You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Today
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more delivered daily. Smart money moves start here.
Sent five days a week
Kiplinger A Step Ahead
Get practical help to make better financial decisions in your everyday life, from spending to savings on top deals.
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Closing Bell
Get today's biggest financial and investing headlines delivered to your inbox every day the U.S. stock market is open.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Adviser Intel
Financial pros across the country share best practices and fresh tactics to preserve and grow your wealth.
Delivered weekly
Kiplinger Tax Tips
Trim your federal and state tax bills with practical tax-planning and tax-cutting strategies.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Retirement Tips
Your twice-a-week guide to planning and enjoying a financially secure and richly rewarding retirement
Sent bimonthly.
Kiplinger Adviser Angle
Insights for advisers, wealth managers and other financial professionals.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Investing Weekly
Your twice-a-week roundup of promising stocks, funds, companies and industries you should consider, ones you should avoid, and why.
Sent weekly for six weeks
Kiplinger Invest for Retirement
Your step-by-step six-part series on how to invest for retirement, from devising a successful strategy to exactly which investments to choose.
By Jenney Nalevanko
Two years ago, David Flynn owned a business that produced a hot memory drive and employed ten people. A California venture-capital firm tried to lure him to Silicon Valley, but he stayed put and raised $111 million from a host of other top venture firms. Now he employs 250 people who make those drives and is looking to hire more. “We’ve been rewarded for sticking to our guns,” says Flynn.
Talent is key to building a company, and CEO Flynn says that one of Salt Lake City’s secrets is Utah’s “very educated and deep talent pool.” Plus, it doesn’t hurt that “our offices are 15 minutes away from four ski resorts.”
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
In addition to the city’s strong venture-capital community, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development offers loans, grants and training to budding businesses. And the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, a public/private organization, fosters Salt Lake City’s pro-business atmosphere by helping to attract new companies.
And you can’t beat the cost of living and doing business in Salt Lake City. Utah has relatively low wages, taxes and operating costs. In fact, the cost of doing business is the third-lowest in the western U.S. and 18th-lowest in the country.
Salt Lake City is home to the University of Utah, internationally recognized for its research in genetics and health sciences, and a hotbed of new-business creation. “The U” is ranked by one measure as first in the country (along with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in launching start-up companies from research-based inventions. “The universities here are more than ivory towers on a hill,” says Jonathan Johnson, president of Internet retailer Overstock.com, which is based in Salt Lake City. Johnson, who hires programmers, mathematicians and statisticians from Utah universities, says the local talent pool is noteworthy for its technical knowledge and outstanding work ethic.
The Salt Lake valley offers a variety of distinctive neighborhoods that boast walking-friendly centers. These hip, diverse districts provide easy access to locally owned retail shops, galleries, restaurants and coffee shops. With the help of the city’s wide, bike-friendly streets, the proximity to such amenities makes it easy to live quite comfortably in these neighborhoods without much need for a car. They provide a small-town feel within steps of the heart of the city.
For those who crave a busier setting, downtown living is about to get a lot more popular. In 2008, Salt Lake’s Downtown Alliance broke ground on the first phase of a revitalization project, City Creek Center, with an estimated price tag of $3 billion. Project leaders hope the City Creek Center will become a lively destination for visitors and residents alike, introducing space for 80 new retailers, a performing-arts theater, fine dining restaurants, and more than 800 residential units. The project also includes plans for a covered pedestrian bridge, joining both sides of Salt Lake City’s Main Street, where the city’s existing businesses will certainly benefit from the additional foot traffic.
-
Betting on Super Bowl 2026? New IRS Tax Changes Could Cost YouTaxable Income When Super Bowl LX hype fades, some fans may be surprised to learn that sports betting tax rules have shifted.
-
How Much It Costs to Host a Super Bowl Party in 2026Hosting a Super Bowl party in 2026 could cost you. Here's a breakdown of food, drink and entertainment costs — plus ways to save.
-
3 Reasons to Use a 5-Year CD As You Approach RetirementA five-year CD can help you reach other milestones as you approach retirement.
-
9 Types of Insurance You Probably Don't NeedFinancial Planning If you're paying for these types of insurance, you may be wasting your money. Here's what you need to know.
-
Why It's Worth Booking a Winter VacationTravel Smart In the early months of the year, travel demand dips — and so do prices.
-
5 Ways to Save on a Trip to the 2026 Olympics in ItalyA guide to going to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics without breaking the bank.
-
The Best (and Worst) Airlines for Flight Delays and CancellationsWhich airlines should you book and which should you avoid if you want to make it to your destination on time?
-
Four Luxury Spa Resorts for Well-Heeled TravelersWe hand-picked these U.S. luxury spa resorts for their serenity, amenities and dedication to the comfort of older travelers.
-
Child-Free Cruises Perfect For Your Retirement CelebrationHow to find a bespoke ocean or river vacation for adults. Many of these options are smaller, charming river cruises, expeditions, or niche experiences.
-
Noctourism: The New Travel Trend For Your Next Trip"Noctourism" is a new trend of building travel and vacations around events and plans that take place at night. Take a look at some inspiring noctourism ideas.
-
My Husband and I Retired at 67 With $3.2 Million, But He's Frugal About Travel. How Can I Convince Him to Loosen Up?We asked financial planning experts for advice.
