Why do so few live in WY

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming

I've lived in Wyoming for almost ten years after thirty years in Colorado. I've found people to be friendly and welcoming to newcomers. The negative and hostile remarks on this forum are not typical of the people here; you're unlikely to ever hear that sort of talk. Although I'm self-employed and not in the job market I talk to people who are all of the time. No one has ever mentioned some strange refusal to hire people who aren't in their network. I don't hear about layoffs very often but when one coompany is firing another is hiring. People here who wish to work do work; but that's true everywhere. But like everyplace we have some who won't work and they must make their excuses. I have some rental property and hear from them all of the time. They want to write me a letter or meet with me to explain their situation. I rent to people with good credit. The big cities here might be different but who wants to live in a big city?

If you wish to start a business and need help in finding a location or finding out about licensing requirements (if any) again people will help you. Every year Wyoming is rated as the first or second most business friendly state; we seem to bounce back and forth with our neighbor South Dakota. We want new businesses. If you want to open a business come up to Cody. We love to see competion because it means better prices for us consumers. We have right to work and an employer may terminate an employee for any reason or no reason. That's good for both employers and good workers.

It's chillier here than Colorado but not nearly as snowy. That's one reason why I-80 is so crowded with trucks; many companies won't let their drivers take I-70 through the Colorado mountains. Some parts of the state have very little snow as the country is cold desert which is drier and has far fewer species of plants and animals than cold desert.

Wyoming tax laws are easy. We have no personal or corporate state income tax, no inventory or franchise tax, and no inheritance tax. Sales and real estate taxes would rate as low to most people.

Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America has referred to Wyoming as one of the happy states. Residents don't need any permit to carry concealed; open carry and vehicle carry have never been the subject of any law. There are no restictions on age or private sales. Registration at any level of government is forbidden as are any local ordnances restricting our rights.

In the last presidential election Obama carried a smaller percentage of the Wyoming vote than that of any other state.

If J. Bracken Lee rose from the dead and moved from Utah to Wyoming we'd elect him governor or senator and probably make him a favorite son candidate for president.

If you seek fresh air, freedom, and fun and a great business climate this is the place. That's the reason this old right winger is happy in Wyoming.

The op didn't ask why you were happy and why a person should move here, they asked why people weren't moving here and the population was staying so low. Scenery wise, there's not a lot of difference with our surrounding states, so why do people move there, and not here.

As far as my remarks about starting a business. Would somebody care to come down to Sheridan and show me the new Weatherby Assembly plant? How about the Budweiser plant? Countless others. Just anybody. Show me where they are? I can show you. The Budweiser plant is in Ft Collins Colorado with a sign over the door that says, "Thank you Sheridan." They applied for all permits here. Shot down by the city fathers, couldn't get enough water. However, just a few years later, one of the city fathers opened up his subdivision and low and behold, the city put in new ater main 5 miles out of town to hook them up.

I have two daughters here in town and I asked them about their friends from school. How many of them stayed around here after highschool. Both of them said, "Less than half stayed." A few came back, 10 years later, but it still hasn't hit half.

Several times, manufacturing was attempted in Sheridan. All but one or two of those were shot down for one reason or another.

When Home Depot bought land, and before they built, the "CITY" told them it would have to be Green and Tan, not Orange and Tan, you know, to fit more in with earth tones. Home Depot said, "No, we'll move elsewhere." At the last minute, the city said, "Oh, ok, I guess you can make it orange and tan." They almost lost it.

[tigergal]

We moved out here about a year ago and love it. That said, in my experience, Wyoming attracts so few people because its inherent nature isn't what people are looking for. Most people seem to want the amenities of a city and the general city type of life. In my experience with friends, the cold weather also seems to freak them out. The most common reaction I had when we moved was from friends that couldn't imagine living in a place without professional sports, without a Target on every corner, without lots of chain restaurants. They couldn't imagine living in a place where they couldn't go out an blow a lot of money on things they didn't need within a 5 mile radius.

We are obviously the odd ducks in our social circle. We were happy to be away from the city chaos and haven't missed it a bit. (Ok, so I'll admit I miss my Super-Target), but I don't miss crowds, traffic, and the like. I have more money in the bank because I don't go out and spend mindlessly because it's there. I love the cold weather and am actually healthier in it. However, we've always known we were the odd ones - while our friends went on vacation to Florida in the summer, we headed up here to the mountains. I just generally think that there are more people who prefer high-density populations and the chaos and culture that come with them.

Also, the issue with jobs is a valid one. My husband had no problem finding a job here, but he's in a highly specialized field for which local candidates in several locations here were not available. He walked in and filled the niche. For more generalized jobs that don't require degrees or very specialized experience, finding a job is more difficult. The advice I'd give on jobs would be the same here or anywhere else in the country - make sure you know how to do something that few other people do. It makes a person incredibly valuable here or elsewhere.

[soloclick]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

For the most part, it's the "good ole boy" network.

You don't get jobs by going to an employment office, you get jobs by knowing somebody, or knowing somebody that knows somebody.

Don't even think about starting a business, unless you are a long time resident. The City Fathers will shut you down.

If you take a look, Wyomings largest export is our kids. They can flip burgers here, or they can seek a decent job elsewhere.


The reason we don't have a lot of import people is they usually hit the state line with a full tank of gas and are able to get out the other end.

With respect once again thats everywhere. I became a dialysis tech because my sister in law worked at the clinic in New Mexico. Then a tech i knew moved to colorado and put in a word for me to get in there. Then I had more oppertunities because I was a hard worker and from there it went off of that. However I have seen people brought in by another who cant work screw it up and lose there job. Before that I was flipping burgers so I wasnt going to screw up the oppertunity I was blessed with.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by soloclick

With respect once again thats everywhere. I became a dialysis tech because my sister in law worked at the clinic in New Mexico. Then a tech i knew moved to colorado and put in a word for me to get in there. Then I had more oppertunities because I was a hard worker and from there it went off of that. However I have seen people brought in by another who cant work screw it up and lose there job. Before that I was flipping burgers so I wasnt going to screw up the oppertunity I was blessed with.

Is your intent to look for flaws, or should our intent be to answer the OP? I've stated what is wrong around me, why isn't your area growing, or is it?

[soloclick]

Well I guess it did when the six of us moved here. Also have made friends with another family of five from MN and have met two other new mothers who just moved here with their familys.