‘Sister Wives’: Why Kody Brown Moved His Family to Flagstaff, Arizona

Kody Brown put in a lot of work to move his family from Las Vegas to their new location in Flagstaff, Arizona. During the episode in which he laid out a presentation for their move out of Vegas, Brown provided a reason for not staying in the Sin City.

“My intentions were never to be here permanently,” he said of their digs in Nevada. “I was thinking about going back to Utah. It would be very dangerous, the laws are worse. I’m not telling you where we’re going to go, but we go all together.”

They ultimately decided on Flagstaff with Brown explaining to PEOPLE that he and his family were quite eager at the time of their decision.

“As much as we’ve loved making our home and memories here in Las Vegas, we are excited to embark on a new adventure in Flagstaff, Arizona,” he said. “We are looking forwards to cooler temperatures, the mountain air, scenic views, and the slower lifestyle of Flagstaff.”

So what were the reasons that propelled Brown to move forward in leaving Vegas?

Ultimately, there were a lot of financial ramifications. There was the cost of all of his wives homes, and while Flagstaff ended up being a little higher than expected and a tougher move for the family, Brown’s plan all along was to get them to condense into one house all together.

There was also the lifestyle that played a factor. Brown admitted during a trailer last season that Vegas isn’t the best place to raise a family, saying, “Vegas changed a lot over the last few years. So we started worrying a lot more about what the kids are getting exposed to.”

He added that everything made sense for them to get out when they did and set their children up in a better situation.

The biggest factor, seemingly, is Brown’s hope of getting all four of his wives and children onto one property, ridding himself of multiple mortgages and all of the expenses that come with that much property.

“I love this idea, and yet I’m afraid because I’m worried about their prejudices toward it,” Brown proposed during a Season 14 trailer. “Is the idea of living in one house really special to me? Is it worth some sacrifices to me? Yeah, it is.”

Sister Wives will pick back up on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 10 p.m. on TLC on an episode entitled, “A Not So Merry Christmas” where Brown’s pitch of a single home comes into play.