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Renting an Apartment in St. George
What You Should Know
St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of
Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah.GR6 It is the principal
city of and is included in the St. George, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The city is 119 miles (192 km) northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles
(488 km) south of Salt Lake City on Interstate 15.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, St. George had a population of 64,201 in
2005, up from 49,728 in 2000. In 2005, St. George surpassed Layton as the
eighth-largest city in Utah. Its population is 14,000 fewer than Ogden, the
seventh-largest city in the state. In September 2005, St. George was declared
the second fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States behind
Greeley, Colorado. From 1990 to 2000, St. George beat Las Vegas by 0.6% as the
fastest growing metropolitan area in the U.S. In 2005, the metropolitan area had
118,885 residents, with roughly another 60,000 living in the nearby communities
of Cedar City and Mesquite.
St. George is the population and commercial center of Utah's Dixie, a nickname
given to the area when Mormon pioneers grew cotton in the warm climate. St.
George's trademark is its geology — red bluffs make up the northern part of the
city with two peaks covered in lava rock in the city's center. The northeastern
edges of the Mojave Desert are visible to the south. Zion National Park can be
seen to the east, and mountains are nearby to the north, southeast and west. It
is also near Bryce Canyon National Park. The city is a popular retirement
destination for many Utahns and is host to the largest Spring Break parties in
Utah.
History
St. George was founded as a cotton mission in the 1850s under the direction of
Brigham Young, the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(the Mormons or LDS Church)— part of a greater church effort to become
self-sufficient. While the early settlers did manage to grow cotton, it
was never produced at competitive market rates; consequently, cotton farming was
eventually abandoned.
In April 1877, the LDS Church completed the St. George Utah Temple. It is the
Church's third temple, its first temple in the Rocky Mountains, and, currently,
its longest continually-operating temple.
St. George was the location of the 1998 United States Academic Decathlon
national finals.
The city began booming in the mid-1980s, first as a retirement hotspot and
tourist gateway to Utah's color country, and then as a transportation center.
St. George is home to Utah's first registered Bed & Breakfast--The Seven Wives
Inn. The Seven Wives Inn still operates in the beautiful Historic District
across from the Brigham Young Winter Home.[citation needed]
Geography
Location of St. George, Utah
St. George is located at 37°5′43″N, 113°34′41″W (37.095279, -113.578151)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 168.0
km² (64.9 mi²). 166.8 km² (64.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.2 km² (0.5 mi²) of it
(0.72%) is water.
St. George lies in the lowest elevation region of the state, Dixie, with most of
the city lying below 3,000 feet (900 m). The city is surrounded by mountains and
red sandstone buttes, and it lies at the very northeastern edge of the Mojave
Desert. The Virgin River flows through the city.
The city borders Arizona, and is located between the towns of Santa Clara and
Ivins to the west and Washington to the east. The core of the city, including
its downtown, Dixie State College, convention center and hospital, are located
in a small valley overlooking the Virgin River and surrounded by low lava and
sandstone bluffs. The city's southern section, Bloomington, is more typical of
the Mojave Desert, with desert scrub and gravel dominating the landscape. The
southeast part of the city has some farming near the Virgin River but is
increasingly developed by homes. Suburan-style developments also dominate the
west and northwest parts of St. George.
Climate
Because of the city's low elevation and southerly location, St. George is the
hottest part of the state, with maximum daily July temperatures averaging about
102°F (39°C). The hottest temperature ever recorded in Utah, 117°F (47°C), was
recorded in St. George on July 5, 1985. The record high minimum temperature is
89°F (32°C), set on July 15, 1970. In winter, temperatures frequently drop below
freezing overnight (due to radiational cooling resulting from low humidity), but
temperatures warm into the 50s°F (low 10s°C) during the day. Both the record low
temperature of -11°F (-24°C) and record low maximum temperature of 17°F (-8°C)
were set on January 22, 1937.
St. George lies in a desert and averages 8.27 in (210 mm) of precipitation
annually. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, except
for late April-June. Precipitation mostly comes from the Pineapple Express
during late fall, winter, and early spring. The summer monsoon from the Gulf of
California can bring localized but often intense thunderstorms from mid-July
through mid-September. One such storm dropped the record single day
precipitation in the city, with 2.39 in (61 mm) on August 31, 1909. Snow is
rare, but not unheard of, averaging 3.2 in (8.1 cm) annually. It has been
recorded as early as October 29 (in 1971) and as late as April 11 (in 1927). The
record single day snowfall is 10.0 in (25.4 cm), set on January 5, 1974.
Economy
Along with its increasing population, the economy of St. George and surrounding
areas has boomed in recent years.
Some of St. George's larger corporations include SkyWest Airlines, which has its
corporate headquarters in St. George. Wal-Mart has a large distribution center
located near St. George. Intermountain Health Care opened a new $100 million
hospital in 2003. The hospital, Dixie Regional Medical Center, is a 420,000
square foot, 196 bed facility.
