I lived in Wyoming for several years and traveled the entire state as part of my work. I really liked it there, but I wound up leaving for the reason that a lot of Wyomingites do--economic reasons. Wyoming is definitely NOT for most non-Wyomingites, for reasons that you will see in my comments. The good: 1. Wyoming people are some of the most decent, honest, hard-working people anywhere. Contrary to some stereotypes, many Wyomingites are well-educated. 2. Wyoming has some very scenic areas, and, with the exception of Jackson (which many native Wyomingites call "Disneyland" because it is so phony), is uncrowded and unspoiled. 3. Wyoming, for private individuals, is the most tax-friendly state in the Union--no income tax, low property taxes, and reasonable sales taxes. The minerals industry (including coal, natural gas and petroleum) pay about 75% of the tax burden in Wyoming. Over 50 years ago, the state established a Permanent State Minerals Trust Fund--funded by minerals taxes--to be maintained for the time that minerals production declines. 4. Freedom! Wyoming is a Constitutional Carry state, is staunchly politically conservative, and very committed to individual rights. Most of the state enjoys low crime. The bad: 1. The climate. The climate of Wyoming is semi-arid to very arid, with short growing seasons. For about 7 to 8 months of the year, the Wyoming landscape is either brown or snow-covered. Winters are long--can be brutal cold in many locales, spring and fall are short, and summers are only middling length and often dry. Numerous (but not all) towns in Wyoming can be windy--often brutally windy. 2. Jobs. Most of Wyoming's jobs are tied to the minerals (including energy) industry and government. Agriculture is a big industry in Wyoming, but employs relatively few people. Much of Wyoming's agriculture is centered around large ranches. Jobs can be scarce, and fluctuate a lot with the minerals industry. 3. Driving. If you live in Wyoming, expect to drive a lot of miles. Driving is lower stress than most places, because traffic is often sparse, but distances can be daunting. For example, taking kids to an interschool sporting event can often mean a 500-750 mile round trip. 4. Health care. If you need many kinds of specialized medical care you may have to leave the state to get it. Many Wyomingites have to travel to Colorado, Montana, or Utah to get some types of specialized medical care. The not well-known: 1. Native Wyomingites absolutely will dislike you if you start up with "Well, we did this differently in [name state or city here]." Their answer will likely be, "You're not in [name state or city here], so we're not interested in how you did things there." 2. Not any problem for me, but may be for some people--much of rural Wyoming, like neighboring Utah and Idaho, has a lot of LDS residents. This is particularly true in most of western, central, and northern Wyoming. In those areas, the LDS Church has considerable influence in the communities and in the political arena. My $0.02 as someone who lived in Wyoming and traveled all of it.
@@MirzaAhmed89 The weather is very fickle in Wyoming. I've seen 60+ degrees days in January, and two days later have it 20 below zero. Quite often in winter, I would go weeks without any snow on the ground at my house, then, within 48 hrs. have 9 ft. high drifts in my driveway. Spring can be very variable--warm days, then big snowstorms. One year, we had almost 6" of snow in Cheyenne in early June! Southeast Wyoming can get severe hailstorms in summer (severe = golf-ball or larger size hail) and an occasional tornado. How often? Well, my house in SE Wyoming had 4 new roofs installed in 8 years due to hail damage. Oh, and, yeah, the wind. Wyoming joke: What is a Wyoming wind vane? A log chain tied to a telephone pole. When the chain blows out straight, that's normal; when links start to blow off the end of the chain, you seek cover. Real story: people in Wyoming do get broken arms on occasion when the wind blows their vehicle door shut, slamming their arm between the door and the car body while the person is entering or exiting the vehicle.
Nailed it. I would add, for people needing health care, it is handy to live near the interstate to drive those distances. And the most heavily LDS community is Lovell (as in Sister Wives fame). Personally, I find that town depressing, but if you plan on being in the mountains a lot , the Big Horns are very nearby. Live in Wyoming and love it but I would rather the larger towns than the rural. Cody and Sheridan are great and not overly large. However the real estate, like everywhere else, has gone up to 100k to 200k over the last 4 years.
Fun fact. If you graduate from high school in Wyoming and you have been taking college prep classes and have a pretty good GPA, you can get paid tuition at any of our 7 Wyoming community college or at our (only) university-UW. Hathaway Scholarship program -oil and gas endowed program. Sweet.
@@bladeswelove Hathaway is almost always a fully paid scholarship program. However, they do have a program that sets almost all students up with a baseline student loan to get started in College.
@@comradeeverclear4063 I live in Wyoming and have a college-age daughter...Typically unless you have a very high ACT score it pays like $3,000 towards the total. So it's better than nothing, but it certainly leaves a lot to be paid for.
I go to UW. Between the Cowboy Commitment and the Hathaway scholarships I only have to pay approx $1500 per semester for tuition. The community college in my hometown (Gillette) will give free tuition for everyone who scored over a 23 on their ACT. I had some buddies that stayed there their first few outta highschool years and pocketed the Hathaway money. Also the Hathaway fund is big enough that the interest it earns more than compensates for it's awarded scholarships. With population going down in Wyoming, I expect the Hathaway payouts to increase in future years potentially even getting to the point where the top level just awards outright full rides to UW.
Hopefully this video won't cause a bunch of Californians to flood into Wyoming. It looks very peaceful and safe and I'm sure its people prefer it to stay that way.
The Californ-holes have absolutely FLOODED BOISE, Idaho, as well as northern Idaho, and all parts in between. In Boise the beautiful farmland is disappearing under new developments being put EVERYWHERE, because of the flood. There is no housing to be found, rentals are scarce and outrageously expensive. The CA holes are ruining the entire state, instead of staying and fixing their own state. We are moving back to WY, and we love it! I’ll take all the wind, cold, etc. over the traffic and the woke crap that’s starting ti infiltrate Idaho! Its tragic all the way around.
Californians have what I call invaded. Idaho, Washington, Montana, and Colorado, have started taking over Arizona and think frighteningly they are starting to set their sights on Michigan.
There's down sides and up sides. Depends on what you're looking for. I want to live in peace. I carried a pistol every day in Texas. I was actually an LTC instructor. I've carried maybe two times in 1.5 years here. You're at more risk from someone stealing tools or easy resale items out of your tool box if you leave it unattended at night than anything else. Even that is pretty low. I got exactly what I wanted when I moved here. The cold, the snow, wind and isolation are our protection.
You're not going to see a flood of Californians to Wyoming. Once they find out what the snow fences are for, they'll hightail it out of there. The number of Californians who can stomach the climate is not big enough to constitute a flood. Also, did you see the pictures of these towns? I don't care how great the internet service is, these are not towns anyone would want to flood.
I have lived in wyoming all my life. There are a few things I would mention to folks before they moved here. Such as the religious environments of these small towns, which can be a huge issue if you don't "fit in". Specifically the northwest, or Lovell, is morman and very much so. It is very nice, but also very conservative. The majority of wyoming is very conservative and protective of those beliefs.
I currently live in Wyoming. I absolutely love it other than the 9 months of winter and constant wind. Tax burdens are light and there is virtually zero crime. Great state overall.
@@wyolaskan1868 Yea it’s a real deal breaker It’s terrible, people should really consider moving somewhere else. I heard California has perfect weather. People should just move there and avoid Wyoming altogether.
The almost in the zero crime deal includes some random teens from Illinois hijacking gas out of a boys and girls club bus. Yes that actually happened and of course they got caught which they probably wouldn't in any other state😂
@Big Dick Black You have to look at total population. Wyoming is less than 600k. California is a bit less than 40 million. It is unfortunate but that "gun violent death" stat includes suicide. Shootings besides that are not heard of. Resident of 30 years.
Surprised you didn't mention Pinedale, Wyoming. I visited Pinedale, which is about a 90 minutes drive south from Jackson, last September. The town has a population of about 2000 with most services, including a new regional hospital scheduled to open by the end of 2022. It has one of the best welcome signs I've seen: "Welcome To Pinedale - All The Civilization You Need."
I live here in Aloha Oregon, across the street from World According to Briggs. I see him mowing his lawn in the summer. Crazy he has a big RUclips following now. Hello there Briggs, it is Bill your neighbor.
1 of the cool things about WYOMING is that your a resident of of Wyoming with a valid driver's license and it's legal to concelled carry or open carry moved there from Oregon lived in Wyoming for 15 years and loved it🖒🖒
@@alabamaal225 probably pro 2A and believes that government should not restrict how and where we can carry. Oregon is an open carry state which is fine until you put on a coat and it even partially covers your weapon. Then the cops are all over you, you get arrested and lose your right to even own a firearm and for hunting you are down to bow
I moved from Denver to undisclosed area near jackson wy. Bought 40 acres and built a home. One of the best decisions for our family. Winters are cold and long but I dont care. and starlink works great here
you are gradually becoming my favorite youtuber as time goes on. i love planning out my life, finding my dream towns, and american geography, and you combine all of that into youtube videos while being entertaining and funny
Thanks for your kind words about us Wyoming people! I’ve lived here my whole life and absolutely love it. In the past people have said we are “fiercely independent”, racist, and rude. Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but I know I’m not those things. However we do love our independence. I love where I live in Northeast Wyoming. Very affordable, and I’m half way between the Bighorns and Black Hills. I don’t know if I could handle Mrs. Kravitz and all the Karens of these little towns on this list 😂. I’m going to stick with my population of 34,000. It’s nice to be able to have all I need without everyone knowing everything about me.
