Moving to Provo, UT: A Neighbor Moving Guide
So your thinking about moving to Provo, Utah? Don’t worry, we get it! Provo is a college town, breeds the startup culture, and has a great night life. However, You don’t just move to a new city now—your moving to a new neighborhood.
Have you ever moved to a new neighborhood? It can be scary and unnerving especially when you need affordable self storage in Provo and don’t know anyone or where anything is! Whether you are young or old, adventurous or conservative, rich or poor, don’t leave it to chance to find your next great home.
With close to twenty-thousand incorporated cities in the United States bringing so many diverse opportunities and possibilities, it can be hard to settle on just one. This Provo Moving guide will highlight the pros and cons of each area so you can focus on finding your tribe and making a solid life for yourself.
I. Moving To Provo: Population Overview
Provo is a thriving city with a Population of 117,335 and over 31,524 Households. There are 48,016 residents over the the age of 18. The Median Age is 23.3 and the average family size is 3.71. 49.9% of the population is Male, 50.1% is Female, and 57.7% of the population is married.
The community is made up of 34 different neighborhoods covering 39.6 square miles at an Altitude of 4549 feet. The average temperature is 78 Degrees in the Summer and 45 Degrees in the Winter. Provo is home to hundreds of restaurants, several shopping areas, and many other fun things to do.
Personal Experiences From People Living in Provo
Neighbor has partnered with Lifey (Selfie + Life Story = Lifey) to give you the grass roots information on Provo, Utah. Lifey has compiled hundreds of personal experiences, tips and tricks, favorite things, least favorite things, random facts, and much more all about Provo. Read about it all in Lifey’s Guide to Provo. Give Provo your stamp of approval here.
II. Where to live in Provo? List of Neighborhoods in Provo:
Moving to a new city has its advantages because you can pick which neighborhood you live in and what type of people you want to associate with. Smaller towns and cities lack what Provo provides. Below is a list of all the neighborhoods located in Provo along with a description of the area, local statistics, and its location in relation to other larger surrounding cities.
- Carterville Neighborhood – Population of 7,061
- Central Business District Neighborhood – Population of 3,075
- Dixon Neighborhood – Population of 3,365
- East Bay Neighborhood – Population of 17,373
- Edgemont Neighborhood – Population of 1,802
- Foothills Neighborhood – Population Unknown
- Fort Utah Neighborhood – Population of 3,588
- Franklin Neighborhood – Population of 5,300
- Franklin South Neighborhood – Population of 3,193
- Grandview North Neighborhood – Population of 3,184
- Grandview South Neighborhood – Population of 2,900
- Indian Hills Neighborhood – Population of 240
- Joaquin Neighborhood – Population of 14,905
- Lakeview North Neighborhood – Population of 3,825
- Lakeview South Neighborhood – Population of 3,188
- Lakewood Neighborhood – Population Unknown
- Little Rock Canyon Neighborhood – Population of 4,110
- Maeser Neighborhood – Population of 4,762
- North Park Neighborhood – Population of 4,869
- Oak Hills Neighborhood – Population of 688
- Pleasant View Neighborhood – Population of 2,588
- Provo Bay Neighborhood – Population Unknown
- Provost Neighborhood – Population Unknown
- Provost South Neighborhood – Population Unknown
- Riverbottoms Neighborhood – Population of 5,604
- Rivergrove Neighborhood – Population of 3,819
- Riverside Neighborhood – Population of 2,064
- Rock Canyon Neighborhood – Population of 4,200
- Sherwood Neighborhood – Population of 1,746
- Spring Creek Neighborhood – Population of 11,607
- Sunset Neighborhood – Population of 9,917
- Timp Neighborhood – Population of 1,341
- University Neighborhood – Population of 7,403
- Wasatch Neighborhood – Population of 3,533
The main draw to Provo is Brigham Young University and the panoramic city views that make up most, if not all, of the attractions in Provo. Downtown Provo consists of the shops at Riverwoods, as well as various opportunities to learn more about the area through museum and tour experiences. Just west of Provo lies Utah Lake State Park, and many more reservoirs just up Provo Canyon provide anyone with a love for boating access to the natural beauty and recreational opportunities available.
Provo is a very beautiful city and has many differing attractions with the mountains, lakes, reservoirs, resorts, national parks, desert, and shopping within reach of you in only a matter of minutes!
Provo Neighborhood Map
III. Living in Provo, Utah: Local Provo Crime Rates
Need I say more? You need to know what is going on within your chosen neighborhood. You don’t want any drunken surprises, drug busts, or robberies happening in your neighborhood. Thankfully for you, Provo is known for being a safe and secure neighborhood.