A large part of the economy of southwestern Utah comes from tourism. St. George
is in proximity to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, as well as
several state parks and recreational areas. It is a little less than an hour
drive from the Utah Shakespearian Festival, which won the Tony in 2000. Golf
also plays a large part in the city's tourism industry. St. George offers one of
the highest number of golf courses per capita in the country. Special events
such as the St. George Marathon and the Huntsman Senior Games draw thousands to
St. George each year. The St. George Marathon is currently the 13th largest
marathon in the country.
Transportation
The city is on the I-15 corridor, 125 miles south of the western terminus of
I-70. It has access to the I-10 and I-40 corridors via US 93, 120 miles
southwest. Community growth has led to planning a new regional airport, as well
as a beltway through the southeastern, eastern, and northeastern portions of the
urban area.
St. George is one of the largest cities in America without access to any rail
service, freight or passenger. The Union Pacific line between Salt Lake City and
Las Vegas is about 60 miles north of the city.
Recently, an environmental impact statement (EIS) was completed in preparation
for a new regional airport to be built just southeast of the city. The new
airport will replace the current and much too small St. George Municipal
Airport, which has no room for expansion and cannot accommodate larger aircraft.
Plans for the new airport include a single runway capable of accommodating
regional jets as well as other larger Boeing-type aircraft. The city is expected
to break ground on the proposed site in 2006 with completion of the airport
expected in 2010.
SunTran is St. George's public transit system. As of 2005, the system consisted
of three bus routes with over sixty bus stops.
Media
St. George, and all of Southwestern Utah, is served by a daily newspaper, The
Spectrum, which is located in St. George.
As St. George has only recently grown into a sizeable town, the city has little
in the way of local television media. KCSG Channel 4, an America One affiliate,
is based in the city and carries a local newscast. Most major network affiliates
operate are Salt Lake City stations that have broadcast translators in the St.
George area. There are also translators for several of the Las Vegas, Nevada
stations.
Education
St. George is home to Dixie State College of Utah, a four-year institution. It
is also home to three high schools, Pine View High School, Dixie High School and
Snow Canyon High School (Utah), as well as a number of elementary and
intermediate schools. New high schools are in the planning stages to meet the
area's rapidly growing student population. Nearby Ivins is home to Utah's first
charter high school, Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts, which provides
an alternative education with no tuition costs to any Utah resident. Due to the
recent population explosion in St. George, several plans are being made for new
schools to be constructed in the very near future, including a new high school.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 49,663 people, 17,367 households, and
13,042 families residing in the city. The population density was 297.7/km²
(771.2/mi²). There were 21,083 housing units at an average density of 126.4/km²
(327.4/mi²).
The city is growing fast. A 2004 census estimated the city population at 59,780.
Furthermore, the greater St. George area has a current estimated population of
around 115,000. Rapid growth is a major problem; the city of St. George alone
grows at an average pace of 750 to 1,000 new residents each month. Many of these
new residents are retirees who move here because of the mild winters. In
September 2005, St. George was declared the second fastest-growing metropolitan
area in the United States.[2][3]
The racial makeup of the city was 92.27% White, 1.64% Native American, 0.57%
Asian, 0.59% Pacific Islander, 2.87% from other races, and 1.83% from two or
more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.72% of the population.
St. George had just 120 African Americans in the 2000 Census. The metropolitan
area was tied with five other cities in having 0.3% African Americans in 2003.
There are 17,367 households, out of which 34.2% have children under the age of
18 living with them, 63.6% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a
female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 19.4%
of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% have someone living
alone who is 65 years old or older. The average household size was 2.81
individuals and the average family size was 3.21.
The city resident's ages are spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 13.7%
from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65
years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there
were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,505, and the median income
for a family was $41,788. Males had a median income of $31,106 versus $20,861
for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,022. About 7.4% of
families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including
14.4% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
Nuclear contamination
On May 19, 1953 the United States government detonated the 32-kiloton (130 TJ)
atomic bomb (nicknamed "Harry") at the Nevada Test Site. The bomb later gained
the name "Dirty Harry" because of the tremendous amount of off-site fallout
generated by the bomb.[4] Winds carried fallout 135 miles (220 km) to St.
George, where residents reported "an oddly metallic sort of taste in the
air."[5]
St. George received the brunt of the fallout of above-ground nuclear testing in
the Yucca Valley, northwest of Las Vegas. Winds routinely carried the fallout of
these tests directly through St. George and southern Utah. Marked increases in
cancer and other radiation-related illnesses were recorded throughout the
mid-1950's and early 1960's.
A 1962 United States Atomic Energy Commission report found that "children living
in St. George, Utah may have received doses to the thyroid of radioiodine as
high as 120 to 440 rads" (1.2 to 4.4 Gy).
Some Things to Consider When Looking for an Apartment...
When searching for a new apartment make sure to take your time to think
through what are the most important things to you in an apartment and plan your
search based on those priorities. Here are some things to consider when planning
your move:
1. Consider the areas where you would like to live
* What is the crime rate?
* If you have children - what rating does the local school system have?
* Is there area convenient shopping, health and recreation services in the area?
2. Make a list of your housing priorities
* Do you have pets?
* Do you need parking?
* Do you need to be on the ground floor?
* What amenities are important to you - swimming pool, fitness room, in unit
laundry?
