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Hello there! We are wanting to move to real America and had our eye on WY, but need some advice. We were looking in the western side of the state because my husband loves the mountains and trees. We have 2 small kids (4 and 1) so I am really looking for great schools. Is the Sun Valley area (Smoot, Afton, etc) good? We are looking for a great town to raise our family in, but also don't want to pay a million for the property. Is there shopping over there or do you have to travel for items or Amazon packages in? I would appreciate any advice you have! Thank you in advance!
Hello there! We are wanting to move to real America and had our eye on WY, but need some advice. We were looking in the western side of the state because my husband loves the mountains and trees. We have 2 small kids (4 and 1) so I am really looking for great schools. Is the Sun Valley area (Smoot, Afton, etc) good? We are looking for a great town to raise our family in, but also don't want to pay a million for the property. Is there shopping over there or do you have to travel for items or Amazon packages in? I would appreciate any advice you have! Thank you in advance!
Getting a new Bomgaars where Shop ko used to be, there a good hospital. grocery stores , 3 banks , good schools they have 2 K thru 3rd then 2 more 4th thru 6th, one
Jr High and High School for whole valley , choice of gas stations, nice little down town in Afton and Thayne. mostly LDS but other denominations we used to go to Idaho Falls maybe once a month to WinCo, Sam's Club, Rushes maybe to mall or men's work Wearhouse .
(Some say Star was an abbrevation for Starvation Valley because of a super bad winter very early settlers faced. Livestock freezing to death, etc.)
Learn about the climate and decide if you (and the young kids) can handle it and if it is worth it. Keep your vehicle batteries from freezing. Keep your face and everything from freezing. Not just a few times. Lots of the time. For real and not necessarily all forgotten within 5 minutes of going inside.
Total snowfall can push to and over 100 inches (90-140 in each of the last 5 yrs). Probably a foot or more on ground for most of 4 months.
An average of 35 nights below zero. Some will be -20 below. -40 sometimes happens. 3 months or more of typically waking up to under 10 degrees. 2/3rds of the year, it will go below 32 at night. 2-3 months per year the highs won't break freezing.
If you know these facts already, good. If not, look close. What level of winter are you familar with? This will be worse to way way worse than all but a few places.
It may pass 60 for highs by early April but cold snaps are still possible. Will mostly dip below 60 for highd by late Sept. / early Oct. but might be exceptional warm days after.
Shopping will be the stores Jody mentioned and not much more. Long drives to real cities and that will take more time and risk in the 4-6 months of winter. 105 miles from Afton to Idaho Falls. More or less for other cities. Stock up, have spares. Use of delivery will help, but may add cost and wait time.
Some people pay a million or $5-10 mil for properties in Star Valley. Others fairly normal or some amount above. It depends what you want / expect / need. Check the real estate sites.
The small towns in the valley range from like 100 to 2500 people each. Have you lived in a small or tiny town? Some say living in a community of 50-75% LDS members is no big deal, others say it is hard or not for them or their kids. Consolidated schools may mean long bus rides or parental drives from some locations. Pick place with that consideration in mind. And as they change schools, the drive may change.
Visit and a lot of folks say visit in winter to get the full reality of that. Use search tool (top right of page) to read other threads.
If not bringing or creating own jobs, see what you can find and if it is enough. Don't assume that any business will be viable. Research, ask people, decide what to believe. Locals may already have it pretty locked up.
Don't rush your decision. Think thru where you are going to get or do anything vital.
Both Jody and NW Crow presented great info and gave you a lot to consider. I'll just add my two cents since we were in Star Valley, not Sun Valley (that's in Idaho), in July since we were considering a move there.
First, the largest population center in SV is Afton. Alpine, I believe, is next largest. Grocery store, small hospital, some restaurants are there in Alpine. Great access to the Little Grey's River for fishing, hiking, and camping. Probably a lot of snow mobile activity in the winter. Didn't look too much at homes there, we looked more at Thayne and Afton. I could see the drive from Afton to Alpine in the winter being real looooong with the amount of snow they can get.