Provo received a crime rate of 166.1 which is astoundingly lower than the US average of 280.5. Within 2016 there were 2 murders, 57 rapes, 20 robberies, 70 assaults, 266 burglaries, 2,292 thefts, 155 auto thefts, and 4 arson attempts. This is considerably lower than, for example, Chicago which had 765 murders, 1,568 rapes, and 12,000 robberies in 2016. Compared to those numbers, Provo seems like a pretty safe place to live!
There are also many opportunities to volunteer and join a service organization within Provo. These organizations provide support and encouragement to those residents who need it the most.
Service Organizations:
- Adopt-A-Trail
- Athletics
- Eagle Scout Projects
- Parks & Grounds Operations
- Provo Shooting Sports Park
- Special Events
Other Volunteer Resources:
IV. Best Provo Schools & Ratings
If you have children then this is probably one of the most important thing you should be thinking about. Where are your kids going to go to school? How good is the school when compared to the others in the area? Does the school specialize in a certain subject, and will your children enjoy that?
These are all serious questions that need answered. We’ve done the hard work for you and found a PDF put together with all the schools in the district. You can learn more at each school’s website, but we’ve pulled the most important data from each one and arranged it here. Check out the PDF of all the schools within the Alpine School District.
- 10 Local Public Elementary/Middle Schools
- 1 Private Elementary/Middle School
- 3 Local Public High Schools
- 7 Accredited Colleges
Since there are so many schools to report on, feel free to visit the PDF above for all their information, but we’ve broken down the interesting stats on the 3 High Schools in the Provo area so you can make an informed decision on where you want to live if you have high schoolers. For more in-depth information, visit Alpineschools.org and compare the state assessments.
Timpview High School
Timpview High School is a secondary school located in Provo, Utah. Timpview is considered a 5A school with over 2,000 students currently enrolled, and is one of the three high schools located in the Provo City School District
- Principal: Dr. Fidel Montero
- Assistant Principals: Clay Bingham, Sean Edwards, and Lyndsay Huntsman
- Address: 3570 Timpview Dr, Provo Utah
- Phone: (801) 221-9720
- Mascot: Thunderbirds
- School Colors: Orange, White, and Blue
Independence High School
Independence High School seeks to inspire students to be responsible, embrace learning, and become productive citizens. Independence High School is a great option for your high schooler if they have a harder time passing classes, they work best in smaller classroom settings, or if they are behind on credits needed to graduate.
- Principal: Chris Sorensen
- Assistant Principal: Mary James, Julie Powell, and Jacob Griffin
- Address: 636 N Independence Ave, Provo Utah
- Phone: (801) 374-4920
- Mascot: Lions
- School Colors: Blue and White
Provo High School
Provo High School has the mission to empower students to be successful. Their motto is, “Every student has the right, responsibility and, opportunity to learn,” and they encourage all students to become effective communicators, responsible citizens, resourceful and critical thinkers, and life-long learners.
- Principal: Boyd McAffee
- Assistant Principals: Jason Garrison, Seth Hansen, and Jenni Thurston
- Address: 1125 N University Ave, Provo Utah
- Phone: (801) 373-4880
- Mascot: Bulldog
- School Colors: Green and White
V. Homes for Sale in Provo
Moving to a new state, city, or neighborhood is a perfect time to consider buying a home. However, there are a few things you should consider other than the number of bathrooms, how big the tub is, the number of cabinets in the kitchen, or if it has a deck or not.
Consider which neighborhoods are going to be growing, where the shopping malls are, where landmarks are located, and how old the house is. All these things directly affect home valuations. You want to buy a home that will continue to appreciate in value so you can sell if for a profit when you decide to move again later in life.
Check out Zillow’s Home Buying Guide to get help figuring out everything you need to know through a step-by-step home-buying process. The estimated average home price or condo value in Provo is currently $219,900 for a medium home with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
We’ve compiled a list of calculators to help you purchase a home in Provo and figure out how much you can afford when it comes to mortgages, refinancing, and affordability of homes you are looking at.
Home Buying Calculators:
- Mortgage calculator
- Refinance calculator
- Affordability calculator
- Amortization calculator
- Debt-to-Income calculator
VI. Apartments in Provo
Renting an apartment is almost as stressful as entering into a new relationship. You have to search for the perfect match, with the right amenities, price, location, features, and above all, the other tenants and your landlord have to be on point. You’ll be living in a neighborhood within a neighborhood—a community that functions within society as a whole, and you want to be in the best position possible.
You need a landlord who fits your personality type so you don’t clash over trivial things. Luckily for you, we’ve compiled a few resources to help make the process seamless and easy.
- Rent Affordability Calculator
- List of Nice Apartment Complexes
- Check out brand new properties.
- Look at middle floor units.
- When you find a place you like, jump on it!
- Negotiate on a fixer-upper.
- Choose your amenities wisely.
VII. Provo Cost of Living
Find out from the locals how much groceries are, average rent/mortgages, property expenses, taxes, etc. The better idea you can get before arriving, the more prepared you can be—and also the more negotiating power you’ll have when you’re determining what to request for your salary if you are moving here for work.
