Airport as well.

Dixie Regional Medical Center/Facebook

Dixie Regional Medical Center is a Level II Trauma Center and is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

Southwest Symphony Orchestra/Facebook

Check out a show at Tuacahn Center for the Arts, or make the drive this summer to nearby Cedar City to attend the Shakespeare Festival. Attend a show at Brigham’s Playhouse in Washington, or check out Dixie State College’s theater productions. The city hosts plenty of festivals throughout the year, plus you’ll find lots of art galleries. Get your music fix from concerts offered by the Southwest Symphony Orchestra or the Southern Utah Heritage Choir.

While you can certainly find even lower cost-of-living rates in some of Utah’s smaller towns, St. George has a lower rate than many other popular retirement cities, including Tucson, Prescott and Phoenix, Arizona; Reno, Nevada; Denver, Colorado; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Salt Lake City. The median home price in St. George is around $200,000.

Utah Department of Transportation/flickr

It’s easy to stay active in St. George. You’ll find dozens of bike trails, hiking trails, and horseback riding trails. The St. George Recreation Center offers classes for seniors, and of course, St. George hosts the annual St. George Marathon.

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