Without looking at all these stats my personal opinion on great towns I’ve stayed in in Wyoming while on geology camps are Buffalo, Thermopolis where I am at this moment and from what I hear Greybull is great as well, traveling there tomorrow and will find out for sure. Cool video.
I'm a recent retiree and am loving these small town videos! Would you ever consider doing a similar series on small cities, say 5000-10,000 population?
Thermopolis and Glenrock are my favorite places. Both quiet towns and beautiful. Glenrock is 15 minutes from Casper, so extremely convenient. Thermopolis has the wind river canyon touching it and the hot springs. Glenrock also has boxelder mountain a few minutes south. Both have 2,500-3,000 population. For about 10K population, Sheridan and Cody are great. Both stunning and lots to do. Lots of history too. Love this state.
We retired a few years ago to Laramie (32,515 pop. in 2020) and love it. It has a good balance of things including the cultural things associated with the Univ. of Wyo., good outdoor opportunities, good health care, decent shopping, and, if you need something from a bigger town, e.g. big box stores or specialized health care, Cheyenne is 45 minutes away, Ft. Collins, CO abouty an hour, and Denver is about 2 hours. We love it here and it really works for us.
I couldn’t agree more…I visited DuBois for about 2 weeks some years back with my family and the people there were very good to us “Easterners”. We hated to leave…
And we're green and get half the wind and half the tourists that Cody does. I lived in Cody for a looong time and still fond of it, but Sheridan is a beauty. Depends on what you value, really :)
Hey Briggs, I really enjoy your videos. That said, $400k, for a home- isn’t a ‘great small town’. Who can afford to buy these homes in these places? I think most of America can’t.
These old rich people , and I’m old but poor are ruining the Rockies . A 70 year old couple wanted to buy land up in the high county without thinking of the hardship of winter and being 50 or more miles from a hospital . Good luck with that . All the old motels or small hotels that ranch hands retired to were bought by rich Californians and are gone .
All the homes aren't that expensive. I don't know why he didn't say there are some options. However, you'd be looking at older and small homes that are usually in town.
Wyoming housing is expensive, don't listen to any of these comments. If you find a cheap house, 99% chance, you'll be super isolated and need $50,000 4x4, at best.
@@toddgittins5692 I don't think this is true. WY isn't more expensive than a lot of other states - not all, for sure. It depends on where you go and what you are willing to live in. The smaller towns do have cheaper homes, even in town, but you get what you pay for. There are not a lot of these, but they do exist.
Years ago, just outside of Afton, WY, we were delayed about an hour as a group of cowboys herded an enormous flock of sheep across US 89. There must have been thousands of them! We weren't in a hurry. Nobody seems to be in a hurry in Wyoming. Am I the only one who think Devil's Tower looks like a huge tree stump?
Years ago my family's neighboring ranch used to herd cows right thru Cody. There's a story about the bear statue that still stands at the big Bear motel and the cow boss' horse had to make a detour up the hill and around because it feared that darn statue😂
i was stuck on the highway from vernal, utah to manila, utah when they were running the sheep. for hours. my husband was so worried & my cell was dead & i didn’t have my charger!
For 25+ years me my late wife and son spent our summers in Wyoming I've been all over the state and absolutely love it We have a family cabin outside the east gate My in-laws live in Laramie and almost every year I would drive from Laramie to Cody about 6 hours if I remember right depending on which way we went . Been to so many towns If you're out there go to Kaycee and see the Chris Ladoux park
@@littlebitofhope1489 hottest is July and August, it's the only time we run the A/C. 90 degrees is about the average high I think. That's not for the whole 2 months tho.
@@heidimarchant5438 our last trip was just my son and I . We were in Hot Springs SD visiting a friend when we left there headed to the cabin on a whim we took the long way up through Kaycee just to see the park They have his music playing through hidden speakers . I fell in love with Chris while working as a wrangler out if Pahaska the year after he passed away
@@RobKimbro1966 but why would you try to guess where I'm from when I say that? Is that how yall intentionally treat Coloradans? Or Texans for that matter?
We’re all full here. Please find some other state to ruin. Wyoming is always cold and windy. The past 5 years in a row it’s snowed several inches in May. One of the few states that can get snow in all 12 months of the year. Winds blow constantly at 60mph+ in the winter. Do yourself a favor and just don’t.
Wyoming isn't full considering it has no major cities and is mostly vast and empty. In fact WY has the same population as Baltimore, MD and is losing some population.
@@AlexCab_49 yeah, you never know. People have all kinds of reasons for relocating. All kinds of weather preference. All kinds of how many people they have to engage with daily preference 🤣
@@deboraharnold3964 Well Wyoming is still losing population and that's probably because there isn't much job opportunities there. I suspect the people who would move there are conservative remote workers or retirees but I suspect Why is too cold and windy for most retirees
I was born in Wyoming and still live here. I love it but it is not for everyone. Windy frequently…and a long ways between places. Jobs are very few and far between. Native Wyomingites are fiercely independent because we have to be…. If you are driving somewhere and blow a tire you are likely to not have cell service to call AAA and maybe not that much other traffic so you better be prepared. There are lack of resources for many things so you learn to do it yourself or live without. Great people, kind and helpful to friends and strangers alike - just not very many people here. Most of them have their own teeth and are better educated than people might have been led to believe. 😂
I bought a .4 acre Lot with water and electricity hook up for 7k about 6 years ago in a small resort town called Star Valley Ranch that sits between Alpine and Afton, Wyo. My Hoa fee is about $400 per year. It's about 55 min south of Jackson and 1.5 hours from Yellowstone. Thayne, Wyo. is 5 minutes away with a medical clinic. Lincoln County has currently valued my Lot at 38k and the going price to buy a Lot my size in SVR is around 75k. .4 acres is just fine because SVR is surround by thousands of acres of public land. I consider my self very blessed and hope to build on it when I retire.
A few notes on living in or near places like Hanna. The wind blows like you wouldn't believe and in the winter that equates to massive snow drifts and horrible wind chill. Also, when the interstate gets closed due to weather, trucks bypass the closed section by rerouting through Hwy 30 near Hanna. So, if you are trying to get out, good luck. Also, the roads close often enough in the winter that you better have some supplies stocked up for a few weeks at all times. My grandpa used to joke that the snow there never melted, it just wore out.
Still wouldn't worry until volcanologist sound warnings. Yellowstone isn't even in the top 20 of most dangerous volcano in the US. And there is so much misinformation about Yellowstone it's unreal. Most scientists agree that if Yellowstone erupts, it will be hydothermic. Basically a giant geyser. And it's not overdue, there's no such thing as timings for volcanoes, if so we could accurately predict each and every one on the planet. Sure the doomsday story is cool, but it's just a story
Alright Afton! Passed through there on my way to watch the Total Eclipse in '17, fueled up and left my gas cap on top the pump. A week later I took a shot that it might be there - it was!
When I saw the title of this video I was wondering if Saratoga would be on the list. I deliver to a restaurant there once a week and it seems like a really cool town.
When I was still in elementary school, my best friend moved from northern Colorado (where we grew up) to Saratoga. I got to spend parts of a couple summers there and for a 9 year old, it was a blast. The biggest treat was going to 7-11 for the slushies or slurpies or whatever those are called. That was huge, because I lived on a ranch 50 miles from the nearest 7-11. My great grandmother spent probably the last 20 years of her life in Hanna in a modest little house. A little surprised it's on this list. Once I-80 bypassed it, towns along US-30 withered quite a bit.
I'm originally from WY and I was kind of shocked that Hanna even made the list especially at #2. I'm surprised that Buffalo didn't make it but also happy that it didn't since people there don't want their town ruined. If you're planning on or wanting to move to WY, my best advice is go visit in Jan/Feb, see if the winters are something you'll like then make up your mind. Don't do a visit only in May/June and pick to move there without having any idea what winter can be like or you'll have a bad time.
Right? My first thought when the narrator mentioned the crime rate in Hanna was, "That's because no one lives in Hanna!". Want groceries? Drive to Rawlins. Want medical care? Drive to Rawlins. Want to eat at any cafe that isn't The Virginian? ...Rawlins. Or Toga. Move to Hanna if you want isolation.
Exactly what I plan on doing! I visited Yellowstone in summer of ‘21. Drove from CO & went through many towns not realizing after I visited that I would be so drawn to live there. So this winter I’ll be heading back to seriously look at where I may want to live in WY-love it!
I can’t believe you left off Sheridan. Less wind, very good medical and good shopping. The two best known authors in the state; CJ Box and Craig Johnson live near here.
Thanks, this is great. I think I’m going to head up to Wyoming and spend some time staying in different places to get ti know it a bit. Much appreciated.🥂
@@vernafairleigh7566 I’d appreciate your thoughts on different locations, names and areas, if you are willing to mention them. And thank you in advance 🌹
I live in afton ! It is one of my favorite places in the whole world!!! I love star valley!!!! We got about 15 ft of snow this year tho it was an adventure
Cody is great, but over in an "intentionally unnamed town" just east of there we don't get all of the tourists in the summer. We're also getting a Dairy Queen so I won't have to make the trip to Cody when I get one of my insane urges. Haw!
