Wyoming is a great place to live for many reasons, including its natural wonders, affordability, and clean air. The state has a low unemployment rate and offers many jobs in fields such as mineral extraction, tourism, government, education, and healthcare. Outdoor enthusiasts will love the state’s skiing and fishing opportunities. Wyoming ranks highly on lists of states with the best health and well-being due to factors as outdoor activities.
I am not sure what you think when you think of Wyoming. Many people think of Jackson Hole or Yellowstone National Park, some may think of cowboys and buffalo. While all of those things are part of Wyoming, Wyoming is so much more. The things everyone knows about Wyoming make it a great place to visit, but so much more makes it a great place to live. Hi, I’m Alisha Collins with the Alicia Collins Real Estate Team.
Let’s talk about some reasons to move to Wyoming. Natural wonders. In Wyoming, there are 12 state parks, five national parks, four wildlife refuges, and two national parks. So, many of America’s natural wonders all in one state. Did I mention the first US national monument, Devils Tower? So many amazing things to see and do. I mean, sure you can visit, but, it would take a lot of time to hit all of these amazing sites or may possibly require many different visits. So, maybe you could just move to Wyoming and take a bunch of day trips to see all of them.
Wyoming is affordable. Okay, so maybe not all of Wyoming, but Wyoming has so many other places to consider. Many of our cities and towns have a cost of living that is below the national average. If you look at a cost of living index where the national average is 100, anything below that has a lower cost of living than the national average. According to bestplaces.net, as a state, the cost of living in Wyoming is 98.1. Several city and towns are even lower than that. Casper, for example, has a cost of living of 95.5. Cheyenne, 97.1, and Sheridan, 97.4. Rock Springs, 91.8. Evanston, 91.4, just to name a few. What do these numbers really mean? Well, for example, the average cost per square foot to buy a home in Casper is around 146 compared to the national average of 244 per square foot. This is a pretty big difference. Generally speaking, the cost of housing is lower in Wyoming and the cost of healthcare is higher than in other parts of the country. Add in some very low tax rates and Wyoming is looking pretty darn great from an affordability standpoint.
Okay, so affordability is great, but in order to afford anything, you have to have a job. So, are there jobs in Wyoming? Yes, currently, the unemployment rate in Wyoming is lower than the national average. We are sitting at 3% compared to 3.7% nationally. The economy in Wyoming has traditionally been driven by mineral extraction industries and tourism. So jobs can be found in those areas as well as federal and state government based jobs. Top employers include the University of Wyoming as well as other school districts, and various medical facilities throughout the state.
Another reason to consider moving to Wyoming is the fresh clean air. According to americashealthranking.org, Wyoming is the healthiest state when it comes to clean air. Plus, Casper is one of the cleanest cities in the country when it comes to ozone levels, and both Cheyenne and Casper are towards the top of the list for low year round particulate pollution. Maybe the low air pollution in Wyoming is because the wind blows it all out of the state, or maybe it’s due to the lower population. Whatever the reason, take in a few deep breaths and enjoy.
All that clean air might have something to do with the fact that Wyoming and big cities do not go hand in hand. I mean, the entire state has a little over 581,000 inhabitants and is the lowest populated state in the country. The largest city in the state is the capital, Cheyenne, which has just over 64,000 people. Wyoming has the second lowest population density in the entire country with just six people for every square mile, second only to Alaska. So, if you’re not a big fan of crowds, then lower population is definitely another reason to move to Wyoming.
Lower populations means you don’t have to share my next reason to move to Wyoming with very many people, all the skiing and fishing you could possibly want. Yes, Jackson Hole is one of the top ski resorts in the country, but there are several other ski resorts throughout the state, not to mention all the Nordic skiing opportunities as well. Plus, Wyoming is full of well-known hotspots for fishing. Whether you’re interested in fishing on the reservoir, river, creek, or pond, whether frozen or flowing, you can find it in Wyoming. Well known hotspots include Flaming Gorge, the North Platte River, Miracle Mile, Keyhole Reservoir, and so many more. Fishing and skiing are two of the top outdoor sports in Wyoming, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many different things to do. Just consider moving here to try them all.
My top reason to move to Wyoming is all around health and wellbeing. I do have a sense of wellbeing throughout my daily life in Wyoming, but don’t take my word for it. Wyoming has ranked in the top 10 on more than one list of top states to live for health and wellbeing. In 2019, Wyoming was second only to Hawaii on the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. The index looks at a combination of factors including physical health, sense of community, financial health, social wellbeing, and sense of purpose. In 2022, lifeextension.com ranked Wyoming eighth on their list of the best states for wellness. Their list used data from the CDC regarding mental and general health, exercise, and sleep, Google Trends data, and national park data. In many of the polls that ranked cities or states by wellness or wellbeing according to the national parks is often one of the factors that they consider. This may be due to the fact that being able to enjoy the great outdoors is often a key to health and wellbeing in general.
No wonder Wyoming makes these lists with all the possibilities of outdoor activities in the state. So, there you have it. Seven great reasons to move to Wyoming. If one of these reasons convinces you to move and you decide to look for a home in and around the Casper area, please give us a call, we have time for you. We have a team that would love to meet you. We love hearing from all of you and can’t wait to talk to you. I love it here and I want you to love where you live too. Thank you for watching.