Relocation advice on family relocating from Texas to Wyoming

[AlisonA]

We lived in Buffalo, Wyoming for four years and loved it. We only moved to Texas temporarily to assist with a family situation, and cannot wait to get out of here. Wyoming is definitely on the short list for our next stop, although we'd probably land in Sheridan/Big Horn instead of Buffalo. Why? Buffalo was just a little too small for me; at around 20k people, Sheridan has a few more people with which to connect, and definitely more family-oriented activities on the weekends; most of those are free, as well.

We chose that area of Wyoming specifically due to less wind, more sunshine, and generally less snow. It is also BEAUTIFUL, with abundant outdoor recreation. People are friendly and helpful, although it will take time and effort to make friends. It certainly didn't hurt that we had our CA plates changed out and Wyo driver's licenses within two weeks of moving there.

Car registration was far less in Wyoming than what it cost in CA, but more than we pay now in Texas. Car insurance and home insurance are MUCH more expensive in Texas than in Wyoming.

Property taxes are OUTRAGEOUS in Texas - more than we paid for an ocean-view home on CA's Central Coast, if that tells you anything. So if you move to Wyoming from Texas, the property tax relief will be immense, as will the shorter lines (if any) at the DMV.

Yes, gasoline and groceries will be more expensive in Wyoming than in Texas. Housing may or may not be, depending on where in Texas you live, and where in Wyoming you live. But overall, we would say that living in Wyoming for us was significantly less expensive than living in the DFW metroplex is now. The CD calculator agrees with us, for what that's worth.

Again, depending on where you live in Texas, and where you might choose to live in Wyoming, the big adjustments involved in moving to Wyoming may be:

1. The large swaths of empty land in between "towns" - using that term loosely, haha. We like that about Wyoming, but not everyone does. Buffalo and Sheridan are two of the larger Wyoming "towns" and are 35 miles apart, with lots of beautiful open space between. You'll either love that or hate it. We loved it mostly, except when we needed a part that wasn't available in town, thus requiring a 1.5 hour roundtrip drive. Others hated that empty space because they were always worried about what would happen if they broke down. On that particular stretch of highway, there is enough traffic that you can almost always count on someone stopping to help before you freeze to death (assuming it is winter). Wyomingites are a helpful bunch when someone is in a jam, that is for sure!

2. The dry air. Again, this is something we love, but it was an adjustment to see my curly hair go almost straight while we lived there. It went right back to being curly in Texas, thanks to the horrific humidity here.

3. The polite drivers. People in the DFW area some of the nicest anywhere, until they get behind the wheels of their cars, at which point they become maniacs. In contrast Wyoming drivers are super polite for the most part. They will stop a block away to let a pedestrian cross the street, in or out of the crosswalk. Of course, you still get the random idiots who drive 80mph+ going through the iced-up Piney Creek grade between Sheridan and Buffalo. But hey, you learn to watch for them and make sure they aren't next to you, or too close behind or in front of you. And other than that, driving in Wyoming beats driving in Texas by a country mile.

4. Weather. Yes, Texas has *interesting* weather with tornadoes and hail, but Wyoming can turn on a dime. Never drive anywhere without being prepared for a blizzard out of nowhere. That means water, blankets, and a charged up cell phone at all times. People have died out here because they went out in a t-shirt on a nice day and got stuck in a blizzard.

As for the HVAC jobs, my husband was just talking with the HVAC guy in Buffalo when he was back there in December to take care of his father (who still lives in Sheridan). Powder River HVAC (offices in Buffalo, Sheridan and Gillette, if I recall) is always looking for good workers. There is another independent guy in Buffalo who is close to retirement age. A friend mentioned to my husband that the town was going to be in a world of hurt when the old-timers retired, as there was no one in the pipeline for the future. I'd recommend checking with both of those outfits to see whether they are interested in hiring, or perhaps partnering, if your husband is the type who might like to work for himself at some point.

There are lots of pluses about Wyoming in my book, especially after living in Texas for the last eighteen months But it isn't for everyone, so do spend some time in Wyo before making up your mind. And if you don't like Casper (WAY too windy for me!), go 160 miles north to Sheridan, and it's a whole different world. Less shopping, but more beauty, better weather, and family friendly.

My $.25, YMMV.

[nm9stheham]

Originally Posted by AlisonA

2. The dry air. Again, this is something we love, but it was an adjustment to see my curly hair go almost straight while we lived there. It went right back to being curly in Texas, thanks to the horrific humidity here.

I never thought (or even knew) of that aspect of the drier air LOL