Affordable Rural Areas in St. George area? (Hurricane, Washington: house, find a job)

[alicenevada]

My husband and I just visited Vegas again and we did alot of driving-to Arizona, Death Valley Ca, Boulder City Nv, and St. George Ut. We like the non-gaming atmosphere of Boulder City but it's pricey. We also love the red cliffs around St. George.

With a tentative move in mind, we noticed that many of the rural areas around Az and Nv are more inexpensive than those located in city limits. Is there a similar area surrounding St. George?

I need all the info about the area I can get.

Thanks

[brightdoglover]

One word. Jobs.
Oh, and another string of words- car dependence and rising gas prices.
I think St. George *is* the affordable place, and getting less so with retirees and all. It certainly is a beautiful area, though.

[alicenevada]

Actually, anywhere would probably be better for us as far as gas prices go...we are paying 3/50 a gallon here, which is probably not the highest in the country-but since my husband drives over 40 miles to work, we would do well to consider a place where he'll be closer to his job or be able to ride a motorcycle to work every month (instead of just 4 or 5 months of the year).

So Hurricane and Washington are just as expensive as St. George? No other rural areas?

[brightdoglover]

What I meant was, if your husband could even find a job, likely the commute would be long and expensive from anywhere "rural," although it gets rural pretty fast outside St. George, at least to these East Coast eyes.

[alicenevada]

Yeah, but like I said...it couldnt possibly be more expensive than it is for us now. Rural is better for us...more familiar. But it doesnt have to be friggin' no-man's land or anything. Ha.

[dogmom]

Originally Posted by alicenavada

Yeah, but like I said...it couldnt possibly be more expensive than it is for us now. Rural is better for us...more familiar. But it doesnt have to be friggin' no-man's land or anything. Ha.

We live in Washington City, just a couple miles north of St. George, it's not any cheaper to live here..my husband put gas in our jeep this morning (regular) and paid $3.63 a gallon. Food is expensive, also they tax food here in the markets, housing is no great deal I guess...We are on the market and it is slow..

We are not sure what we are going to do yet...sell the house and decide.

sign me..
waiting for a buyer...

[brightdoglover]

Gas is going up about the same rate anywhere, and I personally think it's there to stay. I think commute distance would be the major factor in deciding about transport expenses if moving somewhere without public transport options.

[alicenevada]

Gas is 3.60 here as well. My husband spends a fortune every week since he drives over 40 miles to work, as I said. We also have tax on food in Tennessee...and food is about the same here also.

[dogmom]

I keep hoping gas will at least level out not much higher than it is now. It's not so hard on us, we are retired and CAN limit our driving, although the biggest city near us is Las Vegas, where we do a lot of our shopping and entertainment, but it's bad on our kids, sons ages 27 and 30. They are both still single and work good jobs, but gas in CA is just killing them. They both commute about 20 miles or so to their jobs, its just tough. I remember how hard it was when they were babies and we went through the oil embargod and gas shot up to, what, a dollar a gallon. Of course that was a ton of money then. Someone needs to do something about this gas situation soon or a lot of folks are going to be hurting really bad. They should have started doing something 30 years ago, but the government seemed to just stick their heads in the sand about it, now it's hurting another generation..

ok off my soapbox...had to vent.. but it's the same cost of living about everywhere, just depends on wages to compensate I guess..

[brightdoglover]

Doom n' gloom, here, but I don't think gas prices are going to level out where they are now, or go down significantly. I think these kinds of prices and increases are here to stay, for structural reasons, and I think anyone moving somewhere dependent of significant driving commutes is taking a risk, including for resale.
I drive 40 miles round-trip for work, no traffic (third shift) and drive a Toyota Corolla Matrix, about 34 mpg. No big deal. I feel for those who *must* drive something bigger, like tradesmen who need trucks and so on. But there's not much sympathy for people who just prefer SUVs and vans and all and find the cost of filling them shocking.