Cheyenne vs. Jackson area (Casper, Sheridan: ski resorts, transplants, houses)

[NotAllWhoWanderAreLost16]

What are the pros and cons of living in Cheyenne vs. Jackson Hole?
Which is better to raise a family in?

[sunsprit]

Totally different economies, opportunities, climate, scenery, accessibility ...

Cheyenne is the state capital and it's location was determined primarily as a construction site base for the railroad coming through. It's on the plains at 6,000' altitude, and while there are scenic areas not too far away, it's in an exposed location with a rather brutal climate for much of the year. Dryland farming and ranching around here was historically the highest and best use of the land, and it was a tough way to make a living; many fortunes were lost here trying to make it work. While it's the largest or next to the largest population center in Wyoming, host to a major rodeo, it has relatively limited tourist appeal even with several musuems. An historic army base, now an AFB, is a key feature of the local economy. Due to it being at a crossroads location of major interstates, it has two large regional warehouses/distribution centers for retail stores, and has recently attracted some high-tech centers ... a computing center, and a MSoft facility to be built here. It's somewhat out of the loop for the extreme boom-bust cycles of other areas of the state, and it is a favored locale for many military retirees with a VA hospital and relatively low costs of living in the area.

Jackson, OTOH, has a location that is rated as being spectacular. With the 'hole being located in a scenic mountain area, ranching and tourism have been the primary attractions for awhile. So the town's economy has been based on the outdoor activities that are to be had essentially on it's doorstep ... with ski areas, hunting, fishing, and outdoor vista's to be enjoyed. It's a totally different environment than Cheyenne, with a milder climate that makes winters enjoyable while having much more total moisture available. Jackson was "disovered" as a recreational area a long time ago by fairly wealthy folk and has continued to attract them for many years, with local businesses springing up to cater to their desires. So it's economy is comparable to places like Aspen, CO. There's more restaurants in Jackson, some very upscale, in a town of about 10,000 population compared to the 5 times larger population of Cheyenne which supports only a handful of chain restaurants/mom&pops, and no upscale dining to be found. Jackson is a place to see and be seen for Hollywood types, if that puts it into perspective, and conspicuous consumption and flaunting of extreme wealth is simply business as usual. As one may expect, area property values and housing in Jackson are significantly higher than in Cheyenne (if not anywhere else in the state, too), especially with so many trophy homes in the Jackson area and virtually none to be found in Cheyenne. At that, the few almost-trophy homes in Cheyenne wouldn't rate as guest outbuildings at the Jackson area trophy homes.

Fishing and hunting are exceptionally limited in the Cheyenne area, and downhill skiing (let alone a tourist resort) isn't to be found nearby at all ... one travels to Colorado to ski when in Cheyenne (it's closer to major ski resorts in Colorado than to go 450 miles to Jackson). Most major shopping in the Cheyenne area is done along the Ft Collins to Denver corridor, while most major shopping for the affluent from Jackson is done in NYC, Paris, London, LosAngeles, and so forth ... an entirely different paradigm of materials, quality, and price points for the affluent. You'll see a host of rare and expensive vehicles in Jackson on the streets, while the few that are in Cheyenne are generally kept in garages and rarely seen being driven. Jackson area ranchers produce a commodity that has the same market value as Cheyenne area ranchers, but the Jackson area ranchers generally aren't ranching for a primary income but intentionally as a hobby while Cheyenne ranchers primarily do it for their income.

Flying into Jackson, as I do from time to time with a small gasoline powered propeller aircraft, is a startling revelation on the ramp. Jackson is one of those towns where year around you'll find the trappings of the "jet set" ... sizable kerosene burning aircraft on the mutli-milliions scale of cost and operation. What's even more conspicuous about this is that many of the affluent folk who can afford to operate these aircraft don't use just one for their family get togethers; it's common practice that husband and wife will travel on separate aircraft so that ... just in case of an accident ... one part of the family will escape the incident. Yup, that's two jets, two crews, and twice the operational expenses for two people to arrive safely at their destination as well as have the convenience of different departure points or destinations when they leave town. With only one FBO at Jackson catering to that jet set, you're well aware of being a pariah when you land with a small gasoline aircraft needing only a fraction of the space, facilities, or fuel that the jets require. Like flying into Aspen, you'll know that you're not entirely welcome when your aircraft is parked at the furthest reaches of the facilities and you get to walk out to it because the line crews are "too busy" to accomodate your needs as a pilot, LOL. At that, places like Saratoga try to emulate the attitude of Jackson ... but that's a whole 'nother thread.

Probably the biggest difference in the scale of the local economies is that Cheyenne blue-collar and service workers can find affordable housing in the town where they work. Jackson lower wage earners typically commute in from out of the area, and it's well known that places such as Driggs ID are bedroom communities to the Jackson area workforce, so commute in on a daily basis from out-of-state.



Other than being within the same state boundaries, Cheyenne and Jackson are radically different and have little in common. For that matter, Jackson doesn't have a lot in common with most of the rest of Wyoming, either. If you can afford to live in Jackson, it's quite the place to be ... if you can afford to live in Cheyenne, it's just a place which can be readily replicated (without the brutal climate) in many other areas of the state.

[bawha]

Though he goes into great detail afterwards, Sunsprits first line sums it up. You picked two communities that share no similarities, though, as he also pointed out, Jackson shares very little similarity with any community in Wyoming. Jackson is generally thought of by most Wyoming residents as a community of out of state transplants and a playground for the wealthy. Cheyenne, too, is somewhat different than most communities in Wyoming because it has a high consentration of government and military workers.

You're going to have to better define the reason you want to move to Wyoming before settling on a town. Education is going to be good where ever you go. Housing costs will be somewhat similar (with the exception of Jackson).

So if you're moving here because of the scenary Jackson would have to top your list but the Lander and Sheridan areas may be good alternatives. If you're moving here because of the independent down to earth people you're probably looking at the smaller communities and giving up some scenary. If you're looking for a dose of Wyoming, but with all the shopping and a bigger pool of things to do, you're probably looking at Casper or Cheyenne.

That's what's cool about Wyoming. Once you figure out what will make you happy you shoud be able to find it somewhere in the state; well unless you're into traffic jams, smoggy days, crowded businesses, or weird things like that.

[NDak15]

Comparing these two areas is like comparing Colorado Springs to Wichita. The scenery is very different, the economies are different, and the people are different. Jackson has wonderful scenery but unless you have a few million to throw around I would give that area a pass. This is one of the most expensive areas in the country to live in. Cheyenne sits on the plains but is much more affordable and you are about 100 miles from Denver. I haven't been to Cheyenne much so somebody else can give you more details.