For decades, Utah’s “American Dream” was simple: a home with a yard, a good school nearby and a short drive to work in downtown Salt Lake City. Today, that dream is drifting farther up and down the Wasatch Front. From the capital to places like Tooele, Eagle Mountain and Ogden, young families are chasing affordability that keeps slipping out of reach.
The result? Utah’s workforce is spreading faster than its infrastructure can keep up. In Salt Lake County, the median single-family home price now hovers near $600,000, forcing many first-time buyers to look 30, 40, or even 60 miles away. The mortgage may be manageable, but the trade-off comes in hours lost on I-15.
Those commutes add up. Not just in gas and car wear, but in stress, missed soccer games, and fewer shared dinners. Every mile moved away from Salt Lake is a trade: time with family for time behind the wheel. For many parents, the irony is that the search for a better life often leaves them with less time to enjoy it…