Questions about moving to Wyoming.. (Cheyenne, Casper: sales, rental, credit)

[rya700]

What type of work are you looking to do? The 45K+ jobs are not as plentiful as they were a couple years ago. You will most likely need to move to wherever you can find a job. I would suggest Lander to you - we have great fishing - but no jobs.

[septocaine_queen]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

Do keep in mind that "weather" will be a much larger factor in your daily life here than in CA.

no doubt. Everything is super pretty around here at spring/ summer but "weather" plays a huge role. You have to look at the weather reports before you travel in the winter, unless you want to get caught in a snow storm. Like when you want to go to the mall and the nearest one is 125 miles away. If the weather is bad, you really shouldn't travel long distances unless you have to for work and such. Also this year spring didn't start until mid-May, then we got snow in June and summer came in July and now my friend tells me that on the way to Sheridan, the leaves are changing color! I was born and raised in CA where by mid May, the hillsides were brown and when I lived in San Diego and "winter" didn't start until January.

Yeah snow gobs of it, not the eastern sierra kind, the kind where you can't see too far out your window and you think it is a blizzard and then your friends tell you," it's not and you'll know when it is a real blizzard" and they are right and that was only a little bitty snow storm.

Wyoming is great just be prepared for life different that what you have been used to.

[Happy in Wyoming]

Originally Posted by BigFish2

Good info, I appreciate it. I'm not to picky about amenities. I'll settle for a decent grocery store, and a place to buy quality fishing gear and a Chevron.

I'm just sick of California in every way. Done with it. When I went through Wyoming on vacation this past month it really struck me as a nice place to live. Seemed to have good balance in what I look for, Hiking, Fishing, and old school feeling you don't get anywhere in Cali. I like down to earth people that appreciate wilderness, and aren't trying to build track homes on top of every mountain they see.

You can find what you seek in western Wyoming. Cody and Jackson are full service cities. Some of the smaller places do not have good shopping, however. If you would like to have a metropolis nearby, it's hard to beat Evanston, only an hour from Salt Lake, barring snow. Jackson and Cody have close hiking, and from Evanston it's not much of a drive. The three cities are all different, catering to different tates. Come visit. We'll hope that one will be to your taste.

I can sympathize with the fleeing Californian. I'm a refugee from Coloraado.

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

There's a few specialty fishing stores scattered across Wyoming (such as The Tickled Trout in Dubois), but the regional powerhouse is Cabela's in Sidney NE. You might want to check their website to get an idea, if you haven't already done so. Worth the time and the trip to their store, IMO.

For those in northern Wyoming, their store in Billings is now open. For those in southwestern Wyoming, there's another store in Lehi, Utah. Bass Pro Shops is similar in what they offer, and for those in the Cheyenne area, there's one of their stores near Denver. Of course Denver also has Sportsman's Warehouse and Gander Mtn. as well. Basically, those are all superstores with huge inventories. For basic gear, you can go to many of the small stores around the state and find bait, hooks, weights, line, and so on.

Originally Posted by sunsprit

I don't think you'll find Chevron stations in the area ....

You know, it's funny. I never really noticed a lack of Chevron stations in Wyoming, but I don't go there (Chevron) too often for gas, so that's probably why. There are a few stations in Wyoming, but it appears that they are all in the western part of the state.

Originally Posted by sunsprit

Decent grocery stores might be a problem unless you're in one of the few larger towns in the state. Safeway or the independents are what you'll find in most other towns, and they're not very competitive or well-stocked with the variety that one might expect coming from more populated places. There are a few Wal-Marts around the state which have more inventory ... so you may need to do some traveling for your major grocery shopping trips now and then.

This is something I've noticed when in Wyoming. Safeway is a decent grocery store chain, but their selection of fresh fruit and vegetables is very limited compared to what I'm used to seeing in most stores in California. You can find enough to live on, but I think you will be disappointed in the selection in many of the stores in Wyoming after coming from California. Just be prepared that the selections will be much more limited than what you're used to.

Originally Posted by sunsprit

One of the big reasons why you won't find tract housing on every hillside in Wyoming is because the land is not available for development ... it's fed or state owned. If it was available .... the developers would long have been there due to the universal demand for such properties. About 50% of the state area is public lands.

Due to the relatively harsh weather and limited resources, the demand for tract housing is also very low, compared to places like California, and homes in Wyoming would not command California prices, limiting the profit to the developers, and thus, the amount of development that is happening.

Originally Posted by sunsprit

If you need to have an income, your biggest obstacle to finding a "place" in Wyoming will be to get a job that pays adequately for your housing/standard of living. You may find that Wyoming's wages are much less than CA levels, and housing isn't inexpensive in many areas. It helps to bring a lot of cash with you for a major downpayment to lower your mortgage cash flow.

Wyoming's housing prices are generally lower than California's, but the western parts of Wyoming (especially Jackson) seem to be some of the higher priced parts of the state.

Originally Posted by sunsprit

Do keep in mind that "weather" will be a much larger factor in your daily life here than in CA.

