The Ups And Downs Of Life In Casper, Wyoming: Is It Worth It? Here are our favorite pros and cons of living in Casper Wyoming. Ever wondered if the perfect town exists or if it’s just a dream? Well, the truth is, there’s no such thing as a truly perfect town in the real world. But today, let’s talk about the pros and cons of my favorite town – Casper! Hey there, I’m Alisha Collins, part of the Alisha Collins Real Estate Team, and we’re the experts when it comes to Wyoming. With two decades of experience and a fantastic team, we’re here to help you find your dream home, even if it’s not in our current service areas. Just give us a call, and we’ll connect you with the right team anywhere in the state. And if you’re looking for a home in our areas, well, we’re your perfect team! Now, when it comes to Casper, it’s not a perfect town, but it has its charms. As a realtor, I believe in giving you the full picture, so today, let’s dive into the pros and cons of living in Casper, Wyoming. You know, many of the things I love about Casper come with their own set of drawbacks, making it hard to simply list pros and cons. Take the weather, for example! Weather in Casper is unpredictable, to say the least. It changes from day to day and year to year. We experience some consistency, but also some wild surprises. That’s right, surprise weather! If you don’t like the weather in Casper, just wait ten minutes, and it might change. I find it exciting because it keeps you on your toes. We’ve seen snow in summer and rain in winter, and some years, like the winter of 2022-23, we had record-breaking snowfall. While huge snow drifts weren’t fun, the snow days sure were a blast. On average, we get about 70 inches of snow per year, but this year has been oddly warm and dry. It led to an extended fall, which was a pleasant surprise. Speaking of weather, Casper offers all four seasons, each with its own unique charm. But, as with anything, there are cons. The weather can be unpredictable, and winter here can be quite harsh. Driving on icy roads isn’t fun, but it’s a part of living here. Wind is another challenge – we get it in all four seasons. Winter winds can be particularly bone-chilling. However, despite the weather quirks, there’s a lot to love about Casper. It’s a haven for outdoor enthusiasts with activities like hunting, fishing, kayaking, hiking, skiing, and more. We’ve got four golf courses, beautiful Casper Mountain for hiking and skiing, and fun events like the Beartrap Summer Festival. Shopping here is diverse too, with local boutiques, big-box stores, and plenty of sporting goods shops. And speaking of food, while we may lack some chain restaurants, our local dining scene is fantastic. Now, one drawback is the distance between cities in Wyoming. Road trips are a must if you want to catch bigger concerts and events in Cheyenne or Denver. Also, flying can get expensive due to limited flight options at our local airport. In summary, Casper isn’t perfect, but it’s a town with its own unique charm and quirks. We hope this gives you a good idea of what to expect when considering a move here. Remember, our team is here to help you find your perfect home, and we truly love this place. We want you to love where you live too!
Maybe you know the perfect town to live in or think you do or maybe you have no idea what a perfect town is. Even if you think someplace is perfect, after all, we’re talking about the real world and there is no such thing as a perfect town. So let’s talk pros and cons of my perfect town. Well, at least my favorite town, Casper, Wyoming, and living in Casper, Wyoming.
Hi, I’m Alisha Collins, with the Alisha Collins Real Estate Team, and we know Wyoming. With 20 years of experience and an incredible team, we can help you find the perfect home for you, even if it isn’t in one of the areas that we currently service. Simply call us and let us help you find the place you are looking for anywhere in this state or beyond. Of course, if you need a home in one of our areas, we are your perfect team.
When it comes to a perfect town, Casper isn’t perfect, but there are some great pros to living here. Part of being a good realtor is helping our clients find their right place, and that means seeing all sides of the situation. So I’m going to talk about pros and cons of living in Casper, Wyoming. I find a lot of the positive aspects of living in Casper also have some downsides, so that makes it a bit harder to do a simple list of pros versus a list of cons.
