Looking for info from Wyoming residents about Wyoming... (Cheyenne, Casper: rental, find a job) - (WY) - City-Data Forum

EOTW · 06-15-2010, 10:42 AM

Hi. First time posting here. In the last few months, I have decided to move away from my small, dull Missouri existence. It's easier for me to this. I am not married and never have been, I have no children, nothing tying me down here. Not sure why I stayed here so long, really. I am approaching 40 and realized that I don't want to die here. I need to go someplace and live there and be healthier, and just better in general.

OK, so Wyoming appeals to me for a number of reasons: the nature, the low population (those are two big reasons). I've looked around the web at different sites trying to get more info on the place. I understand it can be rugged but I want a challenge and since I am by myself, I feel this is the time to take it on.

When I move, I won't be doing so for 18-24 months. I am currently saving up a decent sum to help me on my way. I am somewhat college educated, but have not graduated. I'm 38 and a SWM. I've always gotten by on my own and money is something to pay the bills and put away for when it's needed. I don't spend money like water and I am VERY frugal.

I believe that when I am ready to head out, I will have about a year's salary saved. LIke I said, I live cheaply out of necessity and it seems to be good to me, so I believe I can make a big move like this happen.

So, can some good people let me know what some of these cities are like to live in? I am so interested in this state because it seems so uninhabited. I know I will have to, most likely, live in a city, at least at first. I plan to try to narrow my options down and a lot will go into that: rental rates, job openings, cost of living. All of these things matter.

I'm not a rich person by any means but I know the value of hard work and have worked hard at everything I have ever done. As I said, I really am curious about what is like to move there and live.

I guess I need to hear from folks who have done what I am contemplating. Thanks for any help you can provide.

Darrow · 06-15-2010, 06:45 PM

Contact the chamber of commerce in the towns/cities and ask for relocation packets. Also, buy some newspaper subcriptions and get to know the towns that way. You can read the Casper Star Tribune and the Billings Gazette - Wyoming section to see what issues we face statewide. The state is very large, but empty and isolated in many parts. I've lived here most of my life and can answer questions you might have on Cody, Powell, Lovell and Worland. Good luck as you work toward your dream!

EOTW · 06-15-2010, 10:22 PM

Thanks, Darrow. Got those two newspapers bookmarked. Like I said above, it will be 18-24 months before I move, but I want this to work and I feel Wyoming is the place I was meant to be. I just know it. That being said, I will keep an open mind to another state, but going north and west is the only direction I'm headed. The fewer people and vastness of Wyoming really appeals to me.

yahudasman · 06-21-2010, 01:59 PM

i would go to powell,lovell,cody area. you can always live there and work in montana if you have to. but those areas seem to be the best bet for work and living right now. you can also go to yellowstone and get a job that will pay you about 300 a week and they provide rooma nd board. i know a guy who does that annually.

bobbymcsnoddy · 08-03-2010, 01:30 PM

First of all, what do you mean by "city?" Cheyenne and Casper are the two biggest, both around 50,000+. They are both in windswept prairie type areas (unless you count Casper Mountain) and do not fit the tourist' image of "Wyoming as Teton and Yellowstone." Employment here falls into 4 major categories: Self (i.e., ranching, merchants), government (i.e. state, local, etc, including school districts) energy, and tourism. If you are able to support yourself for a year, you should have plenty of time to find a job. Wyoming is very cold for many months of the year with long winters. I'd spend a week or two here in the dead of winter if you can afford it to get an idea of the cold and wind. Personally, I live in Lander (around 6,500 people) which is a lovely community near the Wind River Mountains. The previous post about Powell/Lovell/Cody is good as well. However, Billings (Montana) is quite a ways from any of those cities so you'd have quite a commute. Low population? You got that right! Happy hunting!

parentsoftynchey · 08-09-2010, 04:59 PM

try going to thesheridanpress.com. I moved here to Sheridan Wyo from Mich almost 4 years ago and I love it. The Big Horn mtns. are easy to access and are certainly a beautiful sight while sitting in your yard or driving down the road. My kids love it out here. It isn't a huge city but enough for me. The cost of living is going down from when it was real high when we first moved out here. Since we have moved out here I have had family and over 20 friends move out here also. I really think you would love it. You should try and plan a trip and check it out. You can also search all of Sheridan through google and see just how beautiful it is. There are many different happenings throughout the year that are so much fun and everyone helps oneanother out in the community. I've been too many different places throughout Wyoming and I love Sheridan still most.

dori36 · 08-09-2010, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by parentsoftynchey

try going to thesheridanpress.com. I moved here to Sheridan Wyo from Mich almost 4 years ago and I love it. The Big Horn mtns. are easy to access and are certainly a beautiful sight while sitting in your yard or driving down the road. My kids love it out here. It isn't a huge city but enough for me. The cost of living is going down from when it was real high when we first moved out here. Since we have moved out here I have had family and over 20 friends move out here also. I really think you would love it. You should try and plan a trip and check it out. You can also search all of Sheridan through google and see just how beautiful it is. There are many different happenings throughout the year that are so much fun and everyone helps oneanother out in the community. I've been too many different places throughout Wyoming and I love Sheridan still most.

You're not the MSU best-in-the-world sheep guy, are you?

NDak15 · 08-10-2010, 03:08 PM

EOTW, I lived in Casper when I first got here and enjoyed it. It has most of the stores you would need but also a nice downtown. The people there are friendly of outsiders. I would caution you that the wind is brutal there though. It is not uncommon to have wind that is 60 mph+ for days at a time. You would definitely be advised to stay during the winter if you can. Keep in mind that spring snow storms can be worse than winter storms. I live in Rock Springs now and it is nice as well, a little less wind. There is not as much shopping as Casper but you can get to Salt Lake City in less than three hours. I also love the towns in the Wind River Range area and the Bighorn Basin. Keep in mind also that as a man you will not find a significant other very quickly. Men vastly outnumber women in this state.

Wardendresden · 10-07-2012, 10:31 PM

How is Wyoming for retiring senior citizens? We live in Dallas right now, hate the heat, the crowds, the traffic, the crime--and miss Colorado where we lived for 14 yrs. But CO is not friendly to retirees even taxing some social security income. We've done the touristy things in Wyoming, but we aren't so naive as to believe that is everyday life.

I want a spot where I can go drink coffee most mornings and see the same people, laugh at the same joke told a dozen times before, and be accepted for who I am rather than who I ought to be. My wife wants a place to make her quilts and learn from others how to make better ones. A bad back now limits my outdoor activities to just taking a few photographs--but I've discovered just about everything and anyone is photogenic in its or their own way.

I like people and find almost everybody has a great story behind their life---even if its been a tough one. Wyoming doesn't have a lot of people, but I do believe those who live there have a lot of those great stories.
My wife says okay for us to move there when she retires in 18 months, but she prefers hills to plains.

Any suggestions Cowboys and Cowgirls?

jody_wy · 10-07-2012, 11:24 PM

the City of Star Valley Ranch has alot of retireies