There are some cute neighborhoods in both Thayne and Afton. Big LDS presence but everyone was very nice. But what ultimately made us not want to move to SV was the cost of real estate. There's no way wages in SV support the mortgages those homes will have. That's not to say I couldn't sell my CA home, have a nice down payment, and buy a decent home, but if you're not in my situation, if you're coming with no equity and looking to find work in SV, good luck affording a home. If you have a good down payment and a remote job then you'll be fine.
If you have the luxury of working remotely then don't just set your sights on SV. Consider Cody, Pinedale, Laramie, Buffalo, and Sheridan. All have trees, access to the mountains, fishing and skiing and all are cheaper than SV. Cody is surprisingly expensive, IMO, but it's very close to tons of outdoor activities.
Hello there! We are wanting to move to real America and had our eye on WY, but need some advice. We were looking in the western side of the state because my husband loves the mountains and trees. We have 2 small kids (4 and 1) so I am really looking for great schools. Is the Sun Valley area (Smoot, Afton, etc) good? We are looking for a great town to raise our family in, but also don't want to pay a million for the property. Is there shopping over there or do you have to travel for items or Amazon packages in? I would appreciate any advice you have! Thank you in advance!
You've been given some good information. Since I live in Star Valley I'll answer your questions also. We came from California originally and we had our daughters in a charter school there, and it was good, but we love the schools here so much more. Small class sizes, lots of individual attention given to the students, the teachers really get to know your kids and their parents. Studying history is really big in Wyoming, which I found lacking in California. They have field trips here up into Yellowstone, or they take the older kids skiing. They taught both of my kids to ski and snowshoe at the schools in P.E which I thought was really neat. They have a great transportation system here so yes kids are bussed from Alpine to Afton, but they do a great job getting the students safely from one side of the valley to the other every single day in all the crazy weather that we get. There's more that I can say but the point is I really love the schools here and so do my teens. We've been here since they were in 4th and 7th grades. Now they are in 11th and 8th grades.
As for the towns in Star Valley I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. It just depends on your needs and proximity to your job. If your jobs are up in Jackson, then you'd want to live in Alpine so the commute up the canyon is shorter. Alpine is more expensive because of how close it is to Jackson, but Jackson's jobs pay more than the jobs in the valley do, so it's a trade off.
Thayne is pretty centrally located which is nice, and it has a grocery store, banks, some small restaurants, post office, library etc. Plus you can go either direction and you can be in Alpine of Afton for a job in 15-20 minutes.
Star Valley Ranch is nestled near and in the trees. It used to be a community for a lot of older folks and summer houses, but more and more families are moving into the neighborhoods. This is the area with the greatest amount of available housing at any given time, and while there are million dollar houses, there are also houses selling for 300,000 and everything in between. The downside is you drive into Thayne or the other towns for your needs.
Afton is the biggest town and it has a lot to offer, very heavily LDS influence there. It has some fast food places, grocery stores, tractor supply, barber shop library, etc. It has fun events throughout the year, 4th of july parade, Christmas parade etc.
All of the towns are great and I love the sense of community here. People here really care about their neighbors and help one another. The kids ride their bikes around the neighborhood and you feel safe letting them do so. The nature here is incredible, deer grazing at your house or around the neighborhood. Bald eagles and osprey flying in the blue sky, and the elk that come down from the mountains every winter to graze in the fields. It's kind of magical. Yes our winters are rough and long, but if you can find winter sports and activities to do and enjoy, it will make them more tolerable and even enjoyable. We all learned to ice skate here which was fun, and we go sledding every year. Many people ski or snow mobile around.
For shopping we try to stick to local, but we do a run to Costco over in Idaho for the bigger stuff every couple of months, we just stock up. That's where you'll find Target and Walmart, and your other big box stores. It's only an hour and 45 minutes to Idaho Falls and 2 hours and change to Pocatello. Yes it takes longer in the winter months because of the snow, but it's not so bad and you just make a full day out of it. Go over get all the things done, grab lunch or dinner and head home. Amazon does deliver here, although it is slower even with Prime, there's no 2 day shipping here, but it does help fill in the need for things that you can't find locally.