Seeing that you hail from Orange, CA, this comment about the weather is particularly true. Wyoming has been joked about as having two seasons...
Winter and August 8th (or something like that).

Since Orange, CA does not really have what would be considered (by many in Wyoming) a "winter," it may be a big adjustment for you. Some of the mountain communities around southern California are more similar to Wyoming, but in order to truly experience what Wyoming weather is like, you will just have to go there.

The other thing to keep in mind is the wind, at least in certain parts of the state. Cheyenne and most of eastern Wyoming are well known for high winds. They are similar in strength to the famous Santa Ana winds in California, but they are much more prevalent in Wyoming.

[jody_wy]

A house around Smoot is alot cheaper then Alpine.... Land and house prices move lower as you go up hill to the south.Simplot just put out word they were hiring mine workers... those jobs go fast. othewr employers from alpine or smoot are -Jackson, Shool dristrict. Simplot. County , State , Aviat,

[F350]

I bought some land north of Cody up Highway 120 with the hope of building a simple, sturdy home with basic amenities (ok - maybe I'll splurge on a Directv dish). I recently 'paced off' the distances to (west) Billings and Cody and found my self even happier with my decision to choose WY when I'm done here in NY. The relative peace and quiet around my property combined with the proximity to larger areas for shopping and medical facilities (feel great - but we all get older) makes it ideal for me. I have a few neighbors but I figure you'll have good ones if you are a good neighbor yourself. I've got a strong back, a big pickup truck, and a good attitude... the rest should fall in to place

[NVDave]

Originally Posted by F350

I have a few neighbors but I figure you'll have good ones if you are a good neighbor yourself. I've got a strong back, a big pickup truck, and a good attitude... the rest should fall in to place

Other newcomers to the rural west would do well to read and re-read your words. Right there is the formula for rapid acceptance and welcome to rural communities. A can-do, ready-to-help attitude goes a long, long way,.

[ArmyPoohFan317]

I spent the first 20 years of my life in Wyoming (in Sheridan) and I no longer live there, but it is still a HUGE part of me and my parents and grandma are still in Sheridan.

Jackson is indeed beautiful, being at the foot of the Tetons, but it is one of the most expensive places to live because a lot of rich/celeb types vacay in Jackson. Dubois, Wyoming is a great place to live, but it is a small town, so depending on what you do it might be harder to find a job.

I know you mentioned western Wyoming, but have you looked at towns at the foot of the BigHorns (on the East side) like Buffalo or Sheridan? Buffalo is a great town, friendly people, some great restaurants and mini golf, as well as all the outdoor activities (hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, etc) that Wyo is known for. Sheridan is a bit bigger, it is about 24 miles south of the state line with MT, but it is nestled in a valley at the foot of the BigHorns. It offers a nice little airport, a fun downtown, as well as all the outdoor life you could hope for! If I remember correctly there are about 18,000 peeps in Sheridan.

As for other towns in Wyoming Rock Springs isn't too bad. You could also check out Powell, Wyoming. Powell is a great town, it is on the western side of the Big Horns, and sports friendly people. Finally I'd look into Thermopolis. Thermop is famous for its hot springs, which I love. There is a sulfer smell that you have to get accustomed to, but I love the town!

There are so many great places in Wyoming, good luck. I've always found Wyoming to be a friendly place and I miss the Wyoming climate! Some of the smaller towns can be hard to move into, one of my aunts had a bad experience in one small town, people didn't accept her as the outsider and she had to drive 40 miles (one way) to work---couldn't find a job in the town where her husband lived. But other than that I have mostly good things to say about my home state! It is a wonderful place to live and the crime rate is comparatively low!

Hope that you find what you are looking for and that if you do move to Wyo that it is a positive experience!!!


PS....as much as I adore Wyoming and I do...it cracks me up to hear Cody and Jackson described as cities...I'd reserve that for Casper, Laramie and Cheyenne, and even then I'd call them small cities. Mainly Wyo offers the wonderful world of small town life and that is why I love it.

[just_tnt]

Originally Posted by F350

I bought some land north of Cody up Highway 120 with the hope of building a simple, sturdy home with basic amenities (ok - maybe I'll splurge on a Directv dish). I recently 'paced off' the distances to (west) Billings and Cody and found my self even happier with my decision to choose WY when I'm done here in NY. The relative peace and quiet around my property combined with the proximity to larger areas for shopping and medical facilities (feel great - but we all get older) makes it ideal for me. I have a few neighbors but I figure you'll have good ones if you are a good neighbor yourself. I've got a strong back, a big pickup truck, and a good attitude... the rest should fall in to place

Hey F350!! I gotta love your "strong back, and a big pickup truck....I guess with a F350!! You'll see that we believe the same way you do, and cannot wait to meet "the few" neighbors we're going to have!

I hope to meet you out on the western heartlands next time!!

We're going to be there in december, and as many more times as we can before we finally sell our home!

[jody_wy]

well you said Smoot and Alpine, there a Sportsman's Warehouse just 70 miles from Alpine in the city of IF. We have a Wyoming Company from Afton Wyoming for gas stations.....Maverick