3. Evaluate the building
* What is the condition of the unit and building?
* Are the grounds maintained?
* Are windows, steps, and railings in good condition?
* View the property at night. Is it safe and well lit?
4. The security of the property
* Are there security service? When is the guard on duty?
* Does the building have controlled access?
* Does each unit have secure door and window locks?
5. Talk to the neighbors
* Ask other residents whether they are satisfied with the building.
6. Amenities
* Who is allowed to use the amenities?
* When are they open?
* Are the fees charged to use those facilities included in rent?
7. Ask about Utilities
* Does the owner or tenant pay the utility bills?
* Are any utilities included with monthly rent?
* Do units have separate thermostats to control heat and air conditioning?
8. Review the lease
* How much notice must you give before moving out?
* Can the rent be increased? If so, by how much and how often?
* Are pets allowed?
* What is the security deposit and cleaning costs upon move out?
* What is the responsibility of tenants for damage to property?
* Is there a penalty for breaking a lease?
9. Information too bring to a lease signing
* Credit Report
* Pay stubs/tax returns
* Reference
* Application
More Apartment Information
An apartment (or flat in Britain and most other Commonwealth countries) is a
self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building. Apartments
may be owned (by an owner-occupier) or rented (by tenants).
Some apartment-dwellers own their apartments, either as co-ops, in which the
residents own shares of a corporation that owns the building or development; or
in condominiums, whose residents own their apartments and share ownership of the
public spaces. Most apartments are in buildings designed for the purpose, but
large older houses are sometimes divided into apartments. The word apartment
connotes a residential unit or section in a building. Apartment building owners,
lessors, or managers often use the more general word units to refer to
apartments. Units can be used to refer to rental business suites as well as
residential apartments. When there is no tenant occupying an apartment, the
lessor is said to have a vacancy. For apartment lessors, each vacancy represents
a loss of income from rent-paying tenants for the time the apartment is vacant
(i.e., unoccupied). Lessors' objectives are often to minimize the vacancy rate
for their units. The owner of the apartment typically transfers possession to
the occupant by giving him/her the key to the apartment entrance door and any
other keys need to live there, such as a common key to the building or any other
common areas, and an individual unit mailbox key. When the occupant move out,
these keys should typically be returned to the owner.
Apartments can be classified into several types. Studio, efficiency, bed-sit, or
bachelor apartments tend to be the smallest apartments with the cheapest rents
in a given area. These kinds of apartment usually consist mainly of a large room
which is the living, dining, and bedroom combined. There are usually kitchen
facilities as part of this central room, but the bathroom is its own smaller
separate room. Moving up from the efficiencies are one-bedroom apartments where
one bedroom is a separate room from the rest of the apartment. Then there are
two-bedroom, three-bedroom, etc. apartments. Small apartments often have only
one entrance/exit. Large apartments often have two entrances/exits, perhaps a
door in the front and another in the back. Depending on the building design, the
entrance/exit doors may be directly to the outside or to a common area inside,
such as a hallway. Depending on location, apartments may be available for rent
furnished with furniture or unfurnished into which a tenant usually moves in
with his/her own furniture. Permanent carpeting is often included in an
apartment.
Laundry facilities are usually kept in a separate area accessible to all the
tenants in the building. Depending on when the building was built and the design
of the building, utilities such as water, heating, and electric may be common
for all the apartments in the building or separate for each apartment and billed
separately to each tenant (however, many areas in the US have ruled it illegal
to split a water bill among all the tenants, especially if a pool is on the
premises). Outlets for connection to telephones are typically included in
apartments. Telephone service is optional and is practically always billed
separately from the rent payments. Cable television and similar amenities are
extra also. Parking space, air conditioner, and extra storage space may or may
not be included with an apartment. Rental leases often limit the maximum number
of people who can reside in each apartment. On or around the ground floor of the
apartment building, a series of mailboxes are typically kept in a location
accessible to the public and, thus, to the letter-carrier too. Every unit
typically gets its own mailbox with individual keys to it. Some very large
apartment buildings with a full-time staff may take mail from the mailman and
provide mail-sorting service. Near the mailboxes or some other location
accessible by outsiders, there may be a buzzer (equivalent to a doorbell) for
each individual unit. In smaller apartment buildings such as two- or
three-flats, or even four-flats, garbage is often disposed of in trash
containers similar to those used at houses. In larger buildings, garbage is
often collected in a common trash bin or dumpster. For cleanliness or minimizing
noise, many lessors will place restrictions on tenants regarding keeping pets in
an apartment.
In some parts of the world, the word apartment is used generally to refer to a
new purpose-built self-contained residential unit in a building, whereas the
word flat means a converted self-contained unit in an older building. An
industrial, warehouse, or commercial space converted to an apartment is commonly
called a loft.
When part of a house is converted for the ostensible use of a landlord's family
member, the unit may be known as an in-law apartment or granny flat, though
these (sometimes illegally) created units are often occupied by ordinary renters
rather than family members. In Canada these suites are commonly located in the
basements of houses and are therefore normally called basement suites.
Staying in privately owned apartments rather than in a hotel is quickly becoming
popular with travelers.