Considering moving to Jackson area

[NDak15]

Livingston is 50 miles from the north entrance of the park. I am referring to Yellowstone. I don't think there is a hidden message here.

[Dave4788]

Okay that makes sense. Sorry for the confusion. I'm not trying to cause any conflict, but i never said anything about being close to yellowstone. i'm interested in being close to grand tetons. Thanks for the suggestions though.

Originally Posted by Dave4788

Hello,
I recently applied for a job working for the national park service at grand teton national park

[georgiainwyo]

Originally Posted by Dave4788

Okay that makes sense. Sorry for the confusion. I'm not trying to cause any conflict, but i never said anything about being close to yellowstone. i'm interested in being close to grand tetons. Thanks for the suggestions though.

I think folks were referring to maybe you wanting to apply in other places besides the Tetons. Being that is where you have applied your choices for reasonable living expenses are very limited. As Jody said earlier, most people commute to the Jackson area for work. That may be feasible for you, depending on how you handle driving during the winter, dealing with closed roads, your work schedule, etc. Most people can't afford to live in Jackson, let alone on the income you would be getting, so you would definitely have to find a place that is close to where you would be based, but not in Jackson. Hope this makes sense! I admire your adventurous spirit and your desires to try things while you are young

P.S. The only way you may be able afford living in Jackson is to live with several roommates or just rent a room, which is a possibility being you are young & single.

[tigergal]

Originally Posted by Dave4788

Hello,
I recently applied for a job working for the national park service at grand teton national park. I think i would really love living in the area because there is tons of adventurous things to do in the area, which i love. I currently live in IL and to be honest, it's just not cutting it. I'm currently 23, single, and would love to move to an area where i can meet people and do all the outdoor activities that wy has to offer.

My question is this, would i be an idiot to move to an area with such high housing costs? could i survive with an income of say 40-50k a year? In the slight chance that i met a spouse out there would staying in that area and having kids be out of the question financially? And finally, church involvement is important to me. Is there a community of Christians (non-denom) in the area?

Thanks for any input.
Dave

I think you'd be pushing it to try to live on that in Jackson. My niece worked in Jackson three summers go. She and 6 other young people shared a small apartment. Even dividing the rent 7 ways, they weren't able to make it work.

I understand your preference is Grand Teton National Park. However, moving to the general area may be more feasible if you applied to another park nearby (Yellowstone, Craters of the Moon) etc because housing near those parks is more reasonable. You'd still have the Tetons within an easy drive to enjoy the Teton experience. Meanwhile, living close to Yellowstone isn't too shabby.

[tigergal]

Originally Posted by Dave4788

Hello,
I recently applied for a job working for the national park service at grand teton national park. I think i would really love living in the area because there is tons of adventurous things to do in the area, which i love. I currently live in IL and to be honest, it's just not cutting it. I'm currently 23, single, and would love to move to an area where i can meet people and do all the outdoor activities that wy has to offer.

My question is this, would i be an idiot to move to an area with such high housing costs? could i survive with an income of say 40-50k a year? In the slight chance that i met a spouse out there would staying in that area and having kids be out of the question financially? And finally, church involvement is important to me. Is there a community of Christians (non-denom) in the area?

Thanks for any input.
Dave

I thought I remembered something and checked it out. Looking at the jobs that are in the park, it says at the bottom of the listing that park housing may be available. I'd inquire with the park to see what's there. I certainly wouldn't give up on the dream until I found out!

[MRVphotog]

On a 40/550k salary you should have no problem living in Jackson. Check the rents at Jackson Hole News&Guide Newspaper | Jackson, Wyoming Plenty of places to rent in the 800/month range.

[WyoNewk]

Thank you, MRV, for your input. I know you lived there several years ago, and it really hasn't changed that much. I've been following this thread and considered posting to it, but since I've never lived in Jackson I've held back. Now I will.

My daughter did a summer residency in Jackson a few years back, and her husband worked for a landscaping company mowing lawns. Cheap rent was hard to find, but they had a nice little place right downtown that they could afford on very low income.

Folks see the average price of homes in Jackson Hole and freak out. But on average, Jackson Hole homes are not average at all. There are some very, very large homes on some very, very expensive lots. Beautiful, yes, but they're not what those with moderate incomes need.

They drive the "average" price of Jackson Hole homes through the roof, but if you're interested in a typical 1500 sq ft home on a typical city lot, the prices fall to only quite expensive, not insanely expensive. The same is true with rentals. Yes, prices are high, but most folks with decent incomes can find a property they can afford if they want to live there.

Scan through some of the real estate listings and you'll get a better idea of costs. As I recall, a home like mine would probably cost an extra 50% in Jackson. That's nothing to sneeze at, but a lot of middle income folks get by in Jackson just fine. Trim back a little on the size of your home and it evens out.

[peneumbra]

If you're going to work at GTNP, you might want to look at living down around Hoback Junction. It's about 13 miles south of the town of Jackson, which is the wrong direction, but it's a very livable little spot...

[pw72]

Just drove through the area today on a beautiful late summer day. The Jackson Hole/Teton Park area is indeed magical, and provides perhaps some of the best natural scenery in North America.

On this Labor Day weekend, however, you really see the stripes of this area. It is almost entirely based on tourism. Most tourist-dependant areas are tough places to live, unless you have a few hundred grand in the bank. There are rentals that could be affordable, but you are still under the financial gun living in such a place. Could be an adventure, but do your homework.