The weather or climate of Wyoming is a great example. The weather here is a little unpredictable from day to day and from year to year. There are also some consistent things and we will talk about them, but for now, let’s talk about the surprise weather that we experience in Casper, Wyoming. Pro, surprise weather. If you don’t like the weather in Casper, give it 10 minutes and it just might change. Now, not everyone will see this as a pro, but I do because the weather keeps you on your toes, and I can confidently say that the weather in Wyoming, specifically Casper, Wyoming, isn’t boring. Not only have we seen snow in summer and rain in winter, but from year to year there can be some drastic changes. For example, last year during the winter of 2022 to 2023, we had record snowfall in early April, that pushed us from the sixth snowiest winter in history up to the third snowiest winter in history, with over 130 inches of total annual snowfall. That one storm set records for daily snowfall in storm, total snowfall, and ended up giving us huge snow drifts throughout the town with many as large as eight feet. The drifts weren’t that fun, so we’ll put them over in the con list, but the snow day was fun, it was amazing. So I’ll call that a pro in my book. Our annual average snowfall is usually around 70 inches. So far this year, well, it’s been already the beginning of January and so far this season we have had less than 15 inches. Now, winter is technically just starting, so only time will tell, but this year is weirdly warm and dry. It has honestly been a nice change from our norm, but it’s a little strange. The plus side, we experience a beautiful extended fall this year. That leads me to the weather pro, four seasons. Yes, sometimes the seasons are shorter than we would like, and some people joke that there’s only two seasons of Wyoming winter and construction, but we do have four separate seasons. Normally, the spring and fall seasons are a bit shorter than we would like, but we still get to experience the difference that each season brings. Summer brings fun on lake, camping in the mountains, and floating on the river. Winter brings snow sports just outside your door, skiing, snowshoeing and more.
Okay, so those are both pros about the weather, but what about the weather cons? Remember the surprise weather? Well, that can also be a con. You may head out for your day expecting calm weather and then it changes on you, and wind or snow or rain that you weren’t planning on, hits and you don’t have the right gear with you. If you are planning year to year and season to season, well, just look at this year’s lack of snowfall, and you can see those planning for the winter of skiing are still waiting for their season to begin. So winter in Wyoming can be absolutely beautiful. However, another con that often occurs, but hasn’t hit this year, is that Casper winter can sometimes be brutal. Sometimes winter in Casper seems to last forever. You’ll survive the best if you’re able to pick up a winter sport to make the time go by pleasantly. Driving on the winter roads in Wyoming can be less than fun. So make sure you check out my video about, “Wyoming Winter Driving,” for some tips to make it a bit easier. To live here in the winter means you’re going to have to learn how to drive on the roads, whether they have snow, ice, or both. And snow isn’t so bad most of the time, it is actually the below freezing temperatures and the windchill that get you down. Oh, and blowing snow and drifts. Okay, should I make this more than one con on my list? Probably. I must admit another weather con, the W word. We get wind in all four seasons. Sure, we get the seasons, but the seasons tend to bring the wind here to Casper. Now, strong winds don’t happen every day, but sometimes it really feels that way. The average wind speed year round is over 12 miles an hour in Wyoming, so some places are lower and some are higher. We have seen wind gusts with speeds over 70 miles per hour right here in Casper. So you know wind speeds like that can put a damper on your day. I have to say, the winter winds are my very least favorite. The cold, blowing snow brings wind chills, well below zero and drifts that can be difficult to shovel and navigate. Then you have the summer winds, which can feel like a hairdryer on a bad day when they kick up. I can’t necessarily say that you get used to it, but you do learn to live with it and maybe just stay inside on those exceptionally bad days. But don’t worry, there are so many good days, even with the wind. As the air warms up, the chill in the wind leaves and they aren’t so bad. Springtime in Wyoming is just amazing. This year, it was also longer than normal like the fall. So living somewhere is more than just about the weather and the climate. So let’s look at a few more pluses and minuses that come along with living in Casper.
One of the biggest pros of living in Casper, Wyoming, is all the fun outdoor activities you can find. Something in every season and for just about everyone. Most people know that Wyoming is known for amazing hunting year round, and we have world famous fly fishing right in our backyard on the North Platte River. But hunting and fishing are not the only things to do here. Did you know that we have four golf courses? Casper Municipal Golf Course and Three Crowns Golf Club are both open to the public and our two Membership-based Golf Clubs allow member guests. So just make a friend and you can golf at Paradise Valley Country Club or the Casper Country Club. Feel like Putt Putt instead of the real deal? We have that too at Old Town Family Fun Center. If walking a golf course isn’t your thing, then head to Casper Mountain and give hiking a shot. In the winter, the mountain has day and night downhill skiing and snowboarding at the Hogadon Basin Ski Area, or perhaps cross country skiing and snowshoeing at the Nordic Trail Center. That only covers a fraction of the fun that you can have on Casper Mountain. Bear Trap Summer Festival with non-stop live music and wonderful outdoor markets, and food vendors is always fun. You can always go camping or four-wheeling, of course you can camp and four-wheel in many places, not just the mountain. We are so lucky to have wonderful camping amenities at all of our reservoirs and many places to hike and camp that are off the beaten path. One of my very favorite things to do, both of the lake reservoirs and on the river is to kayak. It can be peaceful or exciting, depending on where you go and what kind of wildlife you get to see. And I’m pretty sure I’ve missed something because we have so many things to do. Let’s see, hunting, fishing, kayaking, hiking, camping, four-wheeling, skiing. Oh, and I forgot the archery and skeet shooting. I’m sure you get the idea. There are many things to do. I could almost guarantee that if you are willing to try new things, you will always find something to do here in Casper, Wyoming. And if outdoor activities are not your thing, check out the brand new, Casper Pickleball and Sports Complex with eight pickleball courts, eight batting cages, and many other amenities. Or visit the Casper Rec Center, Ice Arena, YMCA, or any of the many local indoor athletic facilities in town. Or try one of my favorite sports.
