Financial Planning for a Move to Lehi and Silicon Slopes

Twenty years ago Lehi was a farm town with a roller mill. Today it is the center of Utah’s tech economy, with corporate campuses along Interstate 15, Thanksgiving Point, and new neighborhoods climbing Traverse Mountain and spreading west toward Utah Lake. The people moving here are often arriving for a job offer that includes equity, which means the financial plan has two moving parts at once: a new home and a new kind of compensation. Both deserve a plan.

Housing around Silicon Slopes

Lehi’s housing is mostly new. Traverse Mountain offers views and quick access to Interstate 15 at a premium. Central and west Lehi have newer subdivisions and townhomes at more accessible prices. Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain and American Fork draw buyers who want more house for the money and accept a longer drive. Prices across the area rose sharply through the tech boom and remain above Provo and Orem, though below Salt Lake City’s east side.

Utah property tax favors primary residences, taxing them on 55 percent of market value, and Utah County rates are moderate. In new developments, read the HOA documents and check for special assessment areas or improvement district taxes attached to the parcel; these are common where infrastructure was built recently. Utilities are inexpensive, and groceries carry a reduced state sales tax rate.

Utah taxes for a tech worker

Utah taxes wages, bonuses, RSU income and option gains at a single flat rate, 4.45 percent for 2026, with no local or city income tax. For someone arriving from California, that is a large reduction. From Washington or Texas, it is a new cost to plan for.

Two timing details matter for equity. First, if you move mid-year, income is generally sourced to where you worked when it was earned, and RSU vests can be partly taxable to your old state even after you move, based on the portion of the vesting period you worked there. Second, Utah’s flat rate means there is no bracket management to do at the state level; the work is all federal.

Commuting

Many Lehi residents work in Lehi. For those commuting to Salt Lake City, Interstate 15 through the Point of the Mountain is congested at peak hours, and FrontRunner commuter rail from Lehi Station is a practical alternative. Draper and the south valley are fifteen to twenty minutes. Provo and BYU are about half an hour south.

Equity compensation: the real planning issue

Most offers in Silicon Slopes include restricted stock units, stock options or both. We see the same three mistakes repeatedly: holding every vested share by default, underpaying taxes because withholding was too low, and making the first big decision in the week a vest or a trading window arrives. The fix is to make the decisions before the calendar forces them.

Set a target for company stock. Decide what share of your net worth you are willing to keep in your employer. For many people it is 10 to 20 percent or less, given that your salary already depends on the company. Our article on the concentrated stock trap after an IPO or acquisition covers the reasoning.

Write a vest rule. For example: sell all RSUs at vest and invest the proceeds according to the plan, or sell everything above the target. Holding vested RSUs is the same decision as buying company stock with that paycheck. See RSUs vs. stock options: what to do when they vest.

Handle options deliberately. Incentive stock options can trigger alternative minimum tax at exercise; non-qualified options are taxed as wages. Exercise schedules should be modeled against your tax picture, not done all at once.

Pay the tax on time. Employer withholding on RSU income is often below your real marginal rate. Estimated payments avoid an April surprise and a penalty.

Coordinate with the house. A down payment is a near-term cash need. Vested shares that will fund it should be sold and held in cash well ahead of closing, not left in the stock hoping for a better price. Lenders also treat RSU income differently from salary; ask early.

The move checklist

• Define the why and the time horizon: a two-year stint and a ten-year plan call for different housing decisions.
• Take inventory of the new budget with Utah taxes, housing, commuting and any special assessments.
• Protect the household with term life and disability coverage, and sign Utah estate documents. See updating your estate plan after moving to Utah.
• Set the equity rules above before the first vest or trading window.
• Build the portfolio from the plan, with near-term cash needs out of the market. See portfolio management.

Working with us from Lehi

Our Salt Lake office is twenty-five minutes north of Lehi, and many Silicon Slopes clients meet us by video between meetings. Equity compensation planning is a core part of our executive financial planning work, and a move is the natural time to put the whole plan in place through our Purposeful Planning Process.

Frequently asked questions

Written by Trevor Hanson, Founder | President | Author | Wealth Advisor, RJFS. Last reviewed: October 28, 2026.