17 Reasons Not to Move to Taylorsville, Utah (Voted by the Locals!)

Moving to a new town is always filled with apprehension. Children worry about how they’ll fit in at their new school and parents worry about what jobs will be available. Families worry about how they’ll be welcomed or how the transition will go. This is one of the reasons these articles exist! They help to give you an insight into some of the more negative parts of a town.

I live in Kearns, which is near Taylorsville so I’ve gotten to know it pretty well. I’ve lived near Taylorsville all my life and most of my friends live within the city limits. With their experiences in high school, I’ve gotten to know some of the things they dislike about their city. Knowing that the economic system is the same as Kearns allows me to see other concerns that aren’t seen in a high school. Some of the things that are listed below are pretty mild, but there are substantial concerns that come up.

1. Unreliable Weather

Living in Taylorsville means that the weather is never reliable. The news might predict a 99 percent chance of rain for the following day and the sun is shining instead. On the other hand, the news might predict good weather and the weather is poor instead. Additionally, the weather tends to fluctuate throughout the day. It can go from the sun shining to the rain pouring in a 10-minute interval. It’s probably a good idea to bring your sunscreen and umbrella with you wherever you go. With weather extremes, residents do have to watch out for some tornadoes. They are rares, but do happen so knowing what to do is important.

2. Bugs/Insects In summer

During the summer, mayflies and mosquitoes come out in abundance. Being next to water means swatting away the pests that come out. Although they don’t carry transmittable diseases it decreases the pleasure of an evening walk. It also means that roasting marshmallows over the fire is accompanied by the smell of bug deterrents. Having allergic reactions to mosquito bites means that the summer will be extremely uncomfortable in Taylorsville.

3. Arid Temperatures

Taylorsville has no humidity whatsoever. The dry air makes it a bit harder to breathe, which is combined with the elevation. Although having no humidity during the summer sounds appealing, you do become more susceptible to getting sick. Your mucus membranes get dried out, which means that one line of defense is out of commission. During the winter, your skin suffers. Without gloves, your hands dry out and crack quickly.

4. Water Shortages

Utah, being the desert it is, means that water is a precious commodity. In the last few years, the duration of summer droughts has lengthened. Winter is slower in coming, which depletes the water reserves available for the summer. Because it has become such a concern, political authorities are beginning to caution residents to check their water usage. If the water levels continue to decrease, more checks on water usage will be put into place limiting the summer fun that families can have together.

5. Air Quality

During the summer, the air quality in Taylorsville is relatively clean. However, there is always smog at the base of the mountains. The wind helps to clear the smog/pollution away and to give residents better air.

However, as the temperatures start to drop, the air quality gets worse and worse. During the winter, the air quality is the worst that it can be. Those with asthma have to check the daily color of the air to see if it is safe enough to be outside for extended periods of time. This is a definite concern for anyone with health conditions, especially for the elderly.

6. Gas Prices

Gas is pricey no matter where anyone lives, but it’s good to know how much it costs wherever you’re going to live. In Taylorsville, the average gas price for the cheapest grade of fuel is $3.00 per gallon. If a consumer wants to buy more premium grades of fuel, the cost only increases. And keep in mind that this is only an average– each gas station is going to have a varied price. As inflation and demands continue to increases, so will the price of gas. For a city where the mean living is relatively low, this doesn’t bode well at all.

7. Flex Lanes On 5400 S

Before the flex lanes — a system allowing for more lanes to be allocated for East/Westbound traffic depending on the time of day — traffic was horrendous. Sitting in rush hour took far longer than it needed to. Although flex lanes on 5400 S do help to mitigate this problem, it has come with adverse consequences. For drivers unaccustomed to the flex lanes running through Taylorsville, it can cause a lot of confusion and worry. It makes it difficult to navigate to where they need to be. The system can be conquered with time, but it does take time to acclimate to this confusing system.

8. Urbanization

If you’re ever hungry and don’t want to cook, Taylorsville has plenty of options at hand. The problem is that there are too many choices. Within a five-mile radius, there are 15 different restaurants available and waiting for customers. Although Taylorsville has a lot of options for food, there aren’t many options for going to the mall. Small shopping complexes are available, but to get the latest trends and brands going Downtown is the best option.

In addition to having so much growth in the fast-food industry, Taylorsville has seen growth in the housing economy. The land is being bought by land developers and building complexes are being squished into them. With the construction of an LDS temple being built in Taylorsville, even more land is being used. The small-town community feel that residents once enjoyed has shrunk as the city has grown.

9. Political Parties

Politics can be one of the strongest deciding factors as to whether or not individuals want to move to a specific area. Looking at the state of Utah in terms of political diversity, the majority of the population is Republican. This proves to be true for Taylorsville as well. Both representatives for the Taylorsville area — Mike Lee and Mitt Romney — are both of the Republican party. Every major election that occurs, the majority of voters are Republican, indicating that residents in Taylorsville are Republican-minded.

