With so many diverse cities and neighborhoods in Utah to choose from, it may seem impossible to decide just where you want to spend the rest of your life. However, Ogden is the perfect quiet mountain town that has a lot to offer if you’re looking for a city to call home. This Neighbor City Guide to Ogden will help you become more familiar with this picturesque town and feel right at home.
Jump to learn about living in Ogden:
- City overview
- Cost of living
- Demographics
- Neighborhoods in Ogden
- Public transit and commuting
- Ogden schools
- Entertainment and things to do
- Self storage in Ogden
Living in Ogden
Living in Ogden, Utah is like living in a quiet place where everybody knows your name. Ogden is a small town just east of the Great Salt Lake and 30 minutes north of Salt Lake City. As the county seat of Weber County, Ogden has a strong connection with its neighboring cities. Despite it proximity to the big city, it offers a small town appeal unlike anywhere else. Although Ogden is full of local charm, it has a bustling transportation history.
This town gained it popularity as a popular hub for commuter and cargo trains, many of which continue to operate to this day. Ogden’s train culture, along with many other facets of its identity, are displayed at the Utah State Railroad Museum, Utah Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, and Browning-Kimball Classic Car Museum. Ogden is also known as an outdoor adventure destination.
Both the Ogden and Weber Rivers flow from mountains in the east through the city, offering waterfront views and activities to residents within the town limits. The nearby Wasatch Mountains offer year round outdoor activities, including hunting, fishing, camping, and skiing. No matter your desire, Ogden has a little bit of everything.
Cost of Living in Ogden
Luckily, Junction City is one of the most reasonable and pleasant places to live. Ogden has roughly the same cost of living as the national average, making it affordable to all household types. No only is housing affordable, Ogden transportation costs run just below the national average as well. Being a small town, it is no surprise that healthcare and housing costs are slightly higher than the national average. However, these harder-to-find commodities are easily overlooked next to the affordable rent.
Demographics of Ogden
The residents of Ogden, Utah play a huge role in what makes this small town feel so homey. With a population of over 84,000, the median age of residents is 30 years old and the average household income is roughly $41,000 a year. Ogden has a thriving economy, with a 97% employment rate. Ogden a leading industry in manufacturing, with office and manage, entertainment, and retail closely behind. Forbes names is the 33rd best place for business and careers in 2017, and predicted a 2% job growth over the next year. Clearly, Ogden is the place to grow your career.
Neighborhoods in Ogden
This community is filled with wonderful neighborhoods, ranging from the urban to the rural and suburb.
Neighborhoods in Ogden include:
● Central Business District
● Jefferson
● West Ogen
● Mount Ogden
● Southeast Ogden
● Hillcrest/Bonneville
● Lynn
● Mount Lewis
● Gibson
● Mountain View
● East Central
● Taylor
● Canyon Road
Some of the districts in Ogden go beyond the municipal borders. For example, the local favorite Ogden Valley is a scenic, countryside area colloquially referred to as “up in the valley. The River District is Ogden’s most recently revitalized district. Its complete with trendy shops, breweries, and cleaned up riverfront that is an excellent spot for trout fishing.
For a closer look at some of the more historical buildings Ogden is known for, head towards Historic 25th Street, one of the older neighborhoods in town with a colorful and charming past. Nearby is The ‘Vard on Washington Blvd, another revitalized historic district. For a younger demographic, check out Weber University.
This neighborhood is close to the Weber State University campus and is filled with shops and restaurants catering to the students living nearby. The Business Depot neighborhood was once an army depot and now acts as one of the biggest business parks in Ogden. The city is also surrounded by several small communities that act as extended neighborhoods. These include Riverdale, complete with its own commercial shopping section section, North Ogden, a residential community near Ben Lomond Cemetery, Harrisville and its personal lake, and Syracuse, a community big enough to have it own city center.
No matter where you live in Ogden, the average commute is roughly 20 minutes. This is completely reasonable, especially considering that the average car ownership in Ogden, UT is 2 cars per household.
Transportation
Getting around Ogden is a breeze, especially is your own a comfortable commuting car. The US-89, also called Washington Boulevard, runs straight through town and acts as the main street. Outside of the main areas of town, Interstate 15 and 84 also serve the area. For the residents that make up the 1.8% of Utah residents without a car, the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) operates buses in Ogden, Weber, and Davis. And for pedestrians, Ogden has several paved urban trails along the Ogden and Weber Rivers.
Of course, Ogden sticks to its historical roots by incorporating trains into its transportation options. A frontrunner commuter rail operates between Ogden, Salt Lake City and Pleasant View. For more information about Ogden and its railway history, stop by the Ogden Unions Station, also known as Union Station. The historic stop is located near the end of historic 25th Street and Ogden Intermodal Transit Center for the Utah State Railroad Museum.
Schools in Ogden
The city is home to Weber State University. Although the university has locations in several cities, Ogden is its home base. Interested in the home of the wildcats? Many new residents are unaware that Weber State has:
● More than 230 certificate and degree programs
● Multiple campus locations
● Online courses
● 92% Utah Residents
● Average student age of 26
● 21-1 student-to-faculty ratio
● 79% of teachers with terminal degrees
● 16 NCAA Division 1 sports
● Saved $9,775,869 since 2009 in energy and water costs as part of carbon-neutral goal
Weber State University is also known for its active sports teams. Be sure to don the traditional purple and white while you cheer Weber’s football, basketball, and tennis teams. Ogden also has two major school districts that contain elementary, junior, and high schools. The Ogden City School District is has 14 elementary schools, 3 junior high schools, and two high schools – Ogden High and Ben Lomond High. The Weber School District has 29 elementary schools, 9 junior high schools, 5 high schools, and one online school. Ogden also has several private school, including a number of Christian schools and the DaVinci Academy of Science and the Arts.
Entertainment
Ogden is not all school and work. There are tons of exciting and fun things to do in town, including exploring Downtown Ogden. Not only are more people flocking to this urban district, there are tons of dining, shopping, and entertainment options for all ages.If the great outdoors is more your game, check out the Ogden Nature Center, a 152 acre nature preserve complete with pond and education center.
For a more educational day out, consider stopping by the Ott Planetarium on the university campus to gaze up at the stars. Another great place to visit is the Fort Buenaventura Park, a historical site full of trails and artifacts from the past for visitors to explore. Additionally, the nearby Hill Aerospace Museum teaches visitors all about the Air Force heritage.
Of course, Ogden is full of family-friendly activities, too. The George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park has larger-than-life statues of dinosaurs that the kids are sure to get a kick out of. The Treehouse Museum is a unique center in town that encourages children to read.
Storage in Ogden
Getting ready to move to Ogden? Despite its affordability, sometimes it’s hard to fit all of your stuff into one place. You may want to consider investing in a personal storage unit. Something cheap, flexible, and in a convenient location. Places like Neighbor are the perfect solution to your extra stuff, and packing your stuff in can be a breeze.
Moving to Ogden
Still not convinced? Ogden is the perfect place to start fresh. With the clean mountain air, the friendly atmosphere, and the growing economy, you’d be a fool to turn down such a great place to live. Pack your things and head to Ogden today.
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