It is famous for its stunning views, exciting ski slopes and for being the seat of the Mormons.
But in a surprising reversal, Utah now also ranks as the best state in the US to live.
That’s according to Consumer Affairsa data and review platform that studied each state’s economy, education and health care systems, quality of life, safety, and affordability.
New Hampshire, Idaho, Minnesota and Massachusetts rounded out the top five.
For those planning to move, researchers also assessed which states to avoid.
Salt Lake City in Utah, which is now ranked as the best US state to move to
Domestic migrants should avoid California, New Mexico and Texas
California ranked last on the scale thanks to its low scores in education, health, quality of life and safety.
The Golden State was followed at the bottom of the table by New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Alaska.
Cassidy McCants, a researcher, said that “Utah should be given the highest consideration as a new home.”
“It finished first in affordability, third in economy and third in quality of life,” McCants added.
The Beehive State’s roughly 3.4 million residents have easy access to pine forests, ski slopes and the so-called “Mighty Five” National Parks: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion.
But they can also live in one of the most affordable areas in the United States, the report says.
This is because Utah has relatively low property taxes, even though households receive a relatively high median income of around $80,000.
Although the state is home to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the proportion of practicing Mormons has declined to about four in ten today.
Utah is also famous for its local foods, especially honey, cheese, raspberries, the state’s version of scones, and abundant dips for French fries.
Utah was closely followed by New Hampshire, which ranked highly thanks to its strong economy, good education and health systems, and safety.
Park City, Utah, offers visitors the largest ski area in the United States
The Beehive State’s 3.4 million residents have easy access to pine forests and the so-called “Mighty Five” National Parks.
Residents there enjoy some of the lowest crime and poverty rates in the country.
Third place went to Idaho, which McCants said is “generating interest” among residents of other places who are considering relocating.
“Idaho has the highest possible score for quality of health care… low crime rates and the lowest amount of property crime in the United States,” he added.
The study used data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tax Foundation, and Zillow.
Meanwhile, researchers at real estate technology firm ProptechOS 2024 have conducted their open assessment of America’s “smartest, most tech-friendly cities.”
Seattle, Washington, reigned at number one, followed by Miami, Florida, and Austin, Texas.
Cities were ranked based on their technological infrastructure and connectivity, sustainability and tech-savvy job market, and how prepared they are for a smarter future, the researchers said.
Seattle, home to tech titans Amazon and Microsoft, earned a winning overall score of 75.7 out of 100 as the city best prepared for a smarter future.
The Emerald City has a robust technological infrastructure with 34 artificial intelligence (AI) and 13 Internet of Things (IoT) companies per 100,000 inhabitants.
They also stood out for their sustainability, as their tree cover increased over a decade (from 2010 to 2020) to an impressive 137,000 hectares (approximately 340,000 acres).
Seattle reigns as America’s smartest tech city and is home to tech giants Amazon and Microsoft
PropTechOS map shows the smartest, most tech-friendly cities in the US
They also built the equivalent of 10 electric vehicle charging points for every 100,000 people, according to the report.
They were followed by Miami 75.4, Austin 72.7, followed by San Jose 71.6 and Oakland 70.8; Boston, 70.2; San Francisco, 69.5; New York 65.5, Los Angeles 65.2 and Atlanta 64.3.
Last year, Austin, Texas, took the top spot as America’s smartest city, but this year it was edged out by Seattle by just a few points.
Still, the Texas city ranked first for smart city infrastructure, with a score of 86.2 out of 100, in the 2024 study (Seattle came in a close second at 85.7).
This ranking was attributed to its high broadband download speed of 275.60 Mbps (surpassing the US average of 217.14 Mbps) and its concentration of 337 AI companies, or 35 per 100,000 people.