@@matthewlove6985 , TOO MUCH INFORMATION MATTHEW, TOO MUCH INFORMATION! 🤫🤫🤫 It’s bad enough that those Communist Bastard Democrat’s have made it into the GREATEST STATE OF WYOMING; speaking in code is good but be very protective in giving out too much information. Remember- Too much information = INVASION! Just look at how Cody Wyoming ended up with Kanye West aka: Con-Ya Lucifer Worshiper West.
Thanks for the pictures. Never going there on purpose. Maybe if a plane I'm on breaks down in midair, we'll have a place to land. For every town they have one tree.
I have a friend who has lived in Cheyenne for decades. He was gone most of the time he lived there as he did short term contract work out of state for employment as there is just no jobs in Wyoming. He finally landed a job with something to do with the gas or oil industry. What is great about Cheyenne is that it is only a few hours away from Denver Co.
Saratoga is amazing! The hobo pool is miracle water. The Resort is a must stay. Hannah is horrible. I can’t believe it got a mention. Buffalo should have been #1 on the list.
Please don’t add Buffalo to the list. I know it should have been on the list but I grew up here and Buffalo has a reputation of becoming the next Jackson. You can work here but for the most part you can’t afford to live here if you work here.
@@brentbraten6680 your right! I should have kept that to myself. I don’t want the word to get out. Unfortunately the Longmire series didn’t help out with that cause. I will probably edit my post. :)
4:34... I camped in Lovell back in the summer of 2018. They have a free campground with flush toilets and a hot shower. It was really nice. Two thumbs up for those guys!
I've been living here 57 years and this sure paints a rosy picture. Most people that do live here hope they can retire somewhere else especially in the winter which lasts 6 months. If you are coming from a warmer climate (98% chance you are) I give you a 90% chance the wife has had enough Wyoming after two years. I knew a guy that was retiring and he said his plan was to load up his truck and put his snow shovel in the stake pocket so everyone could see it and drive until someone said "what the hell is that"!!! I'm not even going to mention the wind.
Kind of surprised not to see Powell there. Probably the crime rate, but they have a hospital, good internet in the town and Starlink is awesome in the rural areas, and they're not far from Cody and Billings (1/2 hour and hour and 45 minutes respectively).
I'm from Powell but I've never heard of starlink, just charter spectrum and TCT. Just an fyi but the schleinker ranch bought out TCT a couple years ago.
I lived in Powell for while it is a great place. I was pretty shocked to hear Lovell suggested as a good place to live as generally speaking from a local perspective it has a pretty bad reputation. Powell is closish to Lovell and a great place to live
Lander is another great town that you completely missed. Like Dubois, it sits at the base of the Wind River Mountains on the southern end of the range. It's very clean with a lot of outdoor activities. A short ten-minute drive to the west is Sinks Canyon State Park. Lander is also home to NOLS, which is one of the premier outdoor wilderness and mountain climbing schools in the world.
@@kimlymanrichardson4438 I grew up in Lander and now live in Riverton. Even though I've lived in Riverton for many years longer, Lander will always be my home.
To tell the truth that's why I'd carry. I don't want a Deer going into rut stomping my JRT. Bruce thinks he could take a deer, but he can't . I don't think everyone carries. I know I feel very safe here. I carried religiously in Texas.
I'm from Wyoming, grew up in the Bridger Valley. Even though I didn't mind it, I'm glad I'm not there anymore. The economy and the horrible winters were enough for me. I can't live where it snows on the fourth of July!
Dubois is actually pronounced do-boys, Lovell is not a great place to live, it smells like sugar beets during the winter, and if you’re not Mormon good luck. Hanna is literally a ghost town. It’s also at least an hours drive to the mountains. It’s also in wyomings wind corridor so winters it’s 70mph winds everyday.
The2ndFirst Hanna used to have over 2k people it’s dwindled down to about 700. And will continue to go down because there’s nothing there. I’m from Wyoming and have been to Hanna it’s not a picturesque Wyoming town either
@@seant1133 There's really not a whole lot of "picturesque" towns along the I-80 corridor. Rawlins isn't. Hanna isn't. Rock Springs certainly isn't. Laramie and Cheyenne are nice in a scruffy frontier town sort of way. Hanna will live on. It's actually closer to 800 now and the only reason I didn't move out there was problems with a loan at the time. I'm glad I didn't because of the commute to work. The fact that there is nothing there is an attractor to me and for a lot of other people.
I live in Sublette County in western Wyoming. A county so remote we don't have a single traffic light in the entire county. I noticed a few people that moved here last year , I guess working remotely. Of the 5 I saw , ALL 5 are already gone. Most outsiders just can't deal with a Wyoming winter. Our winters make Minnesota look like Florida. We are often colder than SIBERIA on a given day. Doesn't matter to me. I see these "rookies" come here , and I just guess how many WEEKS they'll last in winter.
I live in Wheatland Wyoming. When I first moved here almost 3 years ago, I got out of the shower, got dressed, wrapped a towel around my wet hair and went outside to smoke a cigarette. The wind literally whipped the towel off of my head! True story. I learned real quick to make sure you're holding onto your car door when getting in or out, unless you want to chance a broken arm or leg. Also, if you have long hair, make sure it's all in the car with you when you close the door lol. As for winter's, they are BRUTAL. I've learned more about snow "drifts" then I ever wanted to know. Also, I've lived in cold places before, but I never had a car window freeze shut til I moved here, lol. 😊
I would wager Nevada is more rural than Wyoming in between the cities Vegas, Reno and a couple of other cities near those. The whole northern and 2/3 of the eastern part of Nevada are just barren.
As a former resident of Dubois, I thought I'd point out that you missed the actual clinic and instead photogrpahed a house about two hundred yards to the west. The clinic is actually pretty nice for such a small town.
So relieved my small town in Wyoming didn't make the list. Back in the 90's we were nominated as an "All-America City" and suffered a sudden influx of big city locusts. Drove up property values, took over local government, whipped up drama and discontent, then most fled after suffering through five-or-six winters. Good riddance.
@@ameliarussell5068 YOur done for.... My state of Oregon was taken over by Calfornians... Now its a state that you move OUT of... Lesbian Governor was voted in.... Scary...
@@ameliarussell5068 So did my town, Lakeland Florida, about 5 years ago... Now we are known for the HIGHEST OVER PRICED property in the top 5 of the US..... LOL.... And you should see the gridlock, the traffic is a nightmare 24/7 now...... Most want to leave the hell hole it now is, but every where you look has become TOO expensive to move to and its full of Californians or New Yaukuhs....
Been to all of the ones you mentioned Saratoga closes for lunch .. lol My late wife's cousin is a cop there All those towns were nice and most of the people are friendly. I think I've been through most all them , I driven all over the state
Even as recently as 18 months ago, Afton and nearly all of Star Valley had incredibly reasonably priced real estate. About $10,000 per acre. I’ve been sitting here in my medical residency grieving as I’ve watched the prices go up. It’s been my plan to practice in Afton once I’m out of residency for many years now - and it’s gotten a lot more expensive while I’ve been waiting. Uuuuggghhhh…
I'm from Star Valley; although I don't live there anymore for various reasons. SV has been more expensive than many [most] areas of the state for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, with exposure generated from videos such as this, real estate prices could easily increase (and could do so quite rapidly) to a point where only those who are very wealthy can afford to buy property in and around that area. Tbh, I'm surprised it hasn't done so already; especially considering the proximity to Jackson.
@@comradeeverclear4063 Your state is already red. Typical the hate party needs an excuse. You blame when there is no growth and you blame when there is growth. Lose-Lose. You don't understand causality do you? Are you going to REFUSE growth? And then when your property value tanks you will STILL blame. Lose-Lose. Regardless of who moves in your property value and taxes will rise. Just feels better to blame some irrelevant group of people.
I'm getting ready to start PA school and my dream is also to practice in Star Valley. And it has been so painful watching real estate prices explode there and across the mountain west. I have researched and found some other similar towns in the region that haven't become quite so popular. I won't name them online because I hope they remain that way haha.
I live in bighorn county and our internet sucks!!!! We have hughsnet and it is not good. We are looking into Star link, our friends say it’s great! But yes we have a long winter but that’s ok because we have some great ice fishing. Also being so close to Yellowstone is nice. I’m surprised you didn’t mention cody, it’s packed I’m summer but fantastic in the fall and winter!! Great video as always!!!
Two facts about Wyoming: It’s windy all the time (mostly extremely high winds 60-100 mph common) and brutal Winters. It’s like cruel planet in Winter. Summers are fine, and make Wyoming look like a great place to live. Wyoming Winters make Wisconsin Winters look like Spring.
All one has to do to verify claims is to go to your favorite weather site. It's May 24th and it's 51 degrees right now. It will be in the 30s until next month. Never know, It might just snow on the 4th of July. It's a thing.
