Orem, Utah

About Orem

Orem sits on the eastern shore of Utah Lake at the foot of Mount Timpanogos, sharing a continuous boundary with Provo to the south and Lindon to the north. Founded in 1919 and originally named after a Salt Lake Route railroad executive, Orem was a fruit-growing town through the early 20th century — the orchards that gave the city its early identity have largely given way to development, but the “Garden City” character still echoes in the wide streets, mature trees, and family-first identity that earned Orem its long-running “Family City USA” tagline. Today it’s the fifth-largest city in Utah with a population near 100,000 and one of the most consistent residential markets in Utah County.

The Orem real estate market reflects decades of steady growth. Established neighborhoods around 800 North and the Cherry Hill area offer mid-century and 1970s family homes with mature landscaping and walkability to UVU, the Orem Library, and University Mall. The Sharon-Suncrest area and the foothill neighborhoods east of 800 East provide larger lots and Mount Timpanogos views. Newer construction continues along the Orem-Lindon border and the State Street corridor as redevelopment reshapes formerly commercial land into mixed-use housing. Compared to neighbor Provo, Orem skews slightly older in housing stock and slightly less rental-driven, making it the preferred Utah County landing spot for families wanting access to BYU, UVU, and Silicon Slopes without the student-housing intensity of Provo proper.

Beyond housing, Orem is a major commercial and educational hub. Utah Valley University, with more than 43,000 students, is the largest public university in the state and a major economic engine, employer, and cultural anchor. University Mall, the Orem Center Street historic district, and the rapidly redeveloping State Street corridor (now home to The Mix at River’s Edge and other mixed-use projects) anchor the retail and dining scene. Major employers include Nestlé, Mountain America Credit Union operations, and dozens of tech firms in the Provo-Orem corridor — the metro that has repeatedly ranked as the best place in America for business and careers. SCERA Park, the SCERA Shell theater, and the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival anchor the cultural side of a city that has worked harder than most to maintain its small-city, family-first identity through massive growth.