I do echo the others. Please visit in the winter months and see Star Valley in the snow, ice, and negative temperatures. They don't shut things down here like they do in other states. The kids go to school even if it's snowing buckets. People go to work even when it's negative 20° outside. It's not the place to live if you're used to snow days when an inch of snow has fallen on the ground. The kids go outside to play for recess when it's negative degrees up to negative 10, with the proper snow attire obviously.
This is a great community and many people move here from all over and call it home, just make sure you do your research and really see what it will be like before you make the leap so you're not surprised or disappointed when things are not what they seemed like in the summer months. Best of luck!!
You've been given some good information. Since I live in Star Valley I'll answer your questions also. We came from California originally and we had our daughters in a charter school there, and it was good, but we love the schools here so much more. Small class sizes, lots of individual attention given to the students, the teachers really get to know your kids and their parents. Studying history is really big in Wyoming, which I found lacking in California. They have field trips here up into Yellowstone, or they take the older kids skiing. They taught both of my kids to ski and snowshoe at the schools in P.E which I thought was really neat. They have a great transportation system here so yes kids are bussed from Alpine to Afton, but they do a great job getting the students safely from one side of the valley to the other every single day in all the crazy weather that we get. There's more that I can say but the point is I really love the schools here and so do my teens. We've been here since they were in 4th and 7th grades. Now they are in 11th and 8th grades.
As for the towns in Star Valley I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. It just depends on your needs and proximity to your job. If your jobs are up in Jackson, then you'd want to live in Alpine so the commute up the canyon is shorter. Alpine is more expensive because of how close it is to Jackson, but Jackson's jobs pay more than the jobs in the valley do, so it's a trade off.
Thayne is pretty centrally located which is nice, and it has a grocery store, banks, some small restaurants, post office, library etc. Plus you can go either direction and you can be in Alpine of Afton for a job in 15-20 minutes.
Star Valley Ranch is nestled near and in the trees. It used to be a community for a lot of older folks and summer houses, but more and more families are moving into the neighborhoods. This is the area with the greatest amount of available housing at any given time, and while there are million dollar houses, there are also houses selling for 300,000 and everything in between. The downside is you drive into Thayne or the other towns for your needs.
Afton is the biggest town and it has a lot to offer, very heavily LDS influence there. It has some fast food places, grocery stores, tractor supply, barber shop library, etc. It has fun events throughout the year, 4th of july parade, Christmas parade etc.
All of the towns are great and I love the sense of community here. People here really care about their neighbors and help one another. The kids ride their bikes around the neighborhood and you feel safe letting them do so. The nature here is incredible, deer grazing at your house or around the neighborhood. Bald eagles and osprey flying in the blue sky, and the elk that come down from the mountains every winter to graze in the fields. It's kind of magical. Yes our winters are rough and long, but if you can find winter sports and activities to do and enjoy, it will make them more tolerable and even enjoyable. We all learned to ice skate here which was fun, and we go sledding every year. Many people ski or snow mobile around.
For shopping we try to stick to local, but we do a run to Costco over in Idaho for the bigger stuff every couple of months, we just stock up. That's where you'll find Target and Walmart, and your other big box stores. It's only an hour and 45 minutes to Idaho Falls and 2 hours and change to Pocatello. Yes it takes longer in the winter months because of the snow, but it's not so bad and you just make a full day out of it. Go over get all the things done, grab lunch or dinner and head home. Amazon does deliver here, although it is slower even with Prime, there's no 2 day shipping here, but it does help fill in the need for things that you can't find locally.
I do echo the others. Please visit in the winter months and see Star Valley in the snow, ice, and negative temperatures. They don't shut things down here like they do in other states. The kids go to school even if it's snowing buckets. People go to work even when it's negative 20° outside. It's not the place to live if you're used to snow days when an inch of snow has fallen on the ground. The kids go outside to play for recess when it's negative degrees up to negative 10, with the proper snow attire obviously.