How about some shopping? Another pro of living in Casper, Wyoming, is that we have such a variety of businesses. For a small town, Casper really does have decent shopping. We have some amazing local businesses, regional chains, and big box stores as well. When it comes to local businesses, they run the gamut from local sporting good stores to fashionable boutiques and from kitchen specialty stores to cowboy attire. Shopping in Casper can be fun. I like our cute little downtown, with stores like Cadillac Cowgirl, where you can always find a cute outfit or three. Stop in at Floral Rhino or Mustard Seed for the perfect gift. And then Lou Talbert’s Ranch Outfitters for a new cowboy hat or boots. I mean, what more could you want? If you really can’t find what you want downtown, you can head to one of the big name stores like Ross, Target or Marshall’s. When it comes to sporting goods, since we have access to so many outdoor sports, we have a wide variety of stores that cover all of our needs. We have small specialty shops like the local fly fishing shops, the Ugly Bug, and the Platte River Fly Shop, or a little broader scope with shops like Wagner’s, Gear Up and Get Out There, ZELOS or Mountain Sports, for your skis, bikes, outdoor gear and everything in between. Bush-Wells Sporting Goods can help you with the right sporting goods for organized youth and adult sports. We also have Wyoming owned stores like, Rocky Mountain Discount Sports and the larger box stores, like Sportsman’s Warehouse and Dick’s Sporting Goods. We have fairly diverse shopping opportunities, which is a pro.
But you have to remember with a population of around 60,000, we don’t have every store, so you may consider this to be a con. A smaller city means fewer shopping opportunities than the big cities like Denver or even Billings.
Speaking of being a smaller city, another con related to Casper is that due to our smaller size, some of the big concerts and events pass us by because we don’t have the population to support them. But hey, that’s what road trips are for. Many of the larger events are in Cheyenne, Wyoming, two and a half hours away, or Denver, Colorado, which is four, four and a half hours away by car. We also lack some of the chain restaurants, due to our lower population, which you may consider a con. But I think the quality and diversity of our local restaurants are a pro that more than make up for this.
Let’s talk local restaurants. If you’ve been following me it all, you know Wyoming Ale is my very favorite restaurant, and a lot of you try that when you come to Casper, Wyoming to visit. But let’s talk about some others. So let’s talk breakfast. My husband’s very favorite is Johnny J’s, and we also like Eggington’s. Let’s talk Mexican food. Lots of people like La Costa, and our other favorite is La Cocina. My very favorite Italian place is Boscos, and my very favorite place for prime rib is the Silver Fox. And if you haven’t tried the rolls, you gotta try those too. There are so many other restaurants that you can pick that are absolutely fantastic. I don’t have time to name them all.
So that leads me to another con, the distance to get from Casper to another city. With Wyoming’s low population and relatively large size of our state, most Wyoming towns are fairly far apart. If you wanna go anywhere, it does take some time. Well, except if you’re gonna go from Casper to Glenrock, which is about 20 miles away. But if you need to travel from Casper to anywhere else, it may take a bit longer. For example, the Capital in Cheyenne, over two hours away. So whether for work or fun, you’ll have to be willing to drive the distance to get where you wanna go sometimes.
Now, I’m not sure if this is a con all on its own or part of a distance situation, but if you wanna travel anywhere outside of Casper, that is further than a few hours away by car, anywhere beyond an easy driving distance, flights can get expensive when flying in or out of our local airport. Especially, if you don’t book it in advance. Having an International Airport in Casper is a pro, because it is very convenient and may cut your wait time in security lines. But due to the limited flight options, it may cost you more than if you were to drive to a nearby airport and catch a flight from a larger city, such as Denver, Billings, Rapid City, or even Salt Lake City.
Deciding what makes something a pro or a con is often about personal experience and preference. But when it comes to summing up Casper’s, good, bad, and ugly, I hope I’ve given you a good idea of what to expect when living in Casper, Wyoming. Remember my team when it comes to discovering your pros and cons in a search for your perfect home. Again, whether it’s at Casper or somewhere else, we would love to help you. We have time for you, and I absolutely love hearing from all of you in the comments, and I love talking to you on the phone. So please reach out to us. Remember, we want you to love where you live. See ya soon.