The cost of living index will help you understand if you can afford to live in Provo, Utah, how this city compares to other cities within Utah, and how Utah compares to others in the USA. Take the cost of living seriously, and it could save you lots of money in the long run. Currently the cost of living index for Provo is 86.8 which is less than the average across the United States. This means it is relatively cheaper to live in Provo than most cities across the US.
VIII. Things To Do in Provo, Utah
Let’s be honest for a second. The main thing we care about when moving to a new city or neighborhood is ‘what is there to do in Provo?’ We care less about the crime rates than we do the food scene, fitness gyms, grocery stores, shopping malls, theatres, etc. No one wants to live in a place that has no nightlife! So what is there to do in Provo? More than you would think!
- Sundance Resort
- Bridal Veil Falls
- Murdock Canal Trail
- Utah Lake
- Utah Lake State Park
- Mount Timpanogos
- Provo Beach
- Museum of Peoples and Cultures
- The Covey Center for the Arts
- The Shops at Riverwood
Provo Attraction Resources
- TripAdvisor List
- List of Attractions
- Yelp List
- Groupon List
- Utah Valley List
- Fun Things to do with Kids
IX. Provo Commuting & Public Transit
How accessible is Provo? Before settling down in any given neighborhood you need to check out how close it is to the main cities and attractions. You don’t want to have to live in Big Water, Utah which is 5 hours and 39 minutes from Salt Lake City or where there is no public transit. We’ve compiled the best commuting times, average gas prices, and available public transit surrounding Provo below.
Commuting Times can make or break an apartment or house when you are deciding on a place to live. Unless you want to be out in the open and in the countryside then I’d suggest looking up the typical travel times from Provo out to the nearest cities.
Commuting Times
- Time to Orem – 15 Minutes
- Time to Lehi – 22 Minutes
- Time to Sandy – 39 Minutes
- Time to Salt Lake City – 49 Minutes
- Time to Bountiful – 1 Hour and 20 Minutes
- Time to Ogden – 1 Hour and 47 Minutes
- Time to Logan – 2 Hours and 30 Minutes
- Time to St. George – 3 Hours and 38 Minutes
Travel Time from Provo to the Attractions and National Parks
- Time to Park City – 1 Hour
- Time to St. George – 3 Hours and 38 Minutes
- Time to Bear Lake – 2 Hours and 53 Minutes
- Time to Yellowstone – 6 Hours and 57 Minutes
- Time to Zion National Park – 3 Hours and 55 Minutes
- Time to Arches National Park – 3 Hours and 1 Minute
- Time to Canyonlands National Park – 3 Hours 15 Minutes
- Time to Capitol Reef National Park – 2 Hours and 52 Minutes
- Time to Bryce Canyon National Park – 3 Hours and 27 Minutes
Average Gas Prices around Provo
- Winter Average Gas Prices – $2.09 per Gallon – From 2017
- Summer Average Gas Prices – $2.64 per Gallon – From 2017
For real time insights into gas prices in Provo visit GasBuddy.com!
Available Public Transit
X. Cheap Self Storage in Provo
If you are moving then you should seriously consider self storage. It could take a while to find the perfect neighborhood in a day, week, month, or year. You’ll want to arrange for a cheap self storage unit that can protect your belongings while you continue your search for home.
You need something flexible, cheap, and in a convenient location—you need Neighbor Storage. Neighbor’s got you covered with their self storage platform. The prices below speak for themselves.
Average Price of Storage in Provo:
| Unit Size | Traditional Self Storage Facility Price | Neighbor’s Average Price |
| 5 x 5 | $25 | $14 |
| 5 x 10 | $27 | $19 |
| 10 x 10 | $55 | $35 |
| 10 x 15 | $60 | $43 |
| 10 x 20 | $78 | $40 |
| 10 x 20+ | $207 | $60+ |
We’ve listed out all the unit sizes you could possibly imagine. You won’t need anything bigger than an 10 x 20 storage unit unless you are trying to store an RV, in which case you should really be looking at Neighbor’s website for a space to save you money. The traditional self storage unit prices are almost double every time for every size of storage unit available. Neighbor provides storage at affordable costs, secure locations, and has on demand units so you can get a unit anytime, every time. Find cheap Provo self storage or rent out your extra space on Neighbor.
XI. Provo Moving Guide Conclusion: Home Sweet Home?
You can literally move anywhere in the United States. According to a Pew Research Center Survey, 37% of Americans have never lived outside their hometown and 57% have never lived outside their home state. Don’t fall into that statistic! Be a traveler, explorer, or nomad of the the USA suburbia! Why not try living in Provo, Utah? If not, explore other new neighborhoods near you and only settle when you have found the city that fits your vibe.
What is your favorite part about Provo? Comment Below!