There are very few " Great " Rural towns in Wyoming to live, they ALL are Rural ! Most all of these ' Small " Towns are in Serious Financial Trouble, Rock Springs, Green River are Especially Bad, and are on the verge of Collapse, Sky High Unemployment, Crazy expensive rents and home prices make it much worse, Internet Coverage is Terrible with Service going down for days if not weeks on end, in many area's Cable and Dish Services Crash often as well. The State is in Economic Free Fall, and is getting worse. Towns are miles and miles apart, difficult in the winter when the Highways and Roads close due to Blizzards and Wind. Great Places to Buy Real Estate ? Really ? Thats not Correct not even a little, Realtors, Bankers often make Sunshine Video's , and Paint pretty pictures, trying to sell you some worth less land, filling your head with Visions of privacy and Rural living, all designed to separate you from your money, the Reality of it is , you will need to pay thousands of dollars to have Wells drilled searching for water on your rural property, and if they dont hit any you get to pay them thousands of more dollars to drill again, Power on your Rural property ? well that going to be thousands of more dollars, after you pay the crazy high Permits and Licenses, you'll need to have water and power, on your " Rural " Property, Got 4 Wheel drive Vehicles you'll need them to get in and out, got a snow plow ? Most people dont. These Realtors will say and do anything to get into your wallet, dont fall for their Pretty pictures and " Oh its no problem living way out here " Nonsense, So what do we do when you cant get out to the road, in the winter because its closed ? What do we do when we have no Internet, or Phone Service ? What happens if there is an Emergency and you cant get out because of deep snow, mud that can bury a car ? All these thing must be discussed, looked at and you better have very very deep pockets,
I'm considered a "Greenie"...meaning I'm from Colorado. Wyoming is purty provincial and insular. Natives can be guarded yet congenial. They tend to be very protective, guarding their state from outside influences, both sociological and political. Just Do Better is dead on: "9 months of winter and constant wind".....Yeup! Except for Cheyenne, Caspar, Yellowstone N.P. and Jackson, the state is sparsely populated. If you have agoraphobic tendencies, it ain't for you! There's great elk, plains deer and antelope hunting...particularly if you know a rancher. Fishing used to be heavenly until "A River Runs Through It" and the fly fishing craze hit. And finally...Liz Cheney is not a good representative of true residents of the Cowboy State.
I worked in Cheyenne for 4-years and would go to Colorado on RARE occasions. Seems every cop in the State would whip up a reason to pull me over and write me a ridiculous ticket when they spotted my Wyoming plates.. I talked to GREENIES who said the Wyoming cops were guilty of the same thing. Haw!
I love that there's two months of summer, two months of spring, two months of fall, and 6 months of winter. Liz Cheney's Uber is here in 2022. That RINO can go do whatever she wants. She just can't be the congressional rep here anymore.
Wyoming is my "if I win the lottery" state. Live in NC currently, but visited Wyoming on my travels and love it. Nothing I would love more than a small town (500-5000 residents) where I can have some land, a place to play with my guns, natural beauty, and some peace and quiet.
In Wyoming, 5000 is a relatively large town. I live in Lyman, WY, population 2200. We are, according to latest census, in the top 20 towns in Wyoming based on population.
I 've never talked to anyone that has had a problem there. Agreed, there's nothing to do. Hanna market is the only shop. Just depends on what you want from life. I personally don't drive on the Interstate unless I have to from about June to August.
I lived in Wyoming for several years and traveled the entire state as part of my work. I really liked it there, but I wound up leaving for the reason that a lot of Wyomingites do--economic reasons. Wyoming is definitely NOT for most non-Wyomingites, for reasons that you will see in my comments.
The good:
1. Wyoming people are some of the most decent, honest, hard-working people anywhere. Contrary to some stereotypes, many Wyomingites are well-educated.
2. Wyoming has some very scenic areas, and, with the exception of Jackson (which many native Wyomingites call "Disneyland" because it is so phony), is uncrowded and unspoiled.
3. Wyoming, for private individuals, is the most tax-friendly state in the Union--no income tax, low property taxes, and reasonable sales taxes. The minerals industry (including coal, natural gas and petroleum) pay about 75% of the tax burden in Wyoming. Over 50 years ago, the state established a Permanent State Minerals Trust Fund--funded by minerals taxes--to be maintained for the time that minerals production declines.
4. Freedom! Wyoming is a Constitutional Carry state, is staunchly politically conservative, and very committed to individual rights. Most of the state enjoys low crime.
The bad:
1. The climate. The climate of Wyoming is semi-arid to very arid, with short growing seasons. For about 7 to 8 months of the year, the Wyoming landscape is either brown or snow-covered. Winters are long--can be brutal cold in many locales, spring and fall are short, and summers are only middling length and often dry. Numerous (but not all) towns in Wyoming can be windy--often brutally windy.
2. Jobs. Most of Wyoming's jobs are tied to the minerals (including energy) industry and government. Agriculture is a big industry in Wyoming, but employs relatively few people. Much of Wyoming's agriculture is centered around large ranches. Jobs can be scarce, and fluctuate a lot with the minerals industry.
3. Driving. If you live in Wyoming, expect to drive a lot of miles. Driving is lower stress than most places, because traffic is often sparse, but distances can be daunting. For example, taking kids to an interschool sporting event can often mean a 500-750 mile round trip.
4. Health care. If you need many kinds of specialized medical care you may have to leave the state to get it. Many Wyomingites have to travel to Colorado, Montana, or Utah to get some types of specialized medical care.
The not well-known:
1. Native Wyomingites absolutely will dislike you if you start up with "Well, we did this differently in [name state or city here]." Their answer will likely be, "You're not in [name state or city here], so we're not interested in how you did things there."
2. Not any problem for me, but may be for some people--much of rural Wyoming, like neighboring Utah and Idaho, has a lot of LDS residents. This is particularly true in most of western, central, and northern Wyoming. In those areas, the LDS Church has considerable influence in the communities and in the political arena.
My $0.02 as someone who lived in Wyoming and traveled all of it.
I was there in March (21 to 25) and the weather was just fine. Maybe I got lucky. It was sunny and 65-70 degrees, although of course, very windy.
@@MirzaAhmed89 friends live there. Usually colder than me and I'm cold in Idaho!
All this information is very interesting, and I can see where it could be very helpful to someone thinking of moving there. Thank you.
@@MirzaAhmed89 The weather is very fickle in Wyoming. I've seen 60+ degrees days in January, and two days later have it 20 below zero. Quite often in winter, I would go weeks without any snow on the ground at my house, then, within 48 hrs. have 9 ft. high drifts in my driveway. Spring can be very variable--warm days, then big snowstorms. One year, we had almost 6" of snow in Cheyenne in early June! Southeast Wyoming can get severe hailstorms in summer (severe = golf-ball or larger size hail) and an occasional tornado. How often? Well, my house in SE Wyoming had 4 new roofs installed in 8 years due to hail damage. Oh, and, yeah, the wind. Wyoming joke: What is a Wyoming wind vane? A log chain tied to a telephone pole. When the chain blows out straight, that's normal; when links start to blow off the end of the chain, you seek cover. Real story: people in Wyoming do get broken arms on occasion when the wind blows their vehicle door shut, slamming their arm between the door and the car body while the person is entering or exiting the vehicle.
Nailed it. I would add, for people needing health care, it is handy to live near the interstate to drive those distances. And the most heavily LDS community is Lovell (as in Sister Wives fame). Personally, I find that town depressing, but if you plan on being in the mountains a lot , the Big Horns are very nearby. Live in Wyoming and love it but I would rather the larger towns than the rural. Cody and Sheridan are great and not overly large. However the real estate, like everywhere else, has gone up to 100k to 200k over the last 4 years.
Fun fact. If you graduate from high school in Wyoming and you have been taking college prep classes and have a pretty good GPA, you can get paid tuition at any of our 7 Wyoming community college or at our (only) university-UW. Hathaway Scholarship program -oil and gas endowed program. Sweet.
Rarely is it fully paid, but more like partially subsidized.
@@bladeswelove Hathaway is almost always a fully paid scholarship program. However, they do have a program that sets almost all students up with a baseline student loan to get started in College.
@@comradeeverclear4063 I live in Wyoming and have a college-age daughter...Typically unless you have a very high ACT score it pays like $3,000 towards the total. So it's better than nothing, but it certainly leaves a lot to be paid for.
I go to UW. Between the Cowboy Commitment and the Hathaway scholarships I only have to pay approx $1500 per semester for tuition. The community college in my hometown (Gillette) will give free tuition for everyone who scored over a 23 on their ACT. I had some buddies that stayed there their first few outta highschool years and pocketed the Hathaway money. Also the Hathaway fund is big enough that the interest it earns more than compensates for it's awarded scholarships. With population going down in Wyoming, I expect the Hathaway payouts to increase in future years potentially even getting to the point where the top level just awards outright full rides to UW.
Yup! I got my associates degree with the Hathaway scholarship at Gillette College.
Hopefully this video won't cause a bunch of Californians to flood into Wyoming. It looks very peaceful and safe and I'm sure its people prefer it to stay that way.
The Californ-holes have absolutely FLOODED BOISE, Idaho, as well as northern Idaho, and all parts in between. In Boise the beautiful farmland is disappearing under new developments being put EVERYWHERE, because of the flood. There is no housing to be found, rentals are scarce and outrageously expensive. The CA holes are ruining the entire state, instead of staying and fixing their own state. We are moving back to WY, and we love it! I’ll take all the wind, cold, etc. over the traffic and the woke crap that’s starting ti infiltrate Idaho! Its tragic all the way around.
Californians have what I call invaded. Idaho, Washington, Montana, and Colorado, have started taking over Arizona and think frighteningly they are starting to set their sights on Michigan.
