Salt Lake City is currently enjoying the early stages of that boom, and by 2020 they’ll have a $3.6 billion airport renovation to support it. The state’s population already grew 9 percent between 2013 and 2018 and Realtor.com named Salt Lake one of 2018’s hottest markets, predicting a 4.5 percent increase in home sales.

In short, there’s something to that formula. Goldman Sachs recently opened their second-largest US office right in downtown Salt Lake City, and big tech names such as Adobe, Twitter, and Electronic Arts also have Salt Lake hubs. Playing off of the Rocky-Mountain take on San Francisco’s tech boom, the area has been appropriately dubbed “Silicon Slopes.”

The rapidly-growing tech economy is not only evolving the skyline of the city, but the culture as well. College graduates, who once quickly relocated to cities like Denver and San Francisco, are beginning to put down roots in Salt Lake City. They can now find in downtown SLC the same energy and amenities they would have relocated for just a few years ago: The addition of City Creek Center in the heart of downtown has revitalized the restaurant and bar scene, and the relatively low cost of living has made this small, unconventional city an attractive alternative to larger, more expensive hubs. Salt Lake isn’t the sleepy city it used to be, but it’s managing to preserve its native charm through the boom.

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Salt Lake City was settled by a group of Mormon pioneers in July of 1847, who put down firm roots in an area historically inhabited by various Native nations. Before, during, and since its settlement, the area now known as Salt Lake City has been the backdrop of a rich history that includes being home to prehistoric dinosaur species, Native American tribes (including Utah’s namesake Ute tribe), cowboys, frontiersmen, gold rush prospectors, transcontinental railroad workers, and the religious minority who eventually settled and imbued it with a heritage all its own.

Its more modern history has seen Salt Lake become a burgeoning and uniquely American city: it was the home of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, and boasts a world-class outdoor recreation scene that supplements a unique and ever-changing culture. Utah used to be known mostly for its religious heritage and its staggering mountains, but today is one of the country’s hottest real estate markets thanks to a budding infrastructure and impressive tech boom.