10. Lack Of Religious Diversity

Utah is full of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, so there is a high population of LDS members in Taylorsville. In fact, 61.1% percent of those that are religious within the city are LDS. In accordance with such a high percentage, there are 18 churches designated to that religion. Catholicism is the most widely practiced, with 9% of the population being Catholic. There are only two Catholic churches within the area. That is quite a drastic leap from 61 to 9 percent. All other religious affiliations comprise just over 1% of the religious population within Taylorsville. This can make those that are not LDS feel excluded or judged by the majority of the community.

11. Lack Of Ethnic Diversity

If you’re hoping to allow your students more interaction in an ethnically/racially diverse town, Taylorsville is not the place to go. Over half of the population (64.5%) is comprised of those categorized as white. Only 1/3 (24.3%) of the population is Hispanic. The other third is categorized of those who are of Pacific/Islander descent, African, Asian, and so forth. A lack of ethnic diversity is more likely to result in cliques and a lack of ethnic understanding. This causes discrimination from the community and the schools.

12. Teen Pregnancy

Perhaps one of the most concerning factors for parents with children is the high teen pregnancy rates. Per 1,000 females ages 15-19, the percentage of those girls becoming pregnant is 50 percent. Because there are two areas in Taylorsville, this statistic is split up a little further. For West Taylorsville, the percentage per 1,000 females is 18.5. For East Taylorsville, the percentage jumps up to 32.2.

In Utah, the only higher statistic rate is in Downtown Salt Lake City. Being a teen parent makes it more difficult to finish schooling and to get a job. If a girl decides to abort, then it leads to emotional problems that can make it difficult to cope with. This would be a major concern for any parent concerned about their daughters making it through high school without an increased risk of becoming pregnant.

13. Overcrowding In Education System

As is common in more impoverished areas, overcrowded classrooms are a prevalent theme. In Utah, overcrowding is becoming more of an issue. This is seen in less-funded school districts that allocate funds to public schools like those in Taylorsville. A ladder-effect emerges and so the ratio between the number of students to teacher becomes more apparent. For every 23 students in Taylorsville, there are 6 teachers. Throughout the United States, there are 16 students for every 8 teachers. For students in Taylorsville, this means that there is less individualized time–something that can be especially frustrating for students that need it.

14. Lack Of Funds In The Education System

Due to being a less affluent part of Salt Lake City, the educational resources allocated to Taylorsville are more limited. The average expenditure per student in Taylorsville comes out to $9,007. Nationwide, the average expenditure per student is &12, 383. This means that the children who attend school in Taylorsville receive fewer funds for their needs.

This lack of funds leads to extra-curricular material being cut from the school budget, thus limiting a student’s educational opportunities. This leads to a lack of funding in the subjects taught within the school. School departments that require more funds such as sports and music have to make do with what little there is. This also diminishes student’s chances of gaining high-end scholarships.

15. Higher Education

Another reason that may cause some doubt for moving to Taylorsville is that community colleges and universities are not in great proximity to this town. The closest community college to Taylorsville is the Salt Lake Community College. This a great place to start, but it does limit the variety that students can gain from having other colleges nearby. The University of Utah is about a 20-minute drive away, but that doesn’t factor in any early morning or rush hour traffic. Other colleges or universities are also Downtown Salt Lake which entails about the same amount of driving.

16. Economic Disparity

Within Utah, there is an economic disparity between the east and west side. Taylorsville falls on the less prosperous west side. Taylorsville falls in one of the lowest median brackets for income. The median household wage is 66,311 USD. A 20-minute drive to Cottonwood Heights (which is on the east side of Utah) changes the median household wage to 87,256 USD. Areas such as Holladay and Davis also have higher reported household wages compared to Taylorsville.

With tight budgeting, a family can make with one steady income. However, for most families, this means that both parents need to work to make ends meet. This can make it hard to balance providing for a family while also caring for them. Even with a two-income household, sacrifices still have to be made. Activities that children might want to do have to be cut out because there is either not enough money or no way to get them there.

17. Crime Rates

The crime that is most common within Taylorsville is not violent; it is property crime. Violent crime is when a perpetrator physically harms the victim. Property crime refers to larceny, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft, etc. There is an estimated 2.69% violent crime rate in the Taylorsville area. When it comes to property crime, it rises to 27.92%.

In more relatable terms, 1 in 371 people in Taylorsville is likely to be victims of violent crime. On the other hand, 1 in 36 people is likely to be a victim of property crime. Being in a neighborhood with higher rates of crime is always a big concern for new residents, especially for those with children. This can cause parents to worry for their children’s safety, especially as they become more independent. It also brings the concern that children might be pulled into street gangs that participate in criminal activities.