Murietta, as you know, is great.

Housing is more affordable in St George but is far from cheap. Cost of living on a whole will be a lot better though.

St George is a crowded small town. You don’t have all the amenities you’re used to and So Cal, but these days you’ll absolutely get the same traffic. Also, it has changed A LOT in the last ten years. You might want to visit for a few days and see what I mean if you haven’t in a while. There’s a lot less open space and a lot more transplants (there’s good and bad with that).

But… if you like year round outdoor recreation and a vibrant place to live it’s still great. Also, it really is a top notch family town with a strong LDS presence. And, as you’ve noted, it’s conveniently located between northern Utah and Southern California.

My favorite neighborhoods are Bloomington and Santa Clara. Washington is where the new money is now. And Hurricane is growing with young families. Bear in mind that Utah wards are different. Lots of people there have close extended families, so the wards might not be as tight knit as in Murietta.

Lastly, how secure is your job? If you lost it could you get another remote job quickly? There really aren’t a lot of professional opportunities there. Just something to consider. So Cal gives you a lot of places to land. In Southern Utah, if you need a new job in a hurry you’ll probably have to move from St George or settle for a lot less pay.