There's down sides and up sides. Depends on what you're looking for. I want to live in peace. I carried a pistol every day in Texas. I was actually an LTC instructor. I've carried maybe two times in 1.5 years here. You're at more risk from someone stealing tools or easy resale items out of your tool box if you leave it unattended at night than anything else. Even that is pretty low. I got exactly what I wanted when I moved here. The cold, the snow, wind and isolation are our protection.
You're not going to see a flood of Californians to Wyoming. Once they find out what the snow fences are for, they'll hightail it out of there. The number of Californians who can stomach the climate is not big enough to constitute a flood. Also, did you see the pictures of these towns? I don't care how great the internet service is, these are not towns anyone would want to flood.
@@elizabethy2912 I'm sorry to hear that :( glad you're getting away from it!!!
I have lived in wyoming all my life. There are a few things I would mention to folks before they moved here. Such as the religious environments of these small towns, which can be a huge issue if you don't "fit in". Specifically the northwest, or Lovell, is morman and very much so. It is very nice, but also very conservative. The majority of wyoming is very conservative and protective of those beliefs.
No wonder the crime rate is so low
@@waterheaterservices crime is low because everyone packs. An armed society is a polite society.
If one doesn't care about religion Its not a super big thing.
@@HaventHerd307 yes, it does work when you know someone owns a firearm or carries.
Move out of county 9 bwhaha
I currently live in Wyoming. I absolutely love it other than the 9 months of winter and constant wind. Tax burdens are light and there is virtually zero crime. Great state overall.
Hey
That lovely breeze is natural population control
😂😂😂
@@wyolaskan1868 Yea it’s a real deal breaker It’s terrible, people should really consider moving somewhere else. I heard California has perfect weather. People should just move there and avoid Wyoming altogether.
The almost in the zero crime deal includes some random teens from Illinois hijacking gas out of a boys and girls club bus. Yes that actually happened and of course they got caught which they probably wouldn't in any other state😂
@@heidimarchant5438 the one crime and the criminals got caught haha Wyoming life is tough
hard to have criminals when everyone's carrying a gun and itching to take someone out who tries to take their hard earned stuff haha.
I was born and raised (16) in Casper the moved to Denver, CO. Still proud to say I was born in Wyoming.
Dreaming of Wyoming, from Denver. Another city being ruined by The Party.
@@waterheaterservices yup Polis Sucks
Mini commiefornia nice
1st time I was in Wyoming I walked into a small coffee shop at 6am. Everybody was packing. I never felt so safe in my life. GIDDY UP
@Big Dick Black In Wyoming, I would never worry about someone packing heat. In California, I would worry about ANYONE carrying a gun...
@Big Dick Black You have to look at total population. Wyoming is less than 600k. California is a bit less than 40 million. It is unfortunate but that "gun violent death" stat includes suicide. Shootings besides that are not heard of. Resident of 30 years.
@Big Dick Black you don’t call it safe because there are fewer gun deaths lol First who are those deaths? If they are all criminals then there you go!
@Big Dick Black Gun control sure worked well for Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Castro, Pol Pot, Kim, Ho. Millions murdered.
@Big Dick Black you are out of your mind.
Raised my family in Cody, wonderful town. Retired in Idaho because grandchildren were there. Love both Wyoming and Idaho.
Loved this video! I grew up in Wyoming, mostly Sundance. In fact our old house was in your video.
Thanks for highlighting a wonderful state!
WHOOO WHOOOT for Casper, Wyoming.
Love the Views. love the people. Great place to live
AWESOME VIDEO SIR!!!!
Love the trails interpretive center there.
Surprised you didn't mention Pinedale, Wyoming. I visited Pinedale, which is about a 90 minutes drive south from Jackson, last September. The town has a population of about 2000 with most services, including a new regional hospital scheduled to open by the end of 2022. It has one of the best welcome signs I've seen: "Welcome To Pinedale - All The Civilization You Need."
I love Pinedale. I've been through there a couple of times on my way north.
It’s got a museum dedicated to the Mountain Men, too.
This guy reads up on you tube then acts like a know it all from Wyoming....He has no idea where Pinedale is...
A real gem. There’s some housing going up there now. It’s been discovered.
I live here in Aloha Oregon, across the street from World According to Briggs. I see him mowing his lawn in the summer. Crazy he has a big RUclips following now.
Hello there Briggs, it is Bill your neighbor.
1 of the cool things about WYOMING is that your a resident of of Wyoming with a valid driver's license and it's legal to concelled carry or open carry moved there from Oregon lived in Wyoming for 15 years and loved it🖒🖒
You’re
@@CoolHandLuke01 seriously that's your takeaway? You obviously over looked other ones spellcheck nazi. Get a life
I'm rather curious - why is "conceal carry" a big selling point with you?
@@alabamaal225 probably pro 2A and believes that government should not restrict how and where we can carry. Oregon is an open carry state which is fine until you put on a coat and it even partially covers your weapon. Then the cops are all over you, you get arrested and lose your right to even own a firearm and for hunting you are down to bow
@@alabamaal225 I prefer open carry but conceal carry has advantages under certain circumstances.
I moved from Denver to undisclosed area near jackson wy. Bought 40 acres and built a home. One of the best decisions for our family. Winters are cold and long but I dont care. and starlink works great here
you are gradually becoming my favorite youtuber as time goes on. i love planning out my life, finding my dream towns, and american geography, and you combine all of that into youtube videos while being entertaining and funny
Thanks for your kind words about us Wyoming people! I’ve lived here my whole life and absolutely love it. In the past people have said we are “fiercely independent”, racist, and rude. Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but I know I’m not those things. However we do love our independence. I love where I live in Northeast Wyoming. Very affordable, and I’m half way between the Bighorns and Black Hills. I don’t know if I could handle Mrs. Kravitz and all the Karens of these little towns on this list 😂. I’m going to stick with my population of 34,000. It’s nice to be able to have all I need without everyone knowing everything about me.
And no smash and grab people!
Without looking at all these stats my personal opinion on great towns I’ve stayed in in Wyoming while on geology camps are Buffalo, Thermopolis where I am at this moment and from what I hear Greybull is great as well, traveling there tomorrow and will find out for sure. Cool video.
Should check out Cody Wyoming.
You're at the warmest place in WY
I’ve encountered some strange people in Thermopolis. Not my cup of tea!
@@ryanhancock2141 you mean mini Jackson hole. There ain't shit in Cody
Been to all of these, particularly like Saratoga, I've stayed in the Wolf Hotel a couple of times, great place!
I'm a recent retiree and am loving these small town videos! Would you ever consider doing a similar series on small cities, say 5000-10,000 population?
Thermopolis and Glenrock are my favorite places. Both quiet towns and beautiful. Glenrock is 15 minutes from Casper, so extremely convenient. Thermopolis has the wind river canyon touching it and the hot springs. Glenrock also has boxelder mountain a few minutes south. Both have 2,500-3,000 population. For about 10K population, Sheridan and Cody are great. Both stunning and lots to do. Lots of history too. Love this state.
We retired a few years ago to Laramie (32,515 pop. in 2020) and love it. It has a good balance of things including the cultural things associated with the Univ. of Wyo., good outdoor opportunities, good health care, decent shopping, and, if you need something from a bigger town, e.g. big box stores or specialized health care, Cheyenne is 45 minutes away, Ft. Collins, CO abouty an hour, and Denver is about 2 hours. We love it here and it really works for us.
You have about 4 options or you can move to jackson hole wy. If you have around 5 million minimum.
I was thinking of this one. Don't like the winter's, but love Wyoming. And we have to have Internet to listen to Briggs.
Awesome job, Briggs! I've lived in WY and still love it. Afton and Dubois are two great towns! People in WY are the best! 🤠👍🌄
I couldn’t agree more…I visited DuBois for about 2 weeks some years back with my family and the people there were very good to us “Easterners”. We hated to leave…
@@glennmorrell4907They are all easterners that took over Dubois... Are there any homes in Dubois under a million dollars???
The winters, winter temperatures and number of hours of sunshine in the winter are tough. Summer is flat out awesome
All 60 days of it.
Sheridan has the best doctors, hospital, people, rodeos, hockey rink, great schools.
Cody is by far superior to Sheridan. Only thing they have that’s better than cody is the big va hostpital and an interstate.
And we're green and get half the wind and half the tourists that Cody does. I lived in Cody for a looong time and still fond of it, but Sheridan is a beauty. Depends on what you value, really :)
All y’all stop your bragging.
I grew up in Newcastle.
@@wyolaskan1868 People in that corner of the State have a unique accent, have you ever been told that?
@@matthewlove6985
I have not heard that, ha
Ayo 2 minutes ago! And it's Wyoming, I've been waiting for this one.
Same here
He made a poll & we chose wyoming
@@IlakuSoKingg must’ve missed it🫥
I worked in the coal mines in Hanna, in the late 70s, it was a lot more crowded! I also grew up in Laramie.
Hey! my great grandmother lived there during your time in Hanna!
People are starting to move back into hanna and medicine bow, due to rising prices in the rest of carbon county.
Hey Briggs, I really enjoy your videos. That said, $400k, for a home- isn’t a ‘great small town’. Who can afford to buy these homes in these places? I think most of America can’t.
Yeah, I was thinking the same e thing. Especially now that I'm retired.
These old rich people , and I’m old but poor are ruining the Rockies . A 70 year old couple wanted to buy land up in the high county without thinking of the hardship of winter and being 50 or more miles from a hospital . Good luck with that . All the old motels or small hotels that ranch hands retired to were bought by rich Californians and are gone .
