We're(my fam and I) looking at moving to Wyoming. The coooler, dryer weather, low population, mountains, and apparently excellent firearms laws make it very attractive to my parents, who have wanted to move west for a long time anyhow. we'd like to be able to find a rural tract of land out there, near some smaller towns. Living in Cheyenne is not an option. Anyplace in this state you would reccomend? We've looked mostly thorugh Montana, but Wyoming seems to be more temparate and the employment overall is better, AFAIK.

Can I get some input on the state? Places you like/reccomend for rurality, general advice, things you won't find on the official websites? Downsides too, if there are any major disadvantages in the state, I need to know about them too. Thanks.

Juggernaut

I want to know, too.

We live in Cheyenne and love it, but you say it is not an option. I've lived in Sheridan for awhile also. Nice place right at the foot of the Big Horn Mtns. People don't take to new commers though. We knew people who had lived there for 10 years and were still considered "new" to the area. Stay away from Rawlins. State pen and all. Saratoga is a small town on the western side of the Snowy Mtns. Seems to be a nice place. Don't know much about jobs. I do alot of traveling through S.E. Wyoming so I see alot of places. It's a great place and I don't think you'd be dissapointed here. Oh, Laramie is just over the hill from Cheyenne and is a nice sized college town.  

You want to be west of Jackson Hole near the
Idaho stateline.

Used to visit my grandmother quite a bit in Douglas when I was growing up.  Nice town, not too small not too large.  Between Casper and Cheyenne on I-25.  I now live in Utah and hunt antelope in southwestern Wyoming near Evanston and Kemmerer.  Both of these towns would be cool to live in also.  The Jackson Hole area would be nice also.  Good luck.

I have lived in Laramie(nice town), Cheyenne(nice town, but no public land, too close to Denver), Casper(Sh$t Hole! Sorry, those of you who live there, too much wind),  and the Big Horn Basin(Worland, Powell, and  Lovell).

I love the Basin, nice people, lots of public land, great hunting, small towns, good weather.  I wouldn't mind living in Sheridan, or Buffalo either.  

The smaller the town(ie. Lovell) the more likely people will look at you as an outsider.  
guns762

Not much inexpensive land there, and you might as well live on the west coast with all the Kalifornians and celebrities that live just east(Jackson) of that area. I take it you are talking about the area west of Tetons, extremely small area.   Also, very, very, very cold much of the time.  Great skiing though.  This (Jackson) is the official tree-hugger capital of Wyoming.
guns762

I have been threw wy. a few times in the last year and have been looking at some real estate on the web in the last year. plan on retiring in a few years and I hear theres no state income tax in wy. not far living in colorado springs and can go up and look on a long weekend. hows the elk mountain area outside laramie? and the green river area looks nice. I see the land values are a little better on the eastern side but I like the mountains instead of the prairie. I see the housing in some of those communites are higher than here in colorado must be some good jobs there. tell me if I'am off base or do I need to get of I80 and go north and look. hows the prices on bare land on the idaho border area?  thanks jon

Why not Cheyenne???? We've lived here for 3 years and really like it. Cheyenne is close enough to Ft Fun and Denver for a nice excape every now and again. Not to mention sitting right on I25/I80 so you have major highway access. You also have all kinds of places to go shooting/hunting/camping within a couple hours drive. We belong to a small rifle/pistol club here in town and go shooting whenever the mood strikes us.

All in all Cheyenne is a dang good place to live!!!!!

Yeah, I think when California has its big quake and drops off into the sea, that Jackson with drop down into a big sink hole and get burried - sympathetic response!

As to recommending an area - Depends on what you are looking for.  Most people consider even our biggest citys (Cheyenne, Casper, etc.) to be small towns.  But soem of the smaller places are more like Mayberry.  You'll just have to take a trip out to see what you llike.  More then likely you end up settling where the jobs are - good luck!  

The west side of the state is also a little different then the east side (Windriver mountains over)  We are much less populated and have a lot more public land then the east.  We also get a lot less attention.  [:D]

Elk Mountain area is a nice area, I don't know much about it other than it does have some good hunting spots.  I liked living in Laramie, larger town, with a small town feel.  I80 is o.k., but it is on the high plains= lots of wind, cold.  As you go north, the weather gets more temperate and not so much wind and snow.  Newcastle over on the eastern side in the Black Hills is also a nice spot.  Housing in Wyoming ranges from very cheap, to NUTS(Jackson)!  In the Big Horn Basin, values can vary about 20,000 for the same size and style of house.  Generally speaking the closer you get to Yellowstone(Cody), Tetons(Jackson, Star Valley), the more expensive things get.  If you don't mind the reservation, Riverton, and Lander are also nice areas.  

I currently live in Powell.  Great town.  You can either go to the Big Horns or to the area around Yellowstone, or even down to the Owl Creeks near Thermopolis to hunt and fish.  And, its only 1 1/2hrs away from Billings MT.
guns762