This is a great community and many people move here from all over and call it home, just make sure you do your research and really see what it will be like before you make the leap so you're not surprised or disappointed when things are not what they seemed like in the summer months. Best of luck!!
Advice about Wyoming in general? I know you're asking about Star Valley, but I suspect it has a lot in common with much of the state. It's a hard place to live, but many thrive here. Winter is serious. Casper, which isn't hard winter by Wyoming standards had serious snow in early September this year. We got a dusting in June. There's at least four months of travel that ranges from tricky to impossible in unpredictable ways. The isolation in much of the state is real. Even in the bigger cities here, it can be like living on an island. Get what you need in town or be prepared to go to great lengths to get it. People can be stand offish. I think it's a defense mechanism against people coming in and leaving after a few months to a year or two when the romance wears off. They need to know you're in it for the long haul. While there is a very real spirit of self reliance here, you're deeply connected with your neighbors. Distances are enormous. Things you may take for granted may not exist here. (Produce at the store still leaves me a bit flat.) Make sure to really check Wyoming out before taking the leap. It doesn't reveal itself easily.
I've lived in the (relative to other parts of the state) unscenic and urban Casper for a bit more than five years now. I can't really imagine living anywhere else permanently. It has what I need and gives far more than I can ever give back. I'm not saying it's easy, but it beats the alternatives. It's far from perfect. It's far from glamorous. It's definitely not the romanticized Wyoming of American dreams. It's real. It's home. I'd guess that is true for much of the state.
If Wyoming is for you, you'll make it. It's a great place to make a life, but it's not for everyone.
I recently traveled through ID MT and WY. We camped in the Bighorns and also at Boysen Reservoir.
Of course, much of WY is a bit remote and desolate except for the cities, like Nevada. We actually really liked Riverton, Lander and Pinedale, but we wondered about the winters in Pinedale? We also like Cody, Casper and Sheridan/Buffalo.
Our big wants are lots of open space to recreate in without a bunch of restrictive rules (BLM is usually great for this), lakes and rivers and dog friendly and my husband doesn't like massive snow...but we get plenty where we live now and are used to it....we are also used to wind.
So if anyone has any insights on these cities...we live in Nevada and are looking for the above plus lots of fishing and live and let live attitudes like we have here...
I just wanted to mention that Idaho and Wyoming had the nicest residents, just really friendly like here in Northern Nevada...
Pinedale is a bit cooler than Afton, described above. Freezes at night 9 months of year. Below zero 56 times per year on average. 77 days / yr never gets above freezing. 70 to almost 170 inches of snow per year over last 10 years. 167 inches winter 2016-17. One of coldest spots in lower 48.
Riverton is relatively low snow. 40-60 inches per year in recent years. Lander has been getting 50-100 per year recently. Over 100 was more common further back. Cody 15-80 recently, average of about 40. In something of a snow shadow of Yellowstone. Buffalo 30-60. Long term avg is close to 40 but recent average is over 50. Sheridan Airport gets average of 70. But lots of missing data recently. Far less if you go east onto the plains. Casper, 75 avg, 50 to over 100 recently. 107 last winter.
Data from https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?wy1570. same site as linked above. Look at snowfall avg on main page or use "snowfall -monthly totals" from left menu. Some data missing so round up.
Green River avg is 30-35 inches of snow but has seen almost 80 recently.
Afton 60 -140. 140 last winter.
So, most spots moderate or more. Will vary. Will get more than expected sometimes. Of course more in tge mountains, locking much of them most of year except for the few hardiest.
I don't have the time to really talk city features beyond weather at moment. But thousands of threads out there that do. I'll end though with saying of the 7 you named, Cody, Sheridan / Buffalo and Riverton might be the better targets for many. Casper could work for some. Lander or Pinedale, they're extra winter above the other places.
Last edited by NW Crow; 09-26-2020 at 06:53 PM..
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