All the homes aren't that expensive. I don't know why he didn't say there are some options. However, you'd be looking at older and small homes that are usually in town.
Wyoming housing is expensive, don't listen to any of these comments. If you find a cheap house, 99% chance, you'll be super isolated and need $50,000 4x4, at best.
@@toddgittins5692 I don't think this is true. WY isn't more expensive than a lot of other states - not all, for sure. It depends on where you go and what you are willing to live in. The smaller towns do have cheaper homes, even in town, but you get what you pay for. There are not a lot of these, but they do exist.
Wyoming is the Reddest State. I love it.
Years ago, just outside of Afton, WY, we were delayed about an hour as a group of cowboys herded an enormous flock of sheep across US 89. There must have been thousands of them! We weren't in a hurry. Nobody seems to be in a hurry in Wyoming. Am I the only one who think Devil's Tower looks like a huge tree stump?
Years ago my family's neighboring ranch used to herd cows right thru Cody. There's a story about the bear statue that still stands at the big Bear motel and the cow boss' horse had to make a detour up the hill and around because it feared that darn statue😂
There are theories that it is a petrified tree stump (of a giant tree). Do an internet search.
i was stuck on the highway from vernal, utah to manila, utah when they were running the sheep. for hours. my husband was so worried & my cell was dead & i didn’t have my charger!
Wyoming is lots like Texas. Only better. Depending on what you're looking for.
Cowboys don’t herd sheep. Period.
For 25+ years me my late wife and son spent our summers in Wyoming I've been all over the state and absolutely love it We have a family cabin outside the east gate
My in-laws live in Laramie and almost every year I would drive from Laramie to Cody about 6 hours if I remember right depending on which way we went . Been to so many towns If you're out there go to Kaycee and see the Chris Ladoux park
How hot are the summers?
@@littlebitofhope1489 hottest is July and August, it's the only time we run the A/C. 90 degrees is about the average high I think. That's not for the whole 2 months tho.
I've got to get over to Kacee, Chris Ledoux is a legend and one of my favorites right along with the gentle giant!
@@heidimarchant5438 our last trip was just my son and I . We were in Hot Springs SD visiting a friend when we left there headed to the cabin on a whim we took the long way up through Kaycee just to see the park They have his music playing through hidden speakers . I fell in love with Chris while working as a wrangler out if Pahaska the year after he passed away
@@user-KrackerJack wow pahaska to Kacee is quite a distance. Maybe I misinterpreted what you were trying to say. A wrangler is no easy task, congrats.
Hot flash, pretty much all of Wyoming is rural. And we like it that way.
Yeah but it lacks high paying jobs for the most part
And the small town people are rude, standoffish and condescending. Lusk in particular.
@@jimbob5487 I'm guessing your from Colorado
@@RobKimbro1966 yall are so quick to make assumptions... Wyomingites are really something else.
@@RobKimbro1966 but why would you try to guess where I'm from when I say that? Is that how yall intentionally treat Coloradans? Or Texans for that matter?
We’re all full here. Please find some other state to ruin. Wyoming is always cold and windy. The past 5 years in a row it’s snowed several inches in May. One of the few states that can get snow in all 12 months of the year. Winds blow constantly at 60mph+ in the winter. Do yourself a favor and just don’t.
Wyoming isn't full considering it has no major cities and is mostly vast and empty. In fact WY has the same population as Baltimore, MD and is losing some population.
@@AlexCab_49 pretty sure he just doesn't want anyone to move there 🤣
@@deboraharnold3964 Well I doubt anyone would willingly move there
@@AlexCab_49 yeah, you never know. People have all kinds of reasons for relocating. All kinds of weather preference. All kinds of how many people they have to engage with daily preference 🤣
@@deboraharnold3964 Well Wyoming is still losing population and that's probably because there isn't much job opportunities there. I suspect the people who would move there are conservative remote workers or retirees but I suspect Why is too cold and windy for most retirees
Snow Doesn't melt there, it Blows around till it wears out. Harsh Weather and WIND. Other than that it's Great.
I was born in Wyoming and still live here. I love it but it is not for everyone. Windy frequently…and a long ways between places. Jobs are very few and far between. Native Wyomingites are fiercely independent because we have to be…. If you are driving somewhere and blow a tire you are likely to not have cell service to call AAA and maybe not that much other traffic so you better be prepared. There are lack of resources for many things so you learn to do it yourself or live without.
Great people, kind and helpful to friends and strangers alike - just not very many people here. Most of them have their own teeth and are better educated than people might have been led to believe. 😂
I bought a .4 acre Lot with water and electricity hook up for 7k about 6 years ago in a small resort town called Star Valley Ranch that sits between Alpine and Afton, Wyo. My Hoa fee is about $400 per year. It's about 55 min south of Jackson and 1.5 hours from Yellowstone. Thayne, Wyo. is 5 minutes away with a medical clinic. Lincoln County has currently valued my Lot at 38k and the going price to buy a Lot my size in SVR is around 75k. .4 acres is just fine because SVR is surround by thousands of acres of public land. I consider my self very blessed and hope to build on it when I retire.
Dubois is pronounced "Due-boys" in Pennsylvania! Located about an hour north and east of Pittsburgh.
Yes it is live not far from there for the time being
@@emilyhaight2813 I often would come to town when I was younger. My family had a lake house on Treasure Lake that we would go visit.
When I lived on that side of Wyoming that is how I usually heard it pronounced. I love Dubois its a sweet little town.
That's how we actually pronounce it here and I've lived in wyoming my entire life never heard anyone say "dueboyce"
I lived in Riverton for 17 years. Due-boys” is right.
A few notes on living in or near places like Hanna. The wind blows like you wouldn't believe and in the winter that equates to massive snow drifts and horrible wind chill. Also, when the interstate gets closed due to weather, trucks bypass the closed section by rerouting through Hwy 30 near Hanna. So, if you are trying to get out, good luck. Also, the roads close often enough in the winter that you better have some supplies stocked up for a few weeks at all times. My grandpa used to joke that the snow there never melted, it just wore out.
Perfect timing, Yellowstone just had a huge Earthquake
Well. Land could be cheap soon...
Still wouldn't worry until volcanologist sound warnings. Yellowstone isn't even in the top 20 of most dangerous volcano in the US. And there is so much misinformation about Yellowstone it's unreal. Most scientists agree that if Yellowstone erupts, it will be hydothermic. Basically a giant geyser. And it's not overdue, there's no such thing as timings for volcanoes, if so we could accurately predict each and every one on the planet. Sure the doomsday story is cool, but it's just a story
4.2? that isn't huge.
Lol, yellowstone always quakes, calm down
Well I didn't feel anything, must not have been that big. I've never felt an earthquake here in fact.
Alright Afton! Passed through there on my way to watch the Total Eclipse in '17, fueled up and left my gas cap on top the pump. A week later I took a shot that it might be there - it was!
When I saw the title of this video I was wondering if Saratoga would be on the list. I deliver to a restaurant there once a week and it seems like a really cool town.
It is.
When I was still in elementary school, my best friend moved from northern Colorado (where we grew up) to Saratoga. I got to spend parts of a couple summers there and for a 9 year old, it was a blast. The biggest treat was going to 7-11 for the slushies or slurpies or whatever those are called. That was huge, because I lived on a ranch 50 miles from the nearest 7-11. My great grandmother spent probably the last 20 years of her life in Hanna in a modest little house. A little surprised it's on this list. Once I-80 bypassed it, towns along US-30 withered quite a bit.
I'm originally from WY and I was kind of shocked that Hanna even made the list especially at #2. I'm surprised that Buffalo didn't make it but also happy that it didn't since people there don't want their town ruined.
If you're planning on or wanting to move to WY, my best advice is go visit in Jan/Feb, see if the winters are something you'll like then make up your mind. Don't do a visit only in May/June and pick to move there without having any idea what winter can be like or you'll have a bad time.
Right? My first thought when the narrator mentioned the crime rate in Hanna was, "That's because no one lives in Hanna!". Want groceries? Drive to Rawlins. Want medical care? Drive to Rawlins. Want to eat at any cafe that isn't The Virginian? ...Rawlins. Or Toga. Move to Hanna if you want isolation.
Exactly what I plan on doing! I visited Yellowstone in summer of ‘21. Drove from CO & went through many towns not realizing after I visited that I would be so drawn to live there. So this winter I’ll be heading back to seriously look at where I may want to live in WY-love it!
I can’t believe you left off Sheridan. Less wind, very good medical and good shopping. The two best known authors in the state; CJ Box and Craig Johnson live near here.
I see a number of videos on the subject of living in Wyo and many ignore Sheridan and the surrounding area. I just don't get it!
Thanks, this is great. I think I’m going to head up to Wyoming and spend some time staying in different places to get ti know it a bit. Much appreciated.🥂
Good for you, there are lots of places not noted in this video that are much nicer.
@@vernafairleigh7566 I’d appreciate your thoughts on different locations, names and areas, if you are willing to mention them. And thank you in advance 🌹
If you get anywhere close to Cody, spend a day (or more) at the museums in town. Beautifully curated with something for almost everyone.
I live in afton ! It is one of my favorite places in the whole world!!! I love star valley!!!! We got about 15 ft of snow this year tho it was an adventure
The reason it's great is because of small population and independent thought. A higher population will ruin it in the same way Colorado has been.
I live in Cody Wyoming and I love it! Beautiful views and nice and peaceful also a 40 minute drive from Yellowstone!!
🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫 Stop it. Don’t give away a good thing.
Cody is great, but over in an "intentionally unnamed town" just east of there we don't get all of the tourists in the summer. We're also getting a Dairy Queen so I won't have to make the trip to Cody when I get one of my insane urges. Haw!
@@matthewlove6985 , TOO MUCH INFORMATION MATTHEW, TOO MUCH INFORMATION! 🤫🤫🤫 It’s bad enough that those Communist Bastard Democrat’s have made it into the GREATEST STATE OF WYOMING; speaking in code is good but be very protective in giving out too much information. Remember- Too much information = INVASION! Just look at how Cody Wyoming ended up with Kanye West aka: Con-Ya Lucifer Worshiper West.
Love the Buffalo Bill center and the overall vibe. But it is expensive and touristy.
Wow! I can't believe you forgot Upton! It's literally the best town on Earth!
Left Sheridan Wyoming at 17yrs old never looked back, love South Carolina 🌴
Wyoming is undoubtedly one of the best States to live
I came late, but I'm here and I love it.
It is the best. Edit, I mean the absolute worst!
@@HaventHerd307 Good at least everybody won't be coming there
without question.
I love Wyoming and I would live there, but it’s definitely not for everyone (thank goodness)!
Thanks for the pictures. Never going there on purpose. Maybe if a plane I'm on breaks down in midair, we'll have a place to land. For every town they have one tree.
Nobody needs internet. People need air, water, food & shelter.
I have a friend who has lived in Cheyenne for decades. He was gone most of the time he lived there as he did short term contract work out of state for employment as there is just no jobs in Wyoming. He finally landed a job with something to do with the gas or oil industry. What is great about Cheyenne is that it is only a few hours away from Denver Co.
And Dubois has the pretty awesome American Museum of Military Vehicles.
A great place for vets to see and also great for civilian's to see what we vets used and 'played' with.
Here it is baby! Just what I've been waiting for!
The National Museum of Military Vehicles is a few miles West of Dubois. Look them up. Amazing collection.
And there’s the bighorn sheep interpretive center right in town.
Home of Teton Valley Ranch Camp which used to be in Kelly before they paved the roads in Jackson. Dubois looks great.
Saratoga is amazing! The hobo pool is miracle water. The Resort is a must stay. Hannah is horrible. I can’t believe it got a mention. Buffalo should have been #1 on the list.
Please don’t add Buffalo to the list. I know it should have been on the list but I grew up here and Buffalo has a reputation of becoming the next Jackson. You can work here but for the most part you can’t afford to live here if you work here.
@@brentbraten6680 your right! I should have kept that to myself. I don’t want the word to get out. Unfortunately the Longmire series didn’t help out with that cause. I will probably edit my post. :)
Lots of great places in Wyoming but keeping them secret keeps them great places to live
Hannah is fine. If you want nightlife, there's the Peppermill just over in Rawlins.
I've been to the hot springs in Saratoga when the outside temperature was 20 degrees. Fun times
It's cold and windy and dusty and full of mega republicans with tons of guns and killer tumbling weeds
4:34... I camped in Lovell back in the summer of 2018. They have a free campground with flush toilets and a hot shower. It was really nice. Two thumbs up for those guys!
This ought to be good. Basically, everything outside of Cheyenne qualifies as a rural town, and Cheyenne BARELY qualifies as a city!
Alot of us don't consider Cheyenne part of the state as their politics is an awful lot like Colorado ! & not the same mentality as the rest of us.
Hi Briggs. Have a great Thursday and be safe.
I lived in Dubois, then Pavilion, Wind River ( go cougars) ,Riverton ( chay wolverines)
I've been living here 57 years and this sure paints a rosy picture. Most people that do live here hope they can retire somewhere else especially in the winter which lasts 6 months. If you are coming from a warmer climate (98% chance you are) I give you a 90% chance the wife has had enough Wyoming after two years. I knew a guy that was retiring and he said his plan was to load up his truck and put his snow shovel in the stake pocket so everyone could see it and drive until someone said "what the hell is that"!!! I'm not even going to mention the wind.
Kind of surprised not to see Powell there. Probably the crime rate, but they have a hospital, good internet in the town and Starlink is awesome in the rural areas, and they're not far from Cody and Billings (1/2 hour and hour and 45 minutes respectively).
I'm from Powell but I've never heard of starlink, just charter spectrum and TCT. Just an fyi but the schleinker ranch bought out TCT a couple years ago.
I lived in Powell for while it is a great place. I was pretty shocked to hear Lovell suggested as a good place to live as generally speaking from a local perspective it has a pretty bad reputation. Powell is closish to Lovell and a great place to live
For sure and surprised Buffalo wasn't mentioned either!
Blabber mouth...refrain from firing a signal flare Californians might see. Heh.
Too windy in Wyoming, but those buffalo look delicious!
Lander is another great town that you completely missed. Like Dubois, it sits at the base of the Wind River Mountains on the southern end of the range. It's very clean with a lot of outdoor activities. A short ten-minute drive to the west is Sinks Canyon State Park. Lander is also home to NOLS, which is one of the premier outdoor wilderness and mountain climbing schools in the world.
I lived in Lander for 2 years
@@kimlymanrichardson4438 I grew up in Lander and now live in Riverton. Even though I've lived in Riverton for many years longer, Lander will always be my home.
Lander my favorite town In Wyoming
I grew up in Lander. Please don't overpopulate it.
I love so much Wyoming...is very beautiful country...! From Porto Belo, Santa Catarina State, Brazil...!
WE DONT NEED MORE PEOPLE IN WYOMING!!!! WE NEED TO KEEP THIS SMALL TOWN AMERICA!!!!
Amen!
You need more women in Wyoming for certain and that you can’t argue with lol
@@prepperjonpnw6482 , Agreed; NO DEMOCRAT’S.
@@prepperjonpnw6482 you just need to know were to look so i can argue
Respect the hell outta that! But I’d love to live there, I’m no Democrap, probably can’t afford it anyway. Your so blessed to live there, beautiful!!
Loved Dubois. Spent a number of nights there between backpacking trips.
One thing not mentioned is that when the roads are closed, you don't go anywhere. And the roads are closed a lot. And Hanna is miserable.
I agree about Hanna wondered about that one.
I was looking at Hanna when I first came out here. I'm glad I waited a winter before I made a choice on where to live.
It won't be High real estate prices for long the economy is taking a dump thanks to the resident in Chief
Been waiting for this one Jim, thanks I think I might have found one to go on the top 5 or 3 list, thank again.
"Everyone carrys" in Wy. When you travel from town to town, you never know what wild animals - person you could run into.
To me, sounds like a disincentive for living in Wyoming.
Everyone carries *a knife*. I'm not so sure about guns. I'm pretty good at spotting on body carriers. I don't see that a whole lot.
@@alabamaal225 if you don’t like guns then don’t come here. We like Wyoming just the way it is.
To tell the truth that's why I'd carry. I don't want a Deer going into rut stomping my JRT. Bruce thinks he could take a deer, but he can't . I don't think everyone carries. I know I feel very safe here. I carried religiously in Texas.
I'm from Wyoming, grew up in the Bridger Valley. Even though I didn't mind it, I'm glad I'm not there anymore. The economy and the horrible winters were enough for me. I can't live where it snows on the fourth of July!
Dubois is actually pronounced do-boys, Lovell is not a great place to live, it smells like sugar beets during the winter, and if you’re not Mormon good luck. Hanna is literally a ghost town. It’s also at least an hours drive to the mountains. It’s also in wyomings wind corridor so winters it’s 70mph winds everyday.
It's not a ghost town. You can't buy a house there anymore. When I got here in 2020 there were affordable houses. They're gone.
The2ndFirst Hanna used to have over 2k people it’s dwindled down to about 700. And will continue to go down because there’s nothing there. I’m from Wyoming and have been to Hanna it’s not a picturesque Wyoming town either
@@seant1133 There's really not a whole lot of "picturesque" towns along the I-80 corridor. Rawlins isn't. Hanna isn't. Rock Springs certainly isn't. Laramie and Cheyenne are nice in a scruffy frontier town sort of way. Hanna will live on. It's actually closer to 800 now and the only reason I didn't move out there was problems with a loan at the time. I'm glad I didn't because of the commute to work. The fact that there is nothing there is an attractor to me and for a lot of other people.
We used to go to Afton to buy everclear liquor. It's basically rubbing alcohol but doesn't taste as bad.
I live in Sublette County in western Wyoming. A county so remote we don't have a single traffic light in the entire county.
I noticed a few people that moved here last year , I guess working remotely.
Of the 5 I saw , ALL 5 are already gone.
Most outsiders just can't deal with a Wyoming winter. Our winters make Minnesota look like Florida. We are often colder than SIBERIA on a given day.
Doesn't matter to me. I see these "rookies" come here , and I just guess how many WEEKS they'll last in winter.
Same issue in Jackson. Lots of turnover when winter comes by.
I visited Wyoming for the first time very neat state. Sheridan, Wyoming.
Please do Michigan next!
Way too much fun! Having RV'd through Afton, Saratoga, Dubois and Lovell and stayed at several (free) city parks and hot springs. Let's go WYO!
I live in Wheatland Wyoming. When I first moved here almost 3 years ago, I got out of the shower, got dressed, wrapped a towel around my wet hair and went outside to smoke a cigarette. The wind literally whipped the towel off of my head! True story. I learned real quick to make sure you're holding onto your car door when getting in or out, unless you want to chance a broken arm or leg. Also, if you have long hair, make sure it's all in the car with you when you close the door lol. As for winter's, they are BRUTAL. I've learned more about snow "drifts" then I ever wanted to know. Also, I've lived in cold places before, but I never had a car window freeze shut til I moved here, lol. 😊
I just watching this now, Saratoga, wonder if lolly's shop is still opened, hopefully it is, they have good food.
Thank you for the video, Briggs.
I'm curious to see how many good towns you can find in Nevada. I'm guessing somewhere between 0 and 1.
I would wager Nevada is more rural than Wyoming in between the cities Vegas, Reno and a couple of other cities near those. The whole northern and 2/3 of the eastern part of Nevada are just barren.
If he includes Battle Mountain on that list I’m eating this Tablet!
As a former resident of Dubois, I thought I'd point out that you missed the actual clinic and instead photogrpahed a house about two hundred yards to the west. The clinic is actually pretty nice for such a small town.
So relieved my small town in Wyoming didn't make the list. Back in the 90's we were nominated as an "All-America City" and suffered a sudden influx of big city locusts. Drove up property values, took over local government, whipped up drama and discontent, then most fled after suffering through five-or-six winters. Good riddance.
What town is that?
Too bad my small town made the list... :(
@@ameliarussell5068 YOur done for.... My state of Oregon was taken over by Calfornians... Now its a state that you move OUT of... Lesbian Governor was voted in.... Scary...
@@ricksmith4736 Obviously the class the place up! High Five!
@@ameliarussell5068 So did my town, Lakeland Florida, about 5 years ago... Now we are known for the HIGHEST OVER PRICED property in the top 5 of the US..... LOL.... And you should see the gridlock, the traffic is a nightmare 24/7 now......
Most want to leave the hell hole it now is, but every where you look has become TOO expensive to move to and its full of Californians or New Yaukuhs....
Been to all of the ones you mentioned Saratoga closes for lunch .. lol
My late wife's cousin is a cop there
All those towns were nice and most of the people are friendly. I think I've been through most all them , I driven all over the state
Even as recently as 18 months ago, Afton and nearly all of Star Valley had incredibly reasonably priced real estate. About $10,000 per acre. I’ve been sitting here in my medical residency grieving as I’ve watched the prices go up. It’s been my plan to practice in Afton once I’m out of residency for many years now - and it’s gotten a lot more expensive while I’ve been waiting. Uuuuggghhhh…
Remember that in November. Vote Red downballot.
I'm from Star Valley; although I don't live there anymore for various reasons. SV has been more expensive than many [most] areas of the state for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, with exposure generated from videos such as this, real estate prices could easily increase (and could do so quite rapidly) to a point where only those who are very wealthy can afford to buy property in and around that area. Tbh, I'm surprised it hasn't done so already; especially considering the proximity to Jackson.
@@comradeeverclear4063 Your state is already red. Typical the hate party needs an excuse. You blame when there is no growth and you blame when there is growth. Lose-Lose. You don't understand causality do you? Are you going to REFUSE growth? And then when your property value tanks you will STILL blame. Lose-Lose. Regardless of who moves in your property value and taxes will rise. Just feels better to blame some irrelevant group of people.
I'm getting ready to start PA school and my dream is also to practice in Star Valley. And it has been so painful watching real estate prices explode there and across the mountain west. I have researched and found some other similar towns in the region that haven't become quite so popular. I won't name them online because I hope they remain that way haha.
@@arttrumbo9496 I’ve got the job offer. Maybe I’ll be seeing you there in a year or two? :)
I live in bighorn county and our internet sucks!!!! We have hughsnet and it is not good. We are looking into Star link, our friends say it’s great! But yes we have a long winter but that’s ok because we have some great ice fishing. Also being so close to Yellowstone is nice. I’m surprised you didn’t mention cody, it’s packed I’m summer but fantastic in the fall and winter!! Great video as always!!!
Two facts about Wyoming: It’s windy all the time (mostly extremely high winds 60-100 mph common) and brutal Winters. It’s like cruel planet in Winter. Summers are fine, and make Wyoming look like a great place to live. Wyoming Winters make Wisconsin Winters look like Spring.
I was gonna say something very similar. Wyoming winters are no joke, absolutely brutal.
In Clark Wyoming last fall we had a Wind storm with 128 mph speeds
All one has to do to verify claims is to go to your favorite weather site. It's May 24th and it's 51 degrees right now. It will be in the 30s until next month. Never know, It might just snow on the 4th of July. It's a thing.
Better come in February if you really want to see what access is like .. guess I'll just do a video
Hey Briggs - what resources do you typically use for finding all the towns and stats in this video? Cheers!
The valley that AFton is in is so pretty!
There are very few " Great " Rural towns in Wyoming to live, they ALL are Rural ! Most all of these ' Small " Towns are in Serious Financial Trouble, Rock Springs, Green River are Especially Bad, and are on the verge of Collapse, Sky High Unemployment, Crazy expensive rents and home prices make it much worse, Internet Coverage is Terrible with Service going down for days if not weeks on end, in many area's Cable and Dish Services Crash often as well. The State is in Economic Free Fall, and is getting worse. Towns are miles and miles apart, difficult in the winter when the Highways and Roads close due to Blizzards and Wind. Great Places to Buy Real Estate ? Really ? Thats not Correct not even a little, Realtors, Bankers often make Sunshine Video's , and Paint pretty pictures, trying to sell you some worth less land, filling your head with Visions of privacy and Rural living, all designed to separate you from your money, the Reality of it is , you will need to pay thousands of dollars to have Wells drilled searching for water on your rural property, and if they dont hit any you get to pay them thousands of more dollars to drill again, Power on your Rural property ? well that going to be thousands of more dollars, after you pay the crazy high Permits and Licenses, you'll need to have water and power, on your " Rural " Property, Got 4 Wheel drive Vehicles you'll need them to get in and out, got a snow plow ? Most people dont. These Realtors will say and do anything to get into your wallet, dont fall for their Pretty pictures and " Oh its no problem living way out here " Nonsense, So what do we do when you cant get out to the road, in the winter because its closed ? What do we do when we have no Internet, or Phone Service ? What happens if there is an Emergency and you cant get out because of deep snow, mud that can bury a car ? All these thing must be discussed, looked at and you better have very very deep pockets,
Happy New Year Mr Briggs and GOD BLESS YOU 🙌 🙏
I'm considered a "Greenie"...meaning I'm from Colorado. Wyoming is purty provincial and insular. Natives can be guarded yet congenial. They tend to be very protective, guarding their state from outside influences, both sociological and political.
Just Do Better is dead on: "9 months of winter and constant wind".....Yeup!
Except for Cheyenne, Caspar, Yellowstone N.P. and Jackson, the state is sparsely populated. If you have agoraphobic tendencies, it ain't for you! There's great elk, plains deer and antelope hunting...particularly if you know a rancher. Fishing used to be heavenly until "A River Runs Through It" and the fly fishing craze hit.
And finally...Liz Cheney is not a good representative of true residents of the Cowboy State.
Holy shit, a greenie I like!!
I worked in Cheyenne for 4-years and would go to Colorado on RARE occasions. Seems every cop in the State would whip up a reason to pull me over and write me a ridiculous ticket when they spotted my Wyoming plates.. I talked to GREENIES who said the Wyoming cops were guilty of the same thing. Haw!
I love that there's two months of summer, two months of spring, two months of fall, and 6 months of winter. Liz Cheney's Uber is here in 2022. That RINO can go do whatever she wants. She just can't be the congressional rep here anymore.
@@The2ndFirst Yes, it looks like she's in trouble. Thanks (a conservative from California here) for giving her boot soon.
I drove through Wyoming on my way to Billings and saw some pronghorn sheep and I stopped just to watch them for a while, it was fun watching them
Wyoming is my "if I win the lottery" state. Live in NC currently, but visited Wyoming on my travels and love it. Nothing I would love more than a small town (500-5000 residents) where I can have some land, a place to play with my guns, natural beauty, and some peace and quiet.
I live in Wyoming, but we go to OBX and Myrtle Beach for our getaways. Grass is always greener, I suppose 😊. Have a great day!
I live in Cody Wyoming near Yellowstone and this is definitely the spot you should look at I love it here
Remember winters can be brutal in Wyoming
In Wyoming, 5000 is a relatively large town. I live in Lyman, WY, population 2200. We are, according to latest census, in the top 20 towns in Wyoming based on population.
Born and raised in NC. It's one of the few states I'd ever move back to and only to the coast.
Excellent stuff bro
Lol Hana! Now that would be the biggest mistake if you every moved there. I’ve lived in Wyoming over 35 years and Hana is not good 😆
It would be a tie with Opal. Or, perhaps, Bill if you want an even smaller town.
I 've never talked to anyone that has had a problem there. Agreed, there's nothing to do. Hanna market is the only shop. Just depends on what you want from life. I personally don't drive on the Interstate